Arts & Entertainment

Punk Performance

Israeli band Monotonix reacts to audience vibe in concerts where anything can happen.

Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News

C

ould it be that Monotonix, a
punk rock trio from Israel, rein-
vents a Jewish wedding tradition
for its frenzied performances?
Just as religious brides and grooms are
lifted up and carried during excited danc-
ing in reception halls, the Monotonix beat-
holding drummer is lifted up and carried
during excited audience movement in
nightspots.
"We're Jewish and come from that cul-
ture so maybe there is a connection sub-
consciously:' says guitarist Yonatan Gat, 26,
whose group will appear Tuesday evening,
July 22, at the Magic Stick in Detroit.
"Although we consider ourselves secular
and don't practice our religion, maybe the
fact that we're Israeli and Jewish affects
our music and shows in ways we don't
even know."
The trio, which includes drummer
Haggai Geyer Fershtman and vocalist
Ami Shalev, will be on a bill with Valient
Thorr and Early Man. The touring Israelis
are promoting their first recording, Body
Language, which was completed in San
Francisco and has five selections beyond
the title track: "Lowest Dive;' "Summers
and Autumns," "Deadly Weapon," "No
Metal" and "On the Road."
"They are songs about relationships or
daily things that happen to me or happen
to everybody:' says Shalev, 43, who writes
the lyrics and collaborates with band
mates on the music.
"The songs are in English, but my
Hebrew is better than my English. I have
a funny accent that makes my singing
unique."
While Shalev describes "Lowest Dive"
as having to do with the bottoming out of
a relationship, he summarizes "Summers
and Autumns" as having to do with spend-
ing time with a flame.
And speaking of flames in another
sense, Monotonix players have been
barred from many Israeli clubs because
of the performers' wild antics that can
include starting fires and dousing people
with beer. Gat says that band members,
at home in Tel Aviv, are misunderstood in
their own country.
"We don't use the stage because we want
to be involved with the crowd and be at
eye level with everyone explains Shalev,

Haggai Fershtman, Ami Shalev and Yonatan Gat of Monotonix

whose band can be seen and heard on
YouTube.
"We get vibes from people and do what-
ever they want during our show. They can
dance, laugh, cry and just react. We want
everybody to feel free, but not in a violent
way.
"Our fire is very controlled. Before we
do anything with fire, we ask the promoter
and the club owner of the venue to make
sure the place is OK with it. If we think it's
going to be dangerous, we don't do it."
During their performances, Monotonix
members do not interrupt the music with
speaking. Working together since 2005,
they don't plan their numbers in advance.
They want to pick up on the mood of any
setting.
"We've known each other for a long
time:' says Shalev, whose club career got
started on the technical side. "We met
through other bands and became good
friends. It's all working out for us right
now.
"We've been inspired by other bands

that we like to hear and watch. We've also
been inspired by things we do in our daily
lives."
Gat, the only single member of the trio,
thinks that Israeli audiences are too con-
servative when it comes to rock.
"I think that punk enables people to
forget about their daily troubles:' says the
Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix fan who quit
university history studies to pursue music
opportunities.
"They don't have to think about authori-
ties, social norms or inhibitions when
they take part and dance with us. Our
band enables them to do exactly what they
want. Ami takes off his shirt during our
set to celebrate freedom. We can go along
between 30 minutes and an hour."
Monotonix, while trying to fit into the
energy sensed in a room, has been playing
around with new songs and sometimes
will perform them.
"We're going to finish writing a new
album in February and record it in April
or May;' Gat says. "It's going to be a trans-

lation of the energy of our shows set to
music.
"Our only goal is that things should
be going as well as they have been going.
We're very happy with the cards we've
been dealt."
Monotonix shows are not new to
Michigan. The trio has appeared in
Lansing and Allegan.
"People shouldn't come to see our per-
formance because we're Israeli or Jewish,
but people interested in punk rock should
definitely come to see our show," Gat says.
"I'd like to think that our group talks to
everyone, not only people who like punk
rock. The music is very punk rock, but the
performance is very entertaining. I think
that anybody can enjoy it." ❑

Monotonix performs at 8 p.m.
Tuesday, July 22, at the Magic Stick,
4120-4140 Woodward, in Detroit.
$10. (313) 833-7665 or (248) 645-
6666.

Ally 17 2008

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