Eli Gerstner, the producer of The Yeshiva Boys Choir, is without a doubt one of Jewish music’s most creative stars in the industry. As if his other groups, “The Chevra,” “Menucha,” and “Tek-noy,” weren’t enough, Eli, together with his close friend Yossi Newman, began the Yeshiva Boys Choir in 2003. A worldwide sensation, the Yeshiva Boys have fans all over the world. With amazing musical compositions, engaging performances, and creative choreography as their trademark, Yeshiva Boys Choir has something to excite every member of their audience and will have you out of your seats and dancing in the aisles. This past Sunday Eli sat down with Ari Hirsch to discuss Chol Hamoed Sukkos, the breaking news about the Camp HASC “A Time for Music” concert and the newest YBC YouTube video Ki Avi (Chazak).
The new Ki Avi (Chazak) YouTube video had more than 20,000 hits in one week (13,000 in its 1st day).Largest Venue the Yeshiva Boys has performed in front of: The largest audience was in Crown Heights at the Great Parade, with an estimated 25,000 people and tens of thousands watching live around the world. Largest venues were Barclay Center and Madison Square Garden.album…Eishes Chayil and Ashrei Ho’om.for my 1st album “Hinei” and (fun fact) Yossi wrote two great songs on thatin Camp (Kesser) together in the summer of ’96. Professionally we teamed upYears Eli Gerstner and Yossi Newman been working together? We met and workedMost Popular Yeshiva Boys Song: Of all time, probably Kol Hamispalel, but currently between Adir, Ashrei and DaddyNewest YouTube Hit: Ki Avi (Chazak)Yeshiva Boys CDs: 6 reg + 1 acappella + 4 live DVD/CDs =11Current YBC Oldest Member’s Age: 13Current YBC Youngest Member’s Age: 8Number of Yeshiva Boys currently: 45Yeshiva Boys Started in: 2003Yeshiva Boys Choir Fast Facts:
How many years have you been doing the “YBC Live” Chol Hamoed Concerts?
Eli Gerstner: YBC has been doing concerts since Sukkos 2004. Our Pesach ’05 concert was recorded and released as YBC Live (on DVD and CD). The name stuck and we’ve been calling all of our Chol Hamoed shows by that name.
What is your personal favorite part of each YBC Live show?
EG: I love scanning the crowd from the stage and seeing every type of Yid sitting there with their families. The unity and achdus really warms my heart.
Tell everyone about Chol Hamoed Sukkos 2015? Why New Jersey?
EG: This Chol Hamoed we will be performing at the Bergen Performing Arts Center (BPAC) Theater. This is an EG Production family show featuring the Yeshiva Boys Choir, the Chevra, and my brother Yaakov Mordechai. It’s very exciting for us to pull this together for New Jersey. We have many fans coming from Monsey and throughout the tri-state area. We plan on raising a nice amount of money for the Hachnosas Orchim of Chevron Fund. This year the fund is raising money L’zecher Nishmas Jerry Pasternack a”h. It’s a very worthy tzedaka and I am honored to be able to help in any which way I can for this worthy cause. The bottom line is…we get calls and emails from Monsey, Passaic and Teaneck (just to name a few) asking why there isn’t a YBC Live show in their area. YOU asked….WE answered!!
Top 5 YBC YouTube Hits
Ah Ah Ah Ashrei: 3.5 million
Daddy Come Home: 3 million
Kol Hamispalel: 1.4 million
Those Were The Nights: 1.3 million
Amein 1.1 million
Tell us about your newest Youtube video, Ki Avi (Chazak).
EG: The song Ki Avi/Chazak has major buzz since YBC 6 came out. The difference between the songs Chazak and Adir, which are on the same album, is that Adir was full of acoustic instruments, with strings and guitar and all live music, whereas Chazak is completely 2015 with digital, techno music and is totally up-to-date. We picked Adir just because it was the first one on the album, but we weren’t sure how the two songs would compare. Even though Adir has almost one million hits, Chazak is the song that all the camps in the mountains were singing (B”H). So we decided to make the video for Chazak and it’s completely “techno-like.” It was mostly filmed with a green screen so that we could edit the video with really exciting backgrounds and cuts to mimic the beat.
Rumor has it that you are now producing the famous Camp HASC “A Time for Music” concert, is it true? And can you tell us anything about it, i.e., venue, performers etc.?
EG: I am very excited to break the news that YES, it is true. I am going to be producing “A Time for Music 29.” The past producers, Sheya Mendlowitz and Suki & Ding, have been amazing role models and I am honored to be following in their legendary footsteps. We plan on bringing this to a whole new level of production with a HUGE orchestra, tremendous lighting and visuals, so there will be something for every age and every taste. We’re still at the beginning of the process so there’s a lot to work out. Jewish music superstar Yaakov Shweky is the only guy who bridges all frumkeit from Sephardi, Ashkenazi, and Chasidic (and all ages). For that reason, we made an exclusive contract that if you want to see Yaakov Shweky at a concert, you need to see him through Camp HASC’s “A Time for Music” concert. This is unprecedented. We are also taking Camp HASC’s “A Time for Music” concert on tour. We are going to bring these concerts from Camp HASC all over the country. Everyone knows how amazing Camp HASC is and everyone knows how incredible their concerts are.
When is YBC 7 coming out?
EG: We are working on the production of the music of the new album. We are so excited about the songs and the music, but it could take months or even years. The new YBC Live DVD and CD is coming out this Chanukah with a brand-new single and video. So we don’t feel like we need to release one for a while, but we are definitely working on it.
Is there anything else that you would like to share with Link readers this Sukkos?
EG: Just that we are very excited about everything that is happening with YBC and EG Productions. We would like everyone to come to come to New Jersey and enjoy the YBC/Chevra concert at Bergen Pac Theater. All the performers are working very hard to make this Succos concert exciting and memorable. I’d also like to express tremendous hakoras hatov to all of you who let me do what I love doing, and wish that everyone has a gut gebenched yur!
By Ari Hirsch
