By: Nechama Verter
“Wait a minute, something’s wrong here… the key won’t unlock this door.” The song Red House by long dead musician Jimi Hendrix, was being recaptured through the magic of the Jewish classic rock and jazz musician: Piamenta. He stood onstage playing his music to the darkened field of people gathered at Monticello Raceway in upstate New York, part of the new music festival sensation, Yidstock.
On August 21, 2005 people of all ages came from across the New York/ New Jersey area and further to see if there was truth behind rumors and advertising of the great Jewish music festival taking place. There were uncertainties over whether the new festival would really take off as well as hoped for.
Yidstock started at 9am with a brief break in the middle of the day for a drum circle. Although the musicians stopped playing at 12am, people stayed on for the jam session and kumzitz that followed until as late as 3am.
A.B. White, one of the two boys behind the festival told me; “When people started arriving, I was so excited for them to see that this type of music is just as amazing as anything else out there.” 18 year old A.B. White, and Benny Keller, 17, felt the need to create a festival resembling Woodstock, bringing people together for the music, but with a more spiritual aspect. It took A.B. and Benny just 2 months to put together the dream that Jewish musicians had for years been searching for, someplace where they’d have a shot at a larger audience. With no way of judging the outcome, the boys pushed forward, “expecting the worst and hoping for the best.” A.B. told me, “Honestly, we wanted 10,000 people. But when over 1,500 came, we were amazed… and next year, it’s going to be SO HUGE because word is getting out. Because it was new, no one knew what to expect. Now that they know, they won’t miss next year’s concert, we’re already planning it.”
Rocky Ziegler sang songs for Gush Katif, bringing remembrance and compassion to the crowd in support of the previous week’s events in Gaza. As he sang guys threw their arms around each other: strangers and friends, together forming a unified line that swaying, showed support and tears for their brothers in Israel.
JBrazil and Beyond Eden got the crowd moving with their intense energetic songs that had feet flying and hands waving in the air. Some boys were raving, a couple crowd surfed, and others just jumped up and down. The core crowd was made up of boys and girls between their teens and twenties, but families and more reserved older people sat on chairs and blankets in the back of the dancing crowd. The day was hot, and many experienced the music from where they sat rather then pushing to be part of the dancing action.
David Lazzar caught everyone’s attention as he leapt on stage, a tallis covering him from head to foot which he whipped off revealing his black hat and keputah. His song lyrics were humorous as he sang of wanting Moshiach, missing his Rebbe, loving Israel and the Jewish people.
As the sun began to set, Yossi Piamenta greeted the crowd with a “HELLO YIDSTOCK!” The cheering applause and waving hands began the onslaught of musical talent from one of the greatest Jewish Music masters. With a selection of songs from his older and more recent works, and his great rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s song Red House, the night was off to a great start with the crowd and it’s energy level multiplying. Soulfarm came next, its lead guitarist C. Lanzbom, playing The Star Spangled Banner, the version whose performance was made famous at the original Woodstock 69 as played by Jimi Hendrix. He mixed the song with a Chassidic melody, and played it beautifully and movingly. Soulfarm brought rhythmic songs with influences from Celtic and Hebrew folk music, and Latin and rock music. Their songs spoke of freeing yourself, not giving up, and God; with music influenced by Shlomo Carlbach and Jewish prayers. Soulfarm brought feeling into the crowd, gave spiritual revelations to some, and showed anyone who hadn’t before heard their music, why they were such a sought after music group.
According to Sprintza Steinmetz, “The hippie movement always appealed, interested and touched me. I felt that my soul had somehow missed the era of Woodstock, and with the coming of Yidstock, I wanted and HAD to be part of it. As I got into it, I really picked up the energy of people gathered together for the sake of true peace, love, and music. It was spiritual, uplifting, whole, and good. You were accepted no matter where in life you were, with a true revelation of Ahavat Yisroel. (Loving your fellow.) It was true love that was there and it really touched me, because no matter how you talked, or acted, or looked, people just accepted and loved everyone. You were all there together to celebrate the music of life. And it was a truly beautiful experience.”
A.B. told me how blown away he was by the responses they received in the aftermath of Yidstock. “I can’t tell you how many people came to me and said Yidstock was the most spiritual thing in their life. The way people took in the show, related to the music, it was incredible!”
For more information on August 21’s first Yidstock, and to get more information on next year’s Yidstock festival, go to www.yidstock.com.
