a guide to NYC HANNUKAH shows & concerts, MP3's & stuff

DOWNLOAD: Woody Guthrie – Hanukkah Dance [Alternate Take] (1:24)
DOWNLOAD: Yo La Tengo – I Feel Like Going Home (live on KCMP) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: One on One with Jackie Hoffman (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Songs in the key of Hanukkah – Dreidel (MP3) (info)
DOWNLOAD: DJ BALAGAN – “Chalutzei Ketzev” (Israeli 70s Beat Mix) (MP3)

Hanukkah runs from sunset, December 21 to sunset, December 29, 2008. The first Day of Hanukkah is December 22. If you haven’t figured it it out by now, that means Christmas happens during Hannukah this year.

Over the course of the eight days (and before and after), many candles will be lit and many Hanukkah-themed events will be happening in and around New York City. Many will involve music. Here are a few…

Yo La Tengo will be repeating their tradition of playing all eight nights of Hanukkah at Maxwell’s in Hoboken. Not surpringly, advanced tickets are all already sold out at Ticketweb, but to quote the band, “Tickets may still be available in person at Tunes in Hoboken and/or Other Music in NYC”. Stay tuned for opener information as it’s announced. Yo La Tengo are also playing a show in New Jersey on New Years Eve.

Also playing eights nights (except not all of them are on Hanukkah because he’s taking the Sabbath off): Matisyahu. Tickets are still on sale for these shows that take place at Webster Hall in Manhattan and Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Openers include The LeeVees, Asher Roth and Little Jackie.

Southpaw in Park Slope is hosting Jewltide 6 featuring DeLeon on Christmas Eve. “DeLeon plays 15th Century Spanish indie rock infused with the deeply mysterious and entrancing cadences of the ancient Sephardic tradition.” Tickets are on sale. This show is also part of a larger DeLeon/JDub national Hanukkah tour. All dates at the very bottom of this post.

NYC event listings continued below…

There are several songs associated with the festival of Hanukkah. The most well known in English-speaking countries include “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel” and “Chanukah, Oh Chanukah.” In Israel, Hanukkah has become something of a national holiday. A large number of songs have been written on Hanukkah themes, perhaps more so than for any other Jewish holiday. Some of the most well known are “Hanukkiah Li Yesh” (“I Have a Hanukkah Menora”), “Kad Katan” (“A Small Jug”), “S’vivon Sov Sov Sov” (“Dreidel, Spin and Spin”), “Mi Yimalel” (Who can Retell”) and “Ner Li, Ner Li” (“I have a Candle”). [Wikipedia]

Jackie Hoffman Backstage Bistro Awards ’06

You can always count on Joe’s Pub to bring it during Hanukkah. This year they’ve got:

• Dec 8 – Jackie Hoffman: Scraping the Bottom for Chanukah
• Dec 11 – The Idelsohn Society Presents “And You Shall Know Us By The Trail Of Our Vinyl” w/ JACKIE HOFFMAN
• Dec 15 (early) – Jackie Hoffman: Scraping the Bottom for Chanukah
• Dec 15 (late) – Jackie Hoffman: Scraping the Bottom for Chanukah
• Dec 22 – Jackie Hoffman: Scraping the Bottom for Chanukah
• Dec 23 – Heeb Storytelling

Keep checking Joe’s Pub’s site for more holiday shows to be added, plus there’s one that’s part of the Sephardic Music Festival…

December 10, 2008
Festival Preview Showcase
Galeet Dardashti’s “The Naming” feat. SYREN Dance Co., Electro Morocco, Diwon featuring Smadar & Samuel Thomas
@ Public Assembly (formerly Galapagos)
70 North 6th St, Williamsburg, NY
Doors 7:30pm / $15 or only $13
(buy tickets)

December 21, 2008
• Opening Night
Pharaoh’s Daughter, Diwon, and Sarah Aroeste Band
@ Le Poisson Rouge
158 Bleeker St, NYC
6pm – $15 adv
(buy tickets)

December 21/22, 2008
• Scholar Series
Sunday, Dec. 21
Victor Bassis Tarab Ensemble perform Hebrew Piyyutim:
“From the Eastern Mediterranean to Brooklyn”
Museum doors open at 4pm, concert and discussion at 5-7pm

Monday, Dec. 22
Gerard Edery and Francois Houle Ensemble
“Ladino music and the Sephardic Migration to Morocco”
concert and discussion at 6-8pm
@ The Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th St, NYC
$15/$12 ASF members
(for more info & to purchase tickets)

December 23, 2008
• A Night of Traditional Sephardic Music
@ Spanish Portugusse Synagague
performers tba
3 West 70th St. at Central Park West
7pm / $15 adv or $18 door / all ages

December 25, 2008
• PERFORMERS & DJs TBA
@ Le Poisson Rouge
158 Bleeker St, NYC

December 25, 2008
• Piamenta, Eden Mi Qedem, Diwon & more
@ Highline Ballroom
431 W 16th St (b/w 9th & 10th Ave), NYC
10pm – $15 adv
(buy tickets)

December 27, 2008
• Electro Morocco
@ Joe’s Pub
425 Lafayette St., NYC
11pm – $15 adv
(buy tickets)

December 28, 2008
• Closing Night
all details will be announced one month before the event.

Jelvis “The Music Video”

I don’t know about this one, but anyway for the sake of completeness: Highline Ballroom also has a Jelvis show on Christmas called “The Kosher King JELVIS – The Jewish ELVIS presents A Jew-El Tide Christmas”. Tickets are on sale. Later that night is the Sephardic show listed above.

Also on Christmas….for the family? “Challah-lujah: The Tradition Continues with Joshua Nelson and special guests Cissy Houston & Frank London” @ the Museum of Jewish Heritage: Edmond J. Safra Hall. Tickets are on sale early and slightly later.

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That’s it for now. What did we miss? Please list more events in the comments.

And here are those dates…

JDub 2008 HANUKKAH TOUR
12/18 – JEWLTIDE with DeLeon & The Sway Machinery @ Grog Shop, Cleveland OH
12/20 – JEWLTIDE with DeLeon & The Sway Machinery @ Troubadour, Los Angeles CA
12/21 – The Hub presents DeLeon & The Sway Machinery @ 111 Minna, San Francisco CA
12/24 – JEWLTIDE with DeLeon @ Southpaw, Brooklyn NY
12/26 – Golem @ The Kennedy Center, Washington DC (FREE)
12/27 – Birthright Israel NEXT presents Hanukkah Worldwide with Golem @ TT the Bear’s, Boston MA
12/27 – Birthright Israel NEXT presents Hanukkah Worldwide with DeLeon @ North Star Bar, Philadelphia PA (FREE)
12/29 – DeLeon @ The Kennedy Center, Washington DC (FREE)