New York – The Event Concert Hailed As Huge Victory for Jewish Music

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    Review of the show by www.jewishmusicreport.com

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    New York – From the moment you walk up to Madison Square Garden you see that it’s a whole different level then Avery Fisher Hall where the HASC and OHEL shows have been the last 4 or 5 years. MSG is a massive theatre where every seat is a perfect seat. The stage was set beautifully, but it’s a shame they didn’t use the same updated concepts at HASC 22 and Shwekey Caesaria this year. It’s a nicer overall stage than Avery Fisher.

    Let’s first do a quick recap of the show, and then we’ll get into what worked and what didn’t.

    The show started with the Yeshiva Boys Choir singing classic Pirchei songs. They sang Utzei Eitzuh, Eilecha among a few others. This part felt a little flat. Maybe a little bit of it would have been ok, but they did sing a lot and even came back out later on to sing more. I think it’s possible if you add up Lipa and YBC’s stage time YBC was on longer, overall.

    Then the stage darkened and Lipa came out to a soul stirring and emotional Poshiter Yid. It was very good, and Lipa performed it very well. Allthough I’d have liked to see Lipa come out to a faster more upbeat song.

    I notice Yaron Gershovsky with an electronic keyboard on one side and a grand piano on the other. I see Jim Hynes and Yanky Katina, both sounding crisp and amazing. I don’t know who was on bass but whoever it was, was kicking it all night long! I also see a 12 piece string section which really added a ton to the sound of the show. Overall the music, led by Yisroel Lamm was top notch and really contributed to the evening.

    Lipa then sings Wake Up, I see a three man choir, one of the choir guys is Mo Kiss. After Wake Up, Lipa conducts a Siyum on Mesechtas Megilah. It’s quite a sight, he ends the Siyum and then goes into Torah Shebiksav. This Siyum is really a Kiddush Hashem and one major, giant “told you so” to all those who were expecting a “goyishe” evening. There was an overall chassidishe feel to the show.

    Photo credits: shlager.net and Eli.

    Next Lipa does an extended Purim set, with clowns, dancing, shtick and all. He starts it with the song Romania set to “Purim”, but does a long medley and Lebidige songs. It felt like a set out of Non Stop.

    Next there is a video of Lipa and Dedi as babies. (Lipa is chubby baby and Dedi is “very very small” baby) separated at birth and they search for each other in the Israeli Army where both are there. Hilarity ensues, it’s a hysterical video, the crowd loves it and Dedi comes out to massive applause.

    Dedi starts off with Sim Shalom and the crowd is eating Dedi up with a spoon. I’ve seen Dedi many times at shows, but I’ve never seen a crowd this excited for Dedi. I had heard Dedi was working on a new CD. He mentioned it at Ohel. I hope it’s coming soon because Dedi has never sounded better.

    Dedi then sings a few of his classics, each one very well received by the crowd.

    Yeshiva Boys Choir/New Pirchei is back on stage and it’s just a little boring. Nothing against these kids or the people working with them, but to go from the excitement Lipa and Dedi brought back to this, is just a buzz kill. Yossi Newman introduces the famed Pirchei Ani Maamin song. The kids sing it well, some nice solos, but overall I think this whole part of the show should have been dropped.

    It reminded me very much of the weaker points from the Hasc 18 show. In that show it was the Rabbi’s Sons. It’s a nice idea, and it’s fun to have some nostalgia, but it has to be in very small doses. People want the headliner and they want fast and new stuff.

    Speaking of the Rabbi’s sons, the first surprise of the evening is Baruch Chait, who comes out with Acheinu and Sruly Williger. This is where things start going wrong. This seemed to be the overall main complaint of the show, not enough Lipa, and I think if half of the YBC set would have been cut and we didn’t need this Baruch Chait/Acheinu set either. They did two songs, and again it was very nostalgic, and they performed very well, but it zapped the energy out of the crowd that Lipa and Dedi brought.

