kfarcenter.com Blog

KNISHMAS! It doesn’t have to be a ’silent night’ for us. Once again we groove into the night with the alternative to xmas eve alternatives.

This year we welcome back the jams of Even Sh’siyah, who infuse the southern rock grooves ala Allman Brothers with Jewish flavor for a heady groove. Their third self-release album, Wake Up, dropped this year. Joining us for the first time is Brooklyn’s RavShmuel, a Rosh Yeshiva by day and beer-drinking, Phish-following singer/songwriter by night. His single “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” became a youtube sensation following the release of his debut album, “Protocols,’ on Sony/JMG.

And as a special treat, several local singer/songwriters will perform original Jewy tunes, including Rachel Katzman (of Happy Butterfly Foot), Evan Jacover and Adam Davis (yes, that Adam Davis).

Even Sh’siyah
Shir Hamaalos
Yemenite Fever
Hallelu
Hisoreri

RavShmuel
I’m in Love
Dumb World

Mesquitto from Meggido
Mystical New Age Hot Dog of the Covenant
Zegatronic

The Rabbinical School Dropouts are Sun Ra, the Hampton Grease Band, Frank Zappa and the Klezmatics all rolled into one. The music of the Friedmann brothers is fresh, imaginative and the future of Klezmer music. Their big band (featuring oboe, mandolin, bassoon, theremin, toy piano, tablas, etc.) storms through a dozen creative originals touching upon klezmer, jazz, funk, Latin, rock, and varied mishegoss along the way. Jewish garage jazz with a sick sense of humor from Long Beach, California. It’s been called Esoteric Space Klezmer, but mostly its just wild musical fun. With special guests, Lamajamal.

Special Sale: SAVE 15% if you purchase tickets
before 6am, Sunday 7/15

Ehad
Elokeinu
Merciful One

“World Fusion Beat Scientists” Zohar are led by composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Erran Baron Cohen, whose credits also include the popular Borat movie sountrack, which starred his brother Sacha. ZOHAR weave together the beats and textures of modern club culture with hareem, hip-hop, electronica, dub and future grooves. It is a deconstruction of past, present and future, spanning Jewish Cantors, Arab Muezzins, Byzantine chants, meets today’s modern jazz and experimental musicians. Their approach is resolutely experimental and uncompromising with an instinctive feel for lush cinematic arrangements and intelligent melodies. Their acclaimed debut, One.Three.Seven. was produced by Miles Copeland’s Ark 21 label.

Please Note: HotHouse is closing its Balbo location at the end of July. This event will NOT be effected by this unfortunate turn of events. Join us on one of that last concerts to be held at this venue!

Dror Yikra
Shkembah
Black Sheep

ESTA is a multi-ethnic band with innovative compositions and imaginative arrangements – deeply rooted in Israel’s diverse traditions. Esta’s band members are all first generation Israelis, raised on their parents’ musical heritage from Bulgaria, Iraq, Poland, Iran, Romania, Syria, Russia, and Turkey. Inspired also by the 1970s progressive rock, Esta’s music traverses myriad soundscapes – acoustic instruments dance with electric, a cappella vocals complement a symphony of sounds.

Founded in 1979 by Shlomo Deshet and Ori Beanstock, Esta has created a distinctive new sound, incorporating Jewish, Balkan, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, African and Celtic genres into its own pan-global sound, propelled by Rock’s energy and Jazz’s musicianship. Esta is among a handful of visionary artists to fuse contemporary music with folkloric styles and sounds. World Fusion isn’t just a genre Esta performs. It is its soul.

Etz Chaim Hi
Lecha Dodi
Bein Mayim L’Yayin

Rock out on Israeli Independence Day with an All Ages show featuring Heedoosh, whose visceral sound is akin to shoving your soul into an electric socket. Embracing styles from hard rock grunge to sensually melodic ballads, Heedoosh sonically traverses a brooding, middle eastern fusion with Hebrew lyrics that convey both the longing for, and imminence of, redemption.

