Mostly Kosher & The Klezmatics Come To Carpenter Center In December

Klezmer-rock band Mostly Kosher bring their boundless energy, klezmer beats, and Yiddish refrains to the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center on the campus of California State University, Long Beach on December 12 at 8 p.m.

Known for their vibrant fusion of klezmer, jazz, Latin, folk, and rock, Mostly Kosher celebrate themes of social justice, human dignity, and mutual understanding through their welcoming music. Mostly Kosher joins The Klezmatics in this double-bill concert and Toward The Light Hanukkah celebration.

The December 12 date marks Mostly Kosher's Carpenter Center debut, but frontman Leeav Sofer is no stranger to CSULB and Long Beach. His mother was a cantor at Long Beach's Temple Beth Shalom, and Leeav studied clarinet and voice with a performance degree from CSULB's Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. A fixture of the Southern California music scene, Mostly Kosher has performed at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, Skirball Cultural Center, Torrance Center for the Arts, and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. They are also the first Jewish music ensemble at the Disney parks and have performed seven seasons there during the annual two-month Festival of Holidays.

Also celebrating the festival of lights in this evening's concert are New York's Grammy-winning band, The Klezmatics who bring their joy and artistry to this Hanukkah celebration. The Klezmatics blend klezmer's East European Jewish tunes with Latin stomps, jazz riffs, and Balkan, Middle Eastern, African, and American rhythms for a multi-genre musical treat. The Klezmatics are perhaps best known for marrying original melodies to American folk icon Woody Guthrie's rediscovered lyrics, including on their album Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah which includes the title track, now a perennial addition to the Hanukkah song tradition. The Klezmatics will perform additional holiday songs and revisit gems from their nearly 40-year history, inspired by the universal hope for the restoration of light and peace around the world. 

The Klezmatics and Mostly Kosher

Thursday, December 12, 2024 at 8 p.m. / Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

The Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center at 6200 E. Atherton St. Long Beach, CA 90815

Tickets: $50, available at carpenterarts.org.

Refreshments can be purchased and enjoyed in the Center's lobby. Additional ticketing information is available at carpenterarts.org/ticket-office. 

To post a comment, you must register and login.