KNOXVILLE – Matisyahu alongside opener Nathen Maxwell and the Original Bunny Gang will perform a free concert at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 21, in the Humanities Amphitheater on UT campus.
Admission is free for this Welcome Week event, which is open to UT students, faculty and staff.
Born Matthew Miller, Matisyahu is a distinctive hip-hop/reggae artist who has earned accolades the world over. A Hasidic Jew, Matisyahu took his name from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of “Matthew.” He fuses the traditional songs of hazzan, Jewish traditional prayer, with modern rock, reggae and beat-boxing influences to great critical and popular success.
One of his three studio albums went gold in 2006, skyrocketing Matisyahu to fame. In the words of The New York Times, “once you hear Matisyahu’s music, you may wonder why someone didn’t think of this sooner.”
The opening act, Nathen Maxwell, may be better known as the bassist for the internationally acclaimed Celtic rock band Flogging Molly. After spending the past 13 years growing musically with the band, Maxwell decided to take advantage of a less rigorous touring year in order to see his own music come to fruition. Borrowing from Flogging Molly’s own unique sound, Maxwell combined his affinity for reggae, folk and rock into the sound that would define his solo sound.
This event is sponsored by UT’s Cultural Attractions Committee and UT Hillel.
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C O N T A C T :
Bridget Hardy, UT Media Relations (865-974-2225, bhardy4@utk.edu)
Sarah Kim, Cultural Attractions Committee Press Secretary (865-228-8826, skim64@utk.edu)