(Courtesy of Black Box Studios) Black Box Studios, The Elated System and Debonair Music Hall will present two special nights with Matisyahu, featuring opener DuvBear, at Debonair Music Hall, 1409 Queen Anne Road in Teaneck, on March 25 and 26. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and showtime is 7:30 p.m.; tickets are $65 general admission/$85 reserved (all ages are welcome). Visit www.debonairmusichall.com.
For nearly two decades, Matisyahu has kept his creative spirit alive by evolving his sound, melding genres, and testing the limits of the musical traditions that have inspired him. His latest release, “Hold the Fire,” and its leadoff single, “Fireproof,” take inspiration from a fire dream inspired by the Torah, which has meant so much to his spiritual and creative life since his recording career began in 2004 and his breakout track, “King Without a Crown” blasted onto the Billboard charts in 2005.
In a roundabout way, those same Torah roots springboarded Matisyahu’s music career. Growing up outside New York City, the young Matthew Miller (Matisyahu) followed jam bands like Phish and the Grateful Dead. Then, in Bob Marley and reggae he found that the messaging of Rastafarianism was sourced in part from the Torah. The sound that emerged on his first albums embraced both the spirit of reggae and his spirituality and roots in Judaism.
Buoyed by hits like “King Without a Crown” and the gold-certified 2009 antiwar hit “One Day” (streamed over 150 million times on Spotify alone), Matisyahu toured extensively through the second half of the aughts, all the while his music expanding into a shapeshifting collision of reggae, hip-hop, alt rock and boldly inventive pop.
Today, Matisyahu continues to be inspired by evolving musical trends, finding linkages and loops between eras and genres. His spirituality has evolved in parallel with his music, though his Jewish heritage remains a central theme throughout his life and music. The new EP, “Hold the Fire” (out February 2025), also finds him reflecting on celebrity and artistic success. For Matisyahu, “the unbelievable and miraculous feeling of being connected to our people” is what keeps the creative fire alight.
Opening act DuvBear is an 18-year-old artist whose music captures the essence of his life experiences. His songs delve into personal struggles and the ways he overcomes them, all while weaving in his deep connection to Jewish spirituality. The son of Matisyahu, he is following in his father’s footsteps yet carving out his own path, declaring his independence and committing to a unique musical identity.
For more information on this event and others at Debonair Music Hall from Black Box Studios and The Elated System, please contact [email protected].
