March 2012 Archives

The Jewish Music Festival presented Hadag Nahash, a popular Israeli hip-hop/funk band, at Oakland's New Parish last night. Their signature catchy songs ignited the entire club, driven by the band's versatile keyboards and horn section, and a pair of turntables too. The show kicked off the opening weekend of the Jewish Music Festival, which will feature concerts around the Bay Area through March 25. The audience at tonight's show was a map of the Bay Area's diverse Jewish community. Several organizations were represented, many having contributed to the show's marketing efforts. The range of ages was impressive, from young adults to the elderly, all of whom enthusiastically danced the entire time. A number of the Jewish Music Festival's older donors were present, a testament both to the festival's wide range of programming, and to Hadag Nahash's universal appeal. The show itself was full of non-stop energy, and the singers were deeply connected to their material. Shaa'nan Streett, the lead MC, said that a lot of Hadag Nahash's songs are about life in Israel, but he added that a couple are more personal. Ultimately, though most of the songs were in Hebrew, it was still possible to understand their meaning through...