An Evening with Mosh Ben Ari

November 1, 2006 - 3:54 PM by

Tif took in a great concert:

16332.jpegLast night we were at a huge concert by Mosh Ben Ari, a relatively new, fun, Reggae-ish Israeli musician. It took place in an enormous converted warehouse in the Tel Aviv port, near where the Yarkon River meets the ocean. This place is pretty much just a humungous empty floor, and a stage. And it was packed. Packed. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, bumping into your neighbors as you dance kind of packed.

The show started an hour and a half late, with no opening bands for some reason, and one speaker that was doing some very strange vibrating things with the bass. By the time these guys got on stage most of the audience was grumbling, and some were talking of leaving. And then they started jamming. And jamming. And they jammed for three hours straight (pretty impressive for a band with only two and a half albums out).

And the audience was moving. They were moving. They were dancing and jumping and grooving away. It’s the first Israeli concert I’ve been to actually in Israel, and it was very different from when Israeli bands come to the US and perform in front of a bunch of Jewish college students from the local Hillel. This audience was massive, and it was moving.

Mosh’s band, in addition to the standard guitar, bass, and drums, included two violins, a cello, a trumpet, a saxophone, a female vocalist whose main job seemed to be to look pretty at stage right, and occasionally a beautiful flute. It was a great combination, and the strings section especially looked like they were having a blast. Another nice aspect was that we were actually standing close enough to make out people’s facial expressions and all the details on stage. I’ve never stood that close at a big concert.

After the first three or four songs, all the lights went off, and a big sofa and a couple of armchairs were brought on stage. And then Mosh started inviting other artisits up. First Din Din Aviv (yeah, I thought of you, Noorster), then Shotei Hanevu’a, Muki, Shlishiyat Ma Kashur, Idan Raichel, Berry Sakharof, one member of Shabak Samech, and a couple of musicians we didn’t even know. It was a late-night talk music show. It was a talent show of famous Israeli musicians. And each in turn would step up on the stage, take a seat on Mosh’s sofa, and start jamming. How he got all these amazing artists (most of whom are far more famous than he is) to play in his concert, in his little makeshift salon, I have no idea. But no one was complaining.

All in all, despite the occasional bone-vibrating interference from the speaker, and a few weak songs here and there, and some truly Israeli Israelis in the audience, I’d certainly say we got our money’s worth. It was an evening to remember.

Tags: • Category: Pop Culture 

Comments

4 Comments on An Evening with Mosh Ben Ari

  1. Earis on Tue, Feb 13th 2007 11:54 PM

    2. can you please send me the website to hear Mosh Ben Ari’s music? Todah.

  2. Andy Levy-Stevenson on Sun, Sep 2nd 2007 11:53 AM

    3. I just walked in from the mall with a new album by Mosh Ben Ari – a 2-CD live album, bundled with a DVD of the show.

    From your description it was recorded either at the show you were at, or on the same tour. Din Din Aviv is on it, along with Shotei HaNevua, Barry Sakharov, and Moshe Lavi.

    It’s quite lovely; looks like it was a great show.

  3. mark from CT on Mon, Sep 3rd 2007 4:33 AM

    4. the new live album that you refer to was recirded at the hangar 11 show. I just got my copy today and it it quite nice. I caught the band in NYC in 2/07 and the cd/dvd collectin does a great job of recreating those memories. kol hakavod mosh.

  4. Sjoerd Vos on Fri, Nov 26th 2010 2:07 PM

    5. I was in a BBB Burgers Bar where I heard a number of live songs which I enjoyed very much. Asking the personnel to the name(s) of the live cd, they did not know the name of the cd(‘s) but the artists in live concert were Mosh Ben Ari and Berry Sakharov. At least one song was sung together. I remember one beautiful song where was repeated all the time ‘ Elohim’, later again and again ‘Elohim’, maybe it is the name of the song. Can anyone mail me (in English as I unfortunately do not understand Hebrew yet) the name of this live cd of Mosh Ben Ari and Berry Sakharov? I would like to take the cd home to my country. In the mall here nearby they did not have the live cd. Thanks for your kind help and reaction!

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