Sway Machinery!!! Word from: Jake

Last Sunday I went to see Jeremiah Lockwood's new project: Sway Machinery with the horn section of Antibalas. This was their second show together. I will not exaggerate one bit if I tell you that this was the best Jewish music gig that I've ever been to, in my whole life. They played at the Stone, and at the end of the performance, every single person in the audience stood up and clapped, stomped, yelled for a long, long time. This was a hell of a standing ovation. The band completely deserved it: the energy level was spilling over the roof, Jeremiah and sax player were leaping, jumping all over the stage - they got themselves into some kind of trance-like musical intoxication. The melodies were all re-workings of various hazanut pieces, niggunim, etc. So mystical, and at the same time, ripping, the phrase that came to mind was "kabbalistic brain-striptease," though given all of the latest associations with kabbalah, I don't think it does them justice. They were tapping into the under-the-skin chaotic makings of the psyche, through Jewish melodies played so tightly - I have no words. I was flying afterwards. Really, amazing. A track that can give you a vague idea (though it's nothing like the live version) is here. Sway Machinery is playing at Makor on Purim (March 13th) so if you are in the vicinity, be there for the funkiest, borders-pushing avant-garde Jewish gig ever. And by the way, Antibalas is playing at Southpaw on April 22nd.