Last Thursday, Kid Koala joined Matisyahu at the Music Hall of Williamsburg for night six of Matisyahu’s fourth annual Festival of Lights.
Kid Koala is the type of artist that gets better each time you see him, not only because each set is different, but also because his unique style and technique becomes more apparent with each live show. I’ve witnessed my fair share of beat juggling, but Kid Koala is the first and only artist I’ve seen who uses the turntables and mixer to actually create and manipulate melodies.
The short, 40-minute set included reinterpretations of “Robbing Banks (Doin’ Time)” and “You Turn Me Cold” by The Slew and “Poison Dart” by Warrior Queen. He also played Nas’ “Bridging the Gap”, adding a layer of bluesy harmonica that gave the song a heartier quality. He closed with his mother’s favorite song (and a Kid Koala classic), “Moon River”.
The giant disco dreidel suspended from the ceiling set a festive tone for Matishayu’s epic performance that followed. While he’s best known as a reggae artist, he incorporates many different styles into his music, drawing influences from rock, hip hop, and even psychedelic jam bands. The set lasted for over two and a half hours and consisted entirely of reworked versions of his songs. Matisyahu took a moment to light a menorah towards the end of the show, calling upon an audience member to help with the ritual. It was a touching and refreshing moment, especially given the fact that most mainstream holiday celebrations focus on Christmas.
Tonight is the final performance of the eight-night run. In case you missed it, you can stream tonight’s show live on Facebook beginning at 7:45 PM EST.
