Matisyahu at First Avenue, Minneapolis (06 Mar 2024)
Walking up to First Avenue on Wednesday, you can hear something loud going on in the area. At first, I thought it was coming from a bar next door, and thought the venue could use some sound-proofing. hen as I got closer, and started to see so many police officers, extra security, and the steel barricades… I realized there was a protest against Matisyahu.
Matisyahu Setlist
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Tour Dates
March 8 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
March 9 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
March 10 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
March 13 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre
March 14 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Ballroom
March 15 – Salisbury, MA @ Blue Ocean Music Hall
March 16 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
March 20 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
March 21 – Richmond, VA @ The National
March 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Brooklyn Bowl
March 23 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
There were pressures to cancel the First Avenue show, but Matisyahu said in an earlier statement, “As our tour continues, shows are still being protested and a venue this week was vandalized in an attempt to cancel the show, which we will not allow.”
The pro-Palestinian protest was civil and held across the street, outside the Mayo Clinic. They did not physically interfered with concert goers, but their messages broadcasted on a loudspeaker can be heard loud and clear.
The Orthodox Jewish rapper still speaks out for his beliefs, and during his show, had photographs of Israelis hostages, with captions like “Bring them home”.
Inside the venue, there were a strong Israel presence, many of them with the traditional kippah and Hasidic hats, and some even bringing the Israel flag… often holding it up during Matisyahu’s performance.
This 2024 show is loud and full of energy with the audience helping with their feedback.
It’s also worth noting that the “Wasted Time” cover was actually by Matisyahu’s son, who writes and perform music under the stagename LAIVY.
As with the previous Matisyahu shows, we’ve remarked that he has an excellent band. This time, his backup band is actually mostly Cydeways, who opened up the show.
The West Coast trio, featuring band leader and guitarist Dustin Parks, plays alternative reggae music, which fits in well with Matisyahu’s music style.
They played a lot of songs from their debut self-titled album (available on LAW Records), including their new single “No Loyalty.”
Highlight of their set was a cover of Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage”, followed by their set finale, “Shadow.”