    The crowd went from being on their feet, to being talkative, and waiting for the next Lipa showing. At one point since there was no intermission, and it felt like the halfway point many people were leaving to go to the bathroom.

    Next we got Abie Rotenberg via video which woke up the crowd a little. Before Abie went on little Yehuda Teitelbaum, grandson of R Eli Teitelbaum ZT”L gave a ten minute tribute to his zayde. It was heartwarming and very interesting. Jam packed with tons of jewish music history.

    Abie then sings by the Piano a new song he wrote for R’ Teitelbaum titled “Somewhere”, as in Somewhere there is a star shining bright. It’s an unbelievable song, which I hope we all get to hear again soon sometime. Halfway through the song MBD walks up behind Abie in the video and continues singing with him. At this point it was perfect but then things got messy. The YBC/Pirchei boys come out, along with Acheinu and Sruly Willger and then Lipa and they are all singing it together. Problem is it becomes a garbled mess and every ones vocals are drowning out each other. I think this song would have ended much better just being Abie and MBD. Still, the song was amazing and it was good to see Abie and MBD by a piano again, reminding us of the old time HASC shows.

    Next Shloime Gertner comes in via video and says he is in Spain and can’t be there but they did a video for the song Shmeichel, whose lyrics were composed by Lipa. The video is fun, shloime sounds great and it’s a nice addition all though all the video guest stars is a bit of a tease.

    It then occurs to me the irony of the situation. If you think back to how and when Lipa first hit the mainstream it was in this venue, on this stage singing Gelt by video. That was the thing that started his main transition from random Chaseedishe singer, to where he is today.

    Thinking back to that HASC 17 show (Which also featured MBD) no one would have guesses the guy doing the yiddish music video would end up doing this major show, centered around him. So maybe all the video guests is very appropriate.

    Next Lipa comes down and does a nice medley put together by the amazing Motti Illowitz. A lot of Lipa’s golden oldies and of course some new stuff including Motti’s Yener and Biyan Adi Ad.

    Then Lipa says he is going to sing his Yiddish version of Just one Shabbos. (Nor Ein Shabbos) He says he will try to do the second half in English. Halfway through the song, Mordechai Ben David walks down the stairs and the entire building goes bananas. I’ve never seen a crowd get this excited before. People are all standing, clapping, singing, dancing. It’s unbelievable. For whatever weaknesses the show had, the entire night is worth it for this amazing energy.

    MBD and LIPA on stage singing this classic piece of Jewish Music is enough to overwhelm the senses. Lipa then tells the crowd, “people always ask me, who is your role model”, he points to MBD and shouts, “THIS! This is my role model!!” Lipa walks off stage and MBD does an amazing 30 minute set, filled with amazing intensity and energy.

    The crowd hardly sits down the entire 30 minutes. Toward the middle MBD starts talking about Moshiach and before he even gets a chance the ENTIRE building is chanting Anovim, Anovim. MBD smiles, finishes his story and the instant classic, Anovim is being sung. My only complaint here is that the 12 piece string section is sitting and doing nothing. Why wasn’t the string section being used by Anovim?

    MBD then does Maminim Bni Maminim and says good night. The crowd is chanting, MBD, MBD, MBD. It was a wild sight, and one I don’t think anyone at the show will soon forget.

    Lipa comes back on, with barely ten minutes left to the show and sings Raboisai and Hantelach. The show ends as it was for so much of the night, which the crowd on its feet.

    Final thoughts, overall the show was amazing, we could done without YBC and/or Achienu Williger. I’m not saying they werent good, but it took away from the LIPA part of the show and the sets were very slow and drained a lot of the energy from the crowd.

    MBD, Dedi and Lipa all rocked the night and did an amazing job getting people excited, happy, dancing and smiling. Abie’s video was also really beautiful and it helped set up the MBD surprise by seeing him on video because that lowered expectations he’d be there in person.

