Lenny Kaye and The Connection at Marlin Room at Webster Hall
Lenny Kaye at Webster Hall in 2016 (photo by Greg Cristman)

High Holidays celebrations in NYC w/ music by Antibalas mems, Lenny Kaye, Stuart Bogie, more

Because Jewish, whose mission is “to bring Judaism into the now,” will host their eighth annual “musically and spiritually driven” High Holidays services at various NYC venues, and they’ve got some cool musicians lined up to help out as usual. All four services will be led by Rabbi Daniel Brenner and musical director Jordan McLean (of Antibalas), who will lead a house band featuring other Antibalas members as well as drummer John Bollinger (Barbez, Antony and the Johnsons, Sway Machinery) and Yula Beeri (The Hive/Hyrda). Rabbi Dan Ain and Jeremiah Lockwood (who was a live member of Balkan Beat Box) will also serve as “musical and spiritual supervisors remotely.” Sydney Faith Rose will also lead a meditation at each service. “Hopefully, we will have a few other familiar faces joining us throughout this special period, too,” the organizers say.

The services include the First Night of Rosh Hashanah at 7:30 PM on September 29 at Nublu Classic with special guest musicians Stuart Bogie (Superhuman Happiness, Arcade Fire, Craig Finn, etc), Lenny Kanye (Patti Smith Group), Dave Harrington (Darkside), and Amir Zir, with Stuart Bogie leading a jam session after the service (tickets).

On September 30, they’ll host Bowl Hashanah at Brooklyn Bowl, starting at 10 AM, with guest musician Aaron Diskin (Golem). After the service, Armo, “a spiritually driven Antibalas configuration,” will perform during the complimentary lunch (tickets).

They’ll observe Kol Nidre at Cutting Room on October 8 at 7 PM with special guest soloist Anthony Russell chanting Kol Nidre and Avinu Malkeinu, while accompanied by McLean and his band (tickets).

Lastly, Yom Kippur will be celebrated at 10 AM on October 9 at Cutting Room, once again with Anthony Russell, and The National collaborator Josh Kaufman will be one of the guest musicians at this one (tickets).

You can also get a High Holidays Pass that gets you into all four events. More info here.