Having seen his shows on a number of previous occasions over the years, I would say that he seemed a bit tired. He looked like he had lost a step. But that did not seem to faze the sold out audience, most of whom stood, cheered and clapped for much of the show.
Artzi’s set list might read like an Israeli pop/rock greatest hits collection. With all of the success he has had over decades of performing, it is not surprising that he is able to turn the microphone over to the audience for almost any of the selected numbers.
His musical style is melodic pop/rock, somewhere between Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen. On stage with a ten piece band, including a violinist, two sax players and a trumpet, Artzi leads a talented ensemble that covers a diverse range of musical styles. With a nod to The Boss himself, Artzi’s band started one song with riffs that were lifted right out of Rosalita. In another piece, Artzi actually began singing “Down to the River,” another Springsteen tune. He complemented the English language pieces with bits of “Hit the Road Jack,” “Twist Again” and “What a Wonderful World.” Though this all made for musical fun and energized the band, Artzi should probably stick to singing in Hebrew.
With an ego approaching the size of Bono’s, Artzi loves to wander into the audience, picking aspiring stars to sing along with him, while looking for an eligible young woman to accompany him up on stage for one of his trademark songs “Tirkod” (“Dance”). Strangely, he couldn’t seem to find the right dancer this evening and skipped this well -known highlight of his concerts.
Instead, a young couple came up to the stage together. The would-be groom handed a piece of paper to Artzi and dropped down to one knee. Artzi read out the lyrics to one of his songs “let’s get married, have a child and write a song…” The bride to be enthusiastically accepted and the two lovebirds were off to the races, as Shlomo Artzi quietly interrupted their passionate embrace to bless them in a fatherly sort of way.
Artzi spent much of the concert speaking through the songs, in modified rap style, rather than singing them. He passed the mike to the audience quite often, throughout the evening and they readily complied. But it almost seemed to be a measure taken by Artzi out of fatigue rather than the simple pleasure of hearing thousands of fans singing their hearts out to his music.
Towards the final third of the concert, the tempo picked up. The band was given a bit more of an opportunity to let loose and everything became more enjoyable. The song for Gilad Schalit, who has now been held hostage by Hamas for more than five years, was powerful. The hits that followed were energetically played and wildly received. The final two or three pieces were vintage Artzi, at his best.
Caesarea, the Roman amphitheatre used as one of Israel’s most popular concert venues, is a great place to see a concert. Right by the Mediterranean Sea, with a gentle breeze blowing, the forum delivers terrific acoustics when filled to capacity. The seats are all simply stone so those who remember bring cushions to ensure a minimum comfort level.
But Shlomo Artzi has performed better on many occasions in this very venue. Though much of the audience still seemed to love the 2 ½ hour show, those who have enjoyed some of Artzi’s other concerts must have been disappointed by the song selection (fewer hits than usual) and by Artzi’s general sluggishness, which came through in the muddled versions of some of his songs. There were still some flashes of greatness and the band was terrific. Even on an off night, Artzi still delivers fine entertainment to the consistently sold out audiences that he draws.
