Just to be clear from the start, we are devoted groupies of the band...
During the show we went through a powerful experience to the point of insanity, so there is a more explanatory chance that the review below will not be objective and even materially flawed in the technical details, so we apologies even before we start.
Hayehudim came to burn down Caesarea !! There is no other way to describe it !!
We all already recognize the fact that we live in an age where "pop" rules, not only in our small country but also overseas. Not just a ruler but a ruler with a high hand, and in our small country this is even much more significant.
Artists today are measured by the number of views on YouTube, Likes on Instagram and collaboration with commercial brands, there is no need to mention Facebook because it is already belong to the "old" of our age.
When Omer Adam get a "Sold Out" in Hayarkon Park in two days, you ask yourself how you can compare it to Disturbed which brings 10,000 people to Live Park when the band at its peak !!
So when Hayehudim decide to come to Caesarea for the second time, after 8 years, with more than 25 years of activity in their past, as a fan you sit and pray for the band... you pray for the rock in Israel... for your childhood heroes... please make this a successful and not embarrassing... I wish they will manage to fill the glorious amphitheater and not a single chair will be left empty. It's important to you that the band you love so much will not be disappointed and when it goes on stage full of energy as only it knows, it will look up and see a sea of people, without bald spots in the shape of Roman stones.
And indeed this was also the case this time, the aspiration, vision and desire came true !!
Already at the entrance to the amphitheater, an impressive spectacle unfolds before our eyes. The stage looks impressive, a huge video wall in the background, two more walls on the sides of the stage and two more projecting what is happening on the stage. Hayehudim logo appears on the huge screen and the electricity has already been felt in the air. Yahav's drum set placed in the center of the stage with an impressive elevation and the guitars rested next to a large number of "Marshall" amplifiers, just like in the 90's. Undoubtedly an impressive construction that slightly hints at what is to come in a few minutes.
Slowly the amphitheater filled almost to full capacity and the fears of baldness remained only on the heads of the growing men like us. But they were replaced by other concerns... Chairs ??? At Hayehudim Live Show ??? In the orchestra section ??? what's happening here??? Even in the band's unplugged tour, we barely managed to hold ourselves in a chair so in an electric show ??? We have already started preparing escape plan, riot and fighting scenarios dealing with the event's stewards and security guards!
Then the it started... the lights went out... and the famous cartoon opening theme "Merrie Melodies & Looney Tunes" began to play on screen, something that had not happened before in the band's performances, and it already felt that something different and special was happening here. The opening was replaced by a dramatic opening of xylophone-shaped electronic keyboards as the video art plays the band's logo, as if playing with our heart that explodes in a second of excitement, "Let's get started !!"
They go on stage and then it starts... it comes up... "here it comes", not a typical opening because after the first two strong bars the song goes into a quieter state, but it's good enough and we love it, it builds our catharsis !!
Orit Shahaf looks like "Hippolyta" Wonder Woman's mother to those who do not know, the Queen of the Amazons who came to show Caesarea that it is not an amphitheater but a rehearsal room in south Tel Aviv that has a hard time containing its tremendous powers. Tom Petrover looks like a warrior from the Underworld who with charisma and endless powers consumes every sound in the air and takes over the eardrums like a spell. Yahav Lipinsky gives a presence as if Caesarea is just a stop on his world tour and comes to give us a head start. The old fox Itzik Soulam, an experienced warrior, also seems to have gotten off the plane now and come to dedicate himself to his guitar, so that our heartbeats will play at his own pace... and Greg who looks like Mike Inez who came to dismantle all the ancient Roman stones and copy them from their place. The show was impressive in every aspect imaginable !!
Only one thing was out of place... the crowd !!
The crowd still remain seated, screaming and singing but seating glued to the chair as if the teacher is standing in the corner of the classroom waiting to punish the first student to stand up. In the second song, between the scream and the roar of the audience, the seated began to exchange puzzling glances with each other, as if they did not understand what was going on here. Why are they exploding from the inside but still sitting down? How can one enjoy such a performance of the biggest rock band in Israel?
We will use this opportunity to give a little tip to the Nature and Parks Authority, note this down!!
"You can't hold rock shows in a sitting down position! No discussion!"
In the third song the audience could longer withstand the onslaught of energies and as if the social protest had just begun here, the orchestra section sitters broke through the orange plastic barriers, "moved" the security guards and stormed to the front of the stage with your loyal servants full partners in the assault. Officially now the show has begun !!!
A tremendous explosion, unimaginable energies and tremendous power, there is no other way to describe this band. As with every show, the band came to give it all out, to give everything they have as if it was their last show on earth (knock's on wood). A show that started at 21:40 ended exactly at 00:15, almost two and a half hours of an amazing performance with endless energies of huge talents.
They performed almost all the great songs from their rich catalog, "Stolen", "New York City", "Ella", "Sammy Free" and other songs that went crazy and almost completely dismantled the place. "Her Time", "Our Days", "Forever on My Side" which created an amazing moment between Orit and Tom (there were quite a few wet eyes) and other exciting moments. An impressive and perfectly built playlist that swept the audience and put on an" immortal "rock show. One thing we must note and it's even really hurting us, is that apart from the song "Sister" no other song from the band's latest and wonderful album "No More" was performed, a trend that has been repeated a lot since the album release and we still can not understand why. Especially when we love this album so much, it hearts because we feel like the band is trying to ignore it or deny its existence.
And one more little thing... In order to be honest with ourselves mainly but also with the experience we went through, there was another little thing that bothered us... from the third part of the show something did not work out for Tom. He seems to be fighting with the guitar, not hearing himself on the monitor, taking off the ear piece, cut his finger, in short something there did not work for him and the frustration was shown. From time to time he seemed to be more focused on the problem than on the show, as in the song "New York City" that he hardly sang the first part at all. You can't blame him, it's very hard to enjoy and stay focused when so many things are bothering you.
Daniel Barchar which we already mentioned in our shows was the first guest on stage, he is a talented musician and leader of the Drugstore Fanatics today and was part of one of the band's most talented eras, creating the album "Forte" and the unplugged tour. Undoubtedly he was a huge contribution on stage, the talented guitarist brought more volume to Caesarea and made a significant contribution to the madness.
Another very surprising guest was Danny Sanderson, the man does not aged a bit and looks just like in the clip "At the Aunt and Uncle's" only with white hair. He said that he recorded the song "Far Summer" with Orit in 1994, even before anyone knew the two. They performed the song in an amazing way, he stayed for another song which he preformed together with band, "Yo Ya" together. Yes... yes... you heard right, we too rubbed our eyes and ears, but the band like every time they touch something or play something it becomes pure rock and roll. "Yo Ya" have sounded like a real hard rock song, an amazing experience !!
Hayehudim with their huge decile and amazing abilities gave it their all and gave us an experience that will not be forgotten for many years to come. This is without a doubt a show that stands proudly (and even passes) in the series of shows that visit our tiny country this summer. We very much hope that they will read these lines and soon release a video of one of their performances so that we can occasionally cuddle up to this wonderful thing!
Thank you for your amazing music and crazy performances, love you!