The concert's on the house

The show was part of a series of free concerts running through May, which Tuborg beer is sponsoring.

By NINA ALEXANDER-HURST
beer 88 (photo credit: )
beer 88
(photo credit: )
Crowds were still pushing to get past the large, menacing bouncer even as Pablo Rosenberg was winding up his show last month at the new Izen Bar on Derech Beit Lehem. The show was part of a series of free concerts running through May, which Tuborg beer is sponsoring as a way to develop a relationship between the malted Danish beverage and the Israeli music scene. The warm atmosphere of the bar was a perfect match for the intimate soft rock concert, though the set-up was not ideal for the more than 250-person crowd. The main floor's two large rectangular bars were full of patrons drinking, eating and enjoying the music. The stage, set up specially for the event, was wedged in between the two bars. While there was not much space on the lower level for people to stand around and watch, the upper level was a little more spacious, with a small balcony overlooking the stage. People stepped over each other to get a good view of Rosenberg during his show, which lasted a little less than an hour. Rosenberg's performance, all in Hebrew except for one song, included one of his most famous pieces, "Put a Candle on the Window." "He [Rosenberg] always says that performing in small, cozy places is a pleasure for him because he feels like he's playing for his friends," said Oren Turgeman, Tuborg's brand manager. "There is a dialogue with the crowd and the people in the bar, and he really likes it." The third most popular beer in Israel, Tuborg surveyed 500 beer drinkers about their favorite Israeli singers. Of the list of 10 singers, Pablo Rosenberg and Dudi Levi were chosen as the favorites. Tuborg then signed the musicians on to perform over 30 free concerts at various locations throughout the country, with 15 concerts remaining. Rosenberg finished off the concert at Izen Bar with Kansas' "Dust in the Wind" - a fitting selection given the few minutes the musician spent greeting fans before being led out through the front door. Fans will have an additional 10 chances to see Rosenberg, along with three for Levi. Concert-goers hoping for free beer might be disappointed by the Tuborg events. Beer does not flow like water at the concerts. Miki Lugi, a 29-year-old Jerusalem resident