Last December we brought you an exclusive live performance of [lastfm]Matisyahu[/lastfm]’s new song “Miracle,” just in time to celebrate Hanukkah and kick off his annual Festival of Lights holiday tour. Now with the holidays behind us, we are excited to present you with the rest of Matisyahu’s outstanding Street Date studio performance. Click through to watch Matis perform selections from his new live disc Live At Stubbs, Vol. II.
The history of live albums is littered with hits and misses. Some of the greatest releases of all times have been live sets (think [lastfm]James Brown[/lastfm]’s Live at the Apollo or [lastfm]The Who[/lastfm]’s Live at Leeds). Others, like [lastfm]Van Halen[/lastfm]’s ill-fated Live, Right Here, Right Now, failed to stand the test of time and have been relegated to the record store’s bargain bin.
“Sunshine”
[lastfm]Matisyahu[/lastfm] owns a slot on the list of those greatest live albums of all time. And his story is unique, in that his first live album (2005’s Live at Stubbs) was also his debut album, making him part of a very exclusive club (can you remember any other artists whose first release was a live album? If so, leave a comment below and fill us in). As he told us in his interview, Live at Stubbs has sold over 800,000 copies worldwide and served as the springboard for his young career. He has since released two well received full-length albums (2006’s Youth and 2008’s Light) and toured the world, becoming an in-demand presence on festival stages around the globe.
“Silence”
In 2010 [lastfm]Matisyahu[/lastfm] returned to Austin, Texas to record a new live album at his favorite venue, Stubbs BAR-B-QUE. Armed with a wisdom gained from travelling the world, and a book full of new songs, Matis and his band ripped through a blistering set that shook the bones of that legendary rib joint. The set was filmed and recorded for what became his new CD/DVD release Live at Stubbs, Vol. II.
“I Will Be Light”
Visiting the Street Date studios on the eve of Hannukah last December, [lastfm]Matisyahu[/lastfm] and his guitarist Dave performed his brand-new holiday song “Miracle” (watch that performance here) and then launched into acoustic renditions of “Silence,” “Sunshine,” “Open the Gates,” and “I Will Be Light.” The latter two can be found on the Vol. II CD and DVD.
“Open The Gates”
More From Matisyahu (Street Date Interview)
Here is the full track listing for Live at Stubbs, Vol. II:
1. Tzama L’Chol Nafshi (Psalm 63:2-3)
2. Time of Your Song
3. Mist Rising
4. Jerusalem
5. Youth
6. Beat Box
7. Indestructible (Outro)
8. I Will Be Light
9. Two Child One Drop
10. Open the Gates
11. One Day
12. Motivate
13. King Without a Crown
If you like what you hear, check out [lastfm]Matisyahu[/lastfm]’s Live at Stubbs, Vol. II available now at iTunes and Amazon.
