Yesterday my wife and I went to a concert in Zavta, Tel-Aviv of Amir Benayun. It was a very good concert. There was a great atmosphere among the audience and Benayun, and among him and the other performers. I like very much how he sings. There is a feeling of honesty in his singing.

The audience was mixed from all sectors of the Israeli people: secular, religious, askenazik, sefaradic, young, old, etc. Their behavior was relatively restraint (after all, they where sitting of chairs), although it was very enthusiastic (they where often clapping hands also in the middle of some of the songs).

There was one guy that was perhaps overenthusiastic: he was with Talit katan hanging outside and a kippa, and he imitated the gestures of belly dancers. At first he moved along the stage. Letter on he went of the stage and dance before the performers (he actually did it three times!). This was really unexpected. It was very nice to see how Benayun and the others where very sympathetic to him (although they might have been slightly irritated by him at the end…).

The sound was not so good. I could hardly understand the words. I think that this was due to at least two reasons: (1) we were sitting at a far end of the hall, just on the far left side of the stage. (2) the Zavta hall seems to me (and perhaps I am wrong) not the best place with regards to sound quality (from the acoustics point of view, I mean).

My wife asked me “why don’t you play with him guitar?” I told her that I like his music very much and that I think that he is on a high level. However, it is not me. I would like, one day, to do something different in music performance. In Benayun’s music the words and the singing are the center. I hope to do something that will involve the music as a more active agent (yet, if will offer me to join I will certainly consider it!)

The concert was wonderful! I recommend to his concerts.