“Wait a minute, something’s wrong here… the key won’t unlock this door.” The song Red House by long dead musician Jimi Hendrix, was being recaptured through the magic of the Jewish classic rock and jazz musician: Piamenta. He stood onstage playing his music to the darkened field of people gathered at Monticello Raceway in upstate New York, part of the new music festival sensation, Yidstock.
On August 21, 2005 people of all ages came from across the New York/ New Jersey area and further to see if there was truth behind rumors and advertising of the great Jewish music festival taking place. There were uncertainties over whether the new festival would really take off as well as hoped for.
Yidstock started at 9am with a brief break in the middle of the day for a drum circle. Although the musicians stopped playing at 12am, people stayed on for the jam session and kumzitz that followed until as late as 3am.
A.B. White, one of the two boys behind the festival told me; “When people started arriving, I was so excited for them to see that this type of music is just as amazing as anything else out there.” 18 year old A.B. White, and Benny Keller, 17, felt the need to create a festival resembling Woodstock, bringing people together for the music, but with a more spiritual aspect. It took A.B. and Benny just 2 months to put together the dream that Jewish musicians had for years been searching for, someplace where they’d have a shot at a larger audience. With no way of judging the outcome, the boys pushed forward, “expecting the worst and hoping for the best.” A.B. told me, “Honestly, we wanted 10,000 people. But when over 1,500 came, we were amazed… and next year, it’s going to be SO HUGE because word is getting out. Because it was new, no one knew what to expect. Now that they know, they won’t miss next year’s concert, we’re already planning it.”
Rocky Ziegler sang songs for Gush Katif, bringing remembrance and compassion to the crowd in support of the previous week’s events in Gaza. As he sang guys threw their arms around each other: strangers and friends, together forming a unified line that swaying, showed support and tears for their brothers in Israel.
JBrazil and Beyond Eden got the crowd moving with their intense energetic songs that had feet flying and hands waving in the air. Some boys were raving, a couple crowd surfed, and others just jumped up and down. The core crowd was made up of boys and girls between their teens and twenties, but families and more reserved older people sat on chairs and blankets in the back of the dancing crowd. The day was hot, and many experienced the music from where they sat rather then pushing to be part of the dancing action.
David Lazzar caught everyone’s attention as he leapt on stage, a tallis covering him from head to foot which he whipped off revealing his black hat and keputah. His song lyrics were humorous as he sang of wanting Moshiach, missing his Rebbe, loving Israel and the Jewish people.
As the sun began to set, Yossi Piamenta greeted the crowd with a “HELLO YIDSTOCK!” The cheering applause and waving hands began the onslaught of musical talent from one of the greatest Jewish Music masters. With a selection of songs from his older and more recent works, and his great rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s song Red House, the night was off to a great start with the crowd and it’s energy level multiplying. Soulfarm came next, its lead guitarist C. Lanzbom, playing The Star Spangled Banner, the version whose performance was made famous at the original Woodstock 69 as played by Jimi Hendrix. He mixed the song with a Chassidic melody, and played it beautifully and movingly. Soulfarm brought rhythmic songs with influences from Celtic and Hebrew folk music, and Latin and rock music. Their songs spoke of freeing yourself, not giving up, and God; with music influenced by Shlomo Carlbach and Jewish prayers. Soulfarm brought feeling into the crowd, gave spiritual revelations to some, and showed anyone who hadn’t before heard their music, why they were such a sought after music group.
According to Sprintza Steinmetz, “The hippie movement always appealed, interested and touched me. I felt that my soul had somehow missed the era of Woodstock, and with the coming of Yidstock, I wanted and HAD to be part of it. As I got into it, I really picked up the energy of people gathered together for the sake of true peace, love, and music. It was spiritual, uplifting, whole, and good. You were accepted no matter where in life you were, with a true revelation of Ahavat Yisroel. (Loving your fellow.) It was true love that was there and it really touched me, because no matter how you talked, or acted, or looked, people just accepted and loved everyone. You were all there together to celebrate the music of life. And it was a truly beautiful experience.”
A.B. told me how blown away he was by the responses they received in the aftermath of Yidstock. “I can’t tell you how many people came to me and said Yidstock was the most spiritual thing in their life. The way people took in the show, related to the music, it was incredible!”
For more information on August 21’s first Yidstock, and to get more information on next year’s Yidstock festival, go to www.yidstock.com.
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