    I had heard rumors Fried would be there, but I guess those turned out to be false. I think the big complaint, and rightfully so, was that there wasn’t enough of Lipa. That’s why I feel that if we would have cut out YBC and Lipa could have sung in those spots, it would have been perfect. We did not get a lot of Lipa and that was unfortunate.

    For a first “Event” this was an amazing success. It’s the shows first year and despite HASC and OHEL having decades of shows, the event competed with any major Jewish music concert without a doubt. Lipa is an amazing performer and he may have been too tame during the show and he was certainly under used. It was great to see icons of Jewish Music like MBD and Dedi literally bringing down the house.

    I think the entire event made a Kiddush Hashem and lifted every ones spirits in thsi month of Adar less then two weeks before Purim.

    A very big Yasher Koach to everyone involved in making this how happen, we hope to have many more events in the coming years! (hopefully next year in yerushalayim!)


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    130 Comments
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    musiclover
    musiclover
    15 years ago

    I was at “The Event” last night, It was really an amazing show. I wish Lipa much success in the future!

    concertgoer
    concertgoer
    15 years ago

    It really was an unbelievable sight the crowd was really great. It was almost like a backup choir! Truly beautiful!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    wow! so sorry I wasnt there. I hope a dvd comes out soon!

    Missy
    Missy
    15 years ago

    “Heiv Oif Deina Hentelech” Was created by a female artist.

    Yossi
    Yossi
    15 years ago

    The whole article is right on!!!

    I was there, it was a super great concert, and whoever tried to stop it should be hanging their heads in shame!!!

    You are absolutely right, YBC/Acheinu was not necessary; at least not for the length of time that they occupied the stage.

    Lipa took up about a fifth of the entire show, which was quite dissapointing to all of us.

    However, the producers more than made up for that with FANTASTIC appearances by Dedi and MBD (TOTAL SHOCKER!)

    Overall, the people went home really excited, I think everyone truly enjoyed this special production…

    Let the detractors go back to their depressed caves and wallow in their self-pity, for they have been put to shame by the beauty and achdus of the REAL JEWS!

    Eli
    Eli
    15 years ago

    An amazing event indeed, what the report fails to say is the kaddish after the siyum, hearing thousands of people say Amen, was a real Kidush Hashem

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    It was beatiful! Thank you lipa!

    askan
    askan
    15 years ago

    Believing in daas torah- I personally believe that anyone who attended wont have any hatzlocho in th efuture!!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    This article is trying to copy the secular world more than the concert. This who critic thing comparing to concerts that everyone forgot about a long time ago. Tachlis, you had a good time or not? I am not offended i just think that it is childish mkae believe stuff.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    i totally agree too much pirchai and we didnt need r chait a real downer needed more lipa but the surpize by mbd was truly amazing all around a great concert a real kiddish hashem thank u lipa i came home on a high u were really misameach klak yisroel!!!!!!!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    i was there last night, way too littile of lipa, ybc and achianu were unnecessary, and r’chait put people to sleep no offene to him just not what this crowd came to see but whatever we did see of lipa was amazing. and mbd was a great surprize

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    It is terrible how there is such disregard for our Gedolim!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    and what exactly is wrong with a female artist?

    ShatzMatz
    ShatzMatz
    15 years ago

    Im sure it was a teriffic show. I just don’t happen to know anyone who was there. Can anybody report on the attendance? My guess is that the crowd was sparce. With the bad weather and the school ban I would be surprised if he had 2500 people.

    I am still a Lipa fan, and look forward to the DVD.