Their songs are of breathtaking beauty and complexity, rooted in sacred text and combined with contemporary verses gilded with a true rock edge influenced by Stone Temple Pilots, Radiohead, Coldplay and Oasis- a mix of hard rock and brit-pop with Hebrew lyrics and Jewish themes. The songs hold fast to their rock roots and their Jewish sources without compromising any integrity on either front.

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The KNISH returns! Join for an xmas alternative so traditional its truly alternative. Shtreimel join us from Montreal on their US tour for jams that are part John Popper and Blues Traveler and part simcha band. Plus rising hip hop star of David Kosha Dillz and classic rock sounds by Moshe Skier Band

Its gonna be hot as… as a knish! Buy advance tix to avoide the sellout. Take public transit (Damen El Stop, Blue Line). Don’t miss the midnight knish drop, hanukah gelt pelting and the airing of grievances!
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Shtreimel
Uncle Tibor’s Spicy Paprikash
Halevai
Galitzianer Tantz
v’Yerushalayim
Asher Bara

Kosha Dillz
Promised Land
One for Israel

Moshe Skier Band
Kol HaOlam Kulo (Gesher Tzar Meod)
Carlebach/Jeff Beck Jam

Official Media Sponsor:

Name four great Hanukkah songs. OK, then how about two good Chanukkah songs? Not easy, huh? “Dreidel, Spin, Spin, Spin” is a fun little ditty but let’s face it, it doesn’t exactly rock and/or roll. Even the great Jewish songwriters, from Irving Berlin to Lieber and Stoller, only wrote Christmas songs. The Festival of Lights could really use some tunes! Two nice Jewish guys have taken up the important task of writing a bunch of great, rockin’ Hanukah songs. Adam Gardner (Guster) and Dave Schneider (the Zambonis) have joined forces and started a band called the LeeVees, and they have a new album of sweet and rockin’ indie-pop songs solely about Channuka called “Hanukkah Rocks.” Yes, every song is about Chanuka. Some say such a concept is a bit obsessive but Adam and Dave prefer the phrase “extremely focused.”

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Applesauce vs. Sour Cream
Latke Clan
Kugel

Agudas Achim is the last Chicago synagogue of its kind, a dying breed of monstrous structures haunted by the spectres of Jewish life that long ago made Exodus from Uptown.

Dying? Monstrous? Haunted? What a great place to throw a party and show two classic Jewish goul films that beat out Frumah Sarah’s star turn in Fiddler! Join us for Spookagogue as we kick off our Semitic Cinematic film series with a great social event featuring The Dybbuk and Der Golem shown on Agudas’ high-def, Dolby surround projection system. Yeah, even Jewish demons get all the fun toys…

Come in costume and get a dollar off entry. Kosher refreshments and libations will be available. Open to everyone regardless of age, race, creed or costume.

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Evën Sh’siyah According to Kabbalistic tradition was the original element of Creation from which the entire world came into existence. The band layers original lyrics and ancient Hebrew texts over folk rock grooves with an eclectic blend of Mid-Eastern spice, Southern jam rock sweetness and jam band solos.
Hisoreri

plus a special appearance by…

Matthue Roth (as seen on HBO’s Def Poetry Slam)
Juggling adrenaline and humor like a kid playing with a loaded gun, Matthue riffs on his experience as an Orthodox Jew, mixing in meditations on sexuality, gender roles, and the conflict between vegetarianism and his grandmother’s cooking. Matthue throws hip-hop, slam poetry, and storytelling together in an on-stage riot that’s reverent and irreverent at the same time (contains explicit material).

18+ show $10 students/$12 adv. tix/$15 doors
10:00pm doors, Saturday, September 9th 2007
Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago Map it!
Via CTA Bus: #77 Bemont, #50 Damen or #49 Western

with promotional support from Sidney N. Shure City North Kehilla