Yesteday morning Matisyahu posted the above picture of himself on Twitter. A few hours later he wrote "For all of those who are being awesome,you are awesome.For all those who are confused:today I went to the Mikva and Shul just like yesterday." And he issued this statement:

This morning I posted a photo of myself on Twitter.

No more Chassidic reggae superstar.

Sorry folks, all you get is me...no alias. When I started becoming religious 10 years ago it was a very natural and organic process. It was my choice. My journey to discover my roots and explore Jewish spirituality--not through books but through real life. At a certain point I felt the need to submit to a higher level of religiosity...to move away from my intuition and to accept an ultimate truth. I felt that in order to become a good person I needed rules--lots of them--or else I would somehow fall apart. I am reclaiming myself. Trusting my goodness and my divine mission.

Get ready for an amazing year filled with music of rebirth. And for those concerned with my naked face, don't worry...you haven't seen the last of my facial hair.

- Matisyahu

This morning he again reiterated that he still goes to temple, probably in part due to all the backlash he's getting from the Chassidic community, and for people who think he's stopped being religious at all.

Matisyahu begins his annual winter tour that includes "Festival of Light" shows during Hanukkah, this week in Denver. He plays Music Hall of Williamsburg Dec 19, 20 & 21, and then Webster Hall on the 22nd, before continuing to Philly. Openers change each night and include Aunt Martha and Dub Trio. Tickets at Ticketmaster. Dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Matisyahu shaved off his beard"

Dub Trio are back with their latest release, Dub Trio IV out now via ROIR. The band is currently touring on support of the record in select US cities, including three dates in Hawaii (sweet) and TONIGHT (11/10) at Mercury Lounge as part of their record release party. Tickets are still available for tonight's show with The Wicked Tomorrow.

All tour dates and song streams of a few Dub Trio tracks are below.

Continue reading "Dub Trio released "IV", on tour (Mercury Lounge tonight)"

by BBG

Dub Trio, photo by Dennis Kleiman

Dub Trio are back with an NYC show, and this time it's NOT as the backing band for Matisyahu. Look for the NYC metal/punk/dub hybrid band to take on Santos Party House on May 25th (next Tuesday) "with special guests", their only current date as such. Tickets are on sale. Dub Trio is currently working on their new LP, the follow-up to 2008's Another Sound Is Dying on Ipecac. Dub Trio will act as backing band for Matisyahu at Mountain Jam 2010.

Cold War Kids are headlining Terminal 5 on January 29th. Tickets are now on American Express presale.

Matisyahu does his annual Hanukkah run of shows with various openers (Kevin Devine, Rana, Dub Trio, etc) at Webster Hall and Music Hall of Williamsburg this year. Tickets for all dates are on sale.

Tickets are now on American Express pre-sale for the third Passion Pit show at Terminal 5

Tickets are on American Express pre-sale (@ noon) for the just-added Wolfmother / Heartless Bastards show at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Tickets are still available for tonight's Raise the Roof show (10/28) at Music Hall of Williamsburg with Nada Surf, They Might Be Giants & Charles Bissell.

Les Savy Fav @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple (more by Natasha Ryan)

BROOKLYN KNITTING FACTORY SET TO OPEN / BROOKLYN'S LES SAVY FAV TO PLAY OPENING NIGHT

"The Knitting Factory, a leader in the New York arts scene for over two decades, is proud to announce that our new venue at 361 Metropolitan Avenue in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY will be opening September 2009. Brooklyn-based favorites, Les Savy Fav, will perform and host the opening night on Wednesday September 9th. Upcoming shows will feature performances by: Boss Hog, Rasputina, Mayer Hawthorne, Titus Andronicus, The Raincoats, The Spits, Mucca Pazza, Melissa Auf der Maur, cEvin Key, A Wilhelm Scream, Helado Negro, Maps and Atlases, No Neck Blues Band, Dub Trio, Smokey's Secret Family and much more to be announced. Upcoming special events include this year's Williamsburg Fashion Week's Fashion and Arts Premiere, the Miss LEZ Pageant and the Royal Flush Film Festival.

We've been waiting for this news since first finding out Knitting Factory was taking over the Brooklyn Luna Lounge lounge space in April 2008 (which was followed by official confirmation in July of the same year). Since then, Knitting Factory's Manhattan location closed and reopened (and closed again) and lots of people have been left wondering what the deal was.

Tickets for the September 9th Les Savy Fav show are on sale (thx Coma). They also play Fun Fun Fun Fest in November.

Boss Hog is September 10th (tickets). They play ATP NY on September 12th.

The Titus Andronicus/So So Glos show (tickets) is the last date on a long tour that also includes a show at Maxwell's.

Melissa Auf der Maur plays KF on October 17th as part of the Royal Flush Film Festival which makes sense since she made a movie. Tickets for that event are on sale.

And tickets and dates to all of the above mentioned shows are HERE.

More about the space, HERE.

Tim Harrington apologizes to his mom, in the video below...

Continue reading "Knitting Factory Brooklyn opening September 9th w/ Les Savy Fav (tix on sale) ++ other upcoming shows like Boss Hog"