    SHEYA'S M COUSIN
    SHEYA'S M COUSIN
    15 years ago

    This was the concert we have all been waiting for, entertaining fun and class, had the perfect mix no DJ could have done better. Sheya you need to keep on doing what you do best in creating the best event and with the best LIPA. You trully pulled off something we have been waiting for a long time, the community as a whole needed this to keep us all together. NEXT YEARS EVENT IF NOT IN YERUSHALIEM SHOULD MOVE TO LAKEWOOD NJ.

    david
    david
    15 years ago

    It was beautiful! BTW R’ Chait was amaizing he added beautiful taam to the show. AB Rotenberg’s Song was a hit. I was happy they kept Lipa to what he did. He did a great job and so did the rest. Great show SHEYA M.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Article does not mention what percent of seats were filled. Can anyone provide info. (the ads said it was almost sold out. Is this true?)

    Godol
    Godol
    15 years ago

    I can’t wait till they throw out every single boy that attended to this event, which in many scholls/yeshivos was explained that this is the same thing like mordechai(todays rabonim) teeling the DON’T GO TO THE MEAL OF ACHASHVEIROSH!! And still some yiden went…
    The same now, all rabonim said don not go !!!!!
    I wouldn’t let my kids be friendly with a boy that went.
    I am not a chenyuk, but I do beleave in listening to a crowd of rabonim ( this is no way like only some rabonim… There were many many rabunim signd !!)
    And even oif some rabonim did let, if you would have a food that some dr say it has poisen, and some say its ok, would you let yourself or your kid eat it ?????

    Intersting
    Intersting
    15 years ago

    It’s interesting that so far almost all the comments are lamenting that there was to little Lipa and to much of the Heimishe stuff!!!. It just comes to show where people are standing, and what they want with Lipa and his music!. They want more Goyishe music and less Heimeshe music!. People are not interested in being misoyrer to avodas hashem, They are just interested like the goyim in Fun and not Yiras Shomayim. (Vin will probably censor this comment, because they have a Lipa agenda)

    jewish brother
    jewish brother
    15 years ago

    respond to # 17
    The Wamu was full to the brim, could not put anymore people into the place. In any sporting event this would be billed as a sell out. Full house all seats sold out, Not even standing room b”h huge success.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    its a shame we are ruining our kids shame shame shame …..

    Yiddele
    Yiddele
    15 years ago

    Ah Yid Iz Nisht Pushit! V’Hameivin Yuvin!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    im amazed of this article and all the comments, why are you afraid to say it loud THE CONCERT WAS A TOTAL DISASTER!!!.
    1- too much pirchai
    2- chayit and acheinu weren’t necessary
    3 – too little lipa
    4- bad voice for lipa the entire first set
    5 – bad lighting on stage many times
    6- a butch of mic interruptions
    lets be very honest and stop sugar coating it, this is THE BIG EVENT are you kidding me? the people who produced this show have no idea how to entertain a crowd, 1 disaster after another, they got the crowd on their feet and right of way put them down with some stupid shiny shoe artist.
    i went around the entire hall i can say that 85 % were bored out of their minds shining flash lights and being rowdy just to have some entertainment. this was a bad concert and most of all not entertaining at all.
    i am a big lipa fan and it was almost uncomfortable to watch him bag the crowd at the end to get going.
    over all i give it a D –
    sheya mendlovits you lay an egg last night….

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    the fact that mbd got the biggest ovation tells me that the show was bad why didnt the headliner get any ovation like that not even when he came in people were longing for anything interesting and gotten nothing only when mbd and dedi came out they found some thing to cheer and of caurse a minute later got the whole crowd back to sleep
    absolutely bad production

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    whoever said Freid was gonna be there—–> Fried was doing a benefit Concert for The Jacobson’s Chabad of Upper East Side.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    If they did not have a tribute to R’ Eli Teitelbaum then Boruch Chait would not have been there and probably neither the boys choir. They sang all the songs from Eli Teitelbaums past. I guess you were not listening to what was being said by Boruch Chait or anyone else performing for Eli Teitelbaum

    Nechama
    Nechama
    15 years ago

    This was the event of a lifetime. This is a time that we need more simcha in our lives and yes this was “showy” but it raised a lot of money for yidden in eretz yisruel who need our help!! Hmm bringing joy Yidden in NY and food to yidden in EY. How can anyone find anyting bad with this. Anyone who thinks Lipa is goyish needs to sit down and read his lyrics. He is ERLICH! LOTS of old niggunim have melodies that come from goyish sources maybe we should just ban all niggunim to be on the safe side…I did see some girls push past the “mechitza” but other then them all the girls were very tziusdik I saw nothing bad there. This was a big success. Much hatzlacha to all future Lipa projects!!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I think the entire event made a Kiddush Hashem and lifted every ones spirits in thsi month of Adar less then two weeks before Purim”
    Why was it a Kiddush Hashem?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    i was there it was really great. MBD WAS A BIG CHIZUK FOR LIPA.

    david Yona
    david Yona
    15 years ago

    I knew it!

    Dovid
    Dovid
    15 years ago

    A victory for good music and sanilty.

    deepthinker
    deepthinker
    15 years ago

    The hero worship of singing stars is not appropriate for the Jewish people. It is something that is commonplace in the teen gentile world.

    This is a subtle point, requiring a sensitivity that is just not there with many people.

    No one can deny Lipa’s talent, but he should find a more appropriate means of expressing it as a “Poshiter Yid!”

    absurd
    absurd
    15 years ago

    do you know the zechus of tinokois shle bais rabbon each kid in the choir has a more holy neshoma then any one of you

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I must say it was a hit thanks for LIPA for bringing Joy to other people you made my night. I have a few complaints 1st Why shouldn’t the YBC choir not be there if it’s to remember R’ ELI TEITELBAUM Z”L who made such fantastic songs 2nd MBD shouldn’t have said he is my role model I don’t think we should look up to him as a role model.

    me@
    me@
    15 years ago

    If I may I would like to suggest for all those who had a great time last night, a nice way to thank Hashem is to give some amount of time back to Hashem to say “THANK YOU HASHEM” BY LEARNING Hilchos Purim.

    I am sure it will be a big Zechus for all Lipa fans and Am Yisroel. Lipa will be proud of all of us who will learn Torah, as a continuation from Lipa’s Siyum.

    Thank You.

    boroparkyenta
    boroparkyenta
    15 years ago

    The show was fabulous. The pirchei and oldies made me feel my age, and were of no interest to my children, who did not know most of those songs. R’ Eli Teitelbaum, Z”TL was a very special person, and should have been one small part of the concert, maybe 15 minutes would have been enough. I would have loved more of Abie Rottenberg, and in person, but Dedi and MBD and all the rest were not what I came to see, I would have preferred NON STOP LIPA! He could have sung every one of his songs and I would have listened, but would have preferred the leibedik ones and maybe a few new ones? of which there were none. We all came for LIPA and surprises were ok, but MBD we have seen and heard many times, and proof that we came for LIPA was the 98% sellout!
    (Could be it was 100% but a handful did not show up at the last minute.) There were a few empty seats here and there, but it was a large beautiful crowd of heimishe people, coming to enjoy live music, of which we are mostly deprived in this day and age of one man bands which is soon going to switch to simply recorded music. Just looking at that grand piano, with the talented player, and all those violins is pure joy to any music lover! Music uplifts the soul. Seeing so many yidden of all different types sitting together in harmony is a kiddush Hashem. The evening was a smashing success, because LIPA brought us all together!
    Thank you LIPA, Thanks to Shea Mendlowitz and everyone else for making it happen. I am not a typical concert goer, but this was one I was not going to miss.

    reply to #50
    reply to #50
    15 years ago

    The entire disscussion is nonsense. The song “hentelach” was NOT composed by a woman (not that anything would be wrong with that!) It was composed by a hiemisher varemer satmerer yungerman C. Posen (born & raised in Monroe) the head of the “Mezamrim”.

    an ameser yid
    an ameser yid
    15 years ago

    how come there was no rav or godal at the concert?

    wish I was there
    wish I was there
    15 years ago

    wasn’t there but im extremely happy it was a success

    ben torah
    ben torah
    15 years ago

    basically anyone who went is bored and looking 4 things to excite them ! nebech! Sit and learn and then you will really be happy !!

