- Theo Parrish
If you’re still eager to experience Matisyahu for the novelty of his “Hasidic reggae superstar” persona his Saturday night set at Concord Music Hall could be as ideal as any since his breakout. That’s because Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, ends at sundown, and Matisyahu will likely drop some timely and perhaps thoughtful banter into his set. That’s hardly the only notable show on Saturday, or for the rest of the week for that matter.
“It seems as if music has opened up over the last decade for Robert Plant; the singer who long ago adapted the blues to his own ends has been able to reimagine traditions from rural America and ancient West Africa in his own distinctive way,” writes Peter Margasak. “On Lullaby . . . and the Ceaseless Roar (Nonesuch), his first new studio album of original material in nearly a decade, Plant has rejoined members of his last working band from England. Among them is the remarkable guitarist Justin Adams, who in recent years has gained acclaim for his deep understanding and love of so-called desert rock from Africa, producing records for Tinariwen and collaborating closely with Juldeh Camara, a Gambian singer and master of the riti (a primitive bowed single-string instrument). Plant’s new band also includes keyboardist John Baggot and bassist Billy Fuller, integral players in the development of the Bristol sound espoused by Massive Attack and Portishead, to name a few. The album is bookended by two very different versions of ‘Little Maggie,’ the American rural classic made famous by the Stanley Brothers. One version is dominated by Camara’s piercing riti, the other pounded by down-tempo beats and laced with Gambian’s Fulani-language vocals. The rest of the songs are exquisite originals that reflect the feminine beauty of Plant’s post-hard-rock singing.”
Sun 10/5: Slaughter & the Dogs at Reggie’s Rock Club
