Israeli world fusion composer and performers Idan Raichel, a chart topper and the love child of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for demonstrating the country’s diversity, performs an all ages show at House of Blues this Tuesday evening.
The Consulate has been pushing it (as it does with all Teev Events… hmmm) like it is the best thing since sliced bread. And while I’m not buying that particular sentiment, I do like some of the world music ear candy Raichel has created.
Veteran Chicago Reader music critic Peter Margasak, however, does not share my my pedestrian tastes and thinks otherwise, saying…
“I have no doubt that at least some of his band is talented–Raichel employs a cast of almost 70–but you won’t hear any evidence of it on his self-titled U.S. debut, a Cumbancha Records collection culled from two Israeli albums. He so thoroughly smothers his music in bland Western melodies and one-world bromides that it makes Sting sound like a heavyweight.”
Ouch. anyways, tickets are available at the door for the wallet gouging price of $35. And no, I can’t get you a comp…
Actually they had a packed house tonight. There were maybe 1/4 Oranim/Birthright types there, with a heavier draw of local Israelis than I remember seeing at a Israeli artists show since Sarit Hadad played at a theatre in Lakeview years ago, but nothing like what you’d see in, say, North Miami Beach or Manhattan. I wouldn’t call $35 completely wallet-gouging: the same set of songss at the Apollo Theatre in NYC last year was closer to $70, and THAT show was sponsored by Israel at Heart. Of course, it’s the APOLLO.
I don’t remember what the show they did at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts cost in 2005, but I don’t think it was $35 a pop. You’re paying for the band being a fad now, not just “Foreign Ministry fodder”.
Personally, I’d be glad that there’s finally a quality Israeli artist (the Reader’s superficial review aside) that gets some non-political, positive world music press. I wish it were Tipex, but that’s just me. Maybe they’ll have a good song for Eurovision!.