    David
    David
    15 years ago

    Bottom line; Whoever went to the concert for some weild show was let down. Becouse it was a Beautiful Event without the wacky weild stuff,B”h.
    Thank You Sheya Mendelwitz Great Jewish Event!

    Deeper Thinker
    Deeper Thinker
    15 years ago

    To #65 (“Deep Thinker”)
    I laugh when people like you claim that the reason to ban Lipa is do avoid “hero worship of singing stars.” I like Lipa’s songs and music. I don’t worship him. I think most of his fans would agree. Are there some young kids out there going crazy over the guy? If that’s the case, maybe they’re not meant to be the next gadol hadar and at least they have a nice, ehrlich person they look up to instead of some goyishe baseball players. What’s so terrible about that?
    I was a kid when MBD was the one and only superstar of Jewish music. He was “worshipped” just as Lipa is. My parents remember the flyers that were hung all over town before his first performance proclaiming that “Ben Dovid is coming!” (Can you imagine that happening nowadays!!??) He was admired for his talent and his music was also current. No gedolim thought that he should be banned.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Who exactly are Daas Torah that are mentioned a couple of times, and whose
    dictates have allegedly been disregarded ? It certainl isn’t Rav Shmuel Kasminetsky, or Rav Dovid Feinstein, nor the Novominsker, all of whom intentionaly did NOT come out against The Event. If it’s a particular Rov, who certainly is entitled to his singular opinion, it cannot be considered a universal Daas Torah. Just as he is entitled to his
    Daas, so is anyone else’s opinion considered Daas.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    The concert was amazing. R’ Eli would have been very proud! Remember, R’ Eli was the strongest supporter for allowing KOSHER entertainment and he was strongly against the fake “issurim” against the first “Big Event” concert. Sheya, welcome back!

    victory?
    victory?
    15 years ago

    who exactly was this a victory over?
    erlicher yidden who were opposed to this?

    issur shmisser
    issur shmisser
    15 years ago

    Bans shmans lipa is a musical genius one of a kind …. If you don’t like his success well tuff he is here and here to stay and the more ppl issur the more popular he becomes thank you rabbunim for putting lipa on the map keep up the great work …… Lipa your a genius

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    for me, and for many others, the highlights of the concert were ybc, r’ chait, and mbc. i do not appreciate the lipa shtick–it felt like a rock concert–with the backup singers in goyish clothing, the headset microphone, and the assistants dressing and undressing lipa on stage like a god of some sort–it was totally unappealing to me. but when ybc, r chait, and mbd sang, that spoke to my neshama, and left me feeling more connected to yiddishkeit. to me thats what going to a concert is about. and yes, lipas siyum felt to me like he was trying to legitimize the other stuff he was doing that was not all that appropriate.

    an outsider
    an outsider
    15 years ago

    This is a reply to a number of the comments I just read: let’s not kid ourselves, nobody became tzaddikim due to attending this concert, and noone became a rasha for the very reason. Yet, my personal feel is that this whole LIPA thingy is a big bubble. People are so fargleibt in him that they lose track of everything that really matters in life. No, I didn’t attend ‘the event’, yet I hope that whoever did had an enjoyable time.

    Moderate
    Moderate
    15 years ago

    I have only one question to all supporters of this event. Why hasn’t Lipa had at lease 1-3 erliche rabonim backing him up in a letter?! Huh? When you can answer this question, we’ll move on and discuss the rabunim who did put out an Issur.

    who
    who
    15 years ago

    What’s all the fuss about? The Rabbonim banned the first concert. There was no unified ban of this one! Lipa made assurances to the Rabbonim and kept his bargain! Why all this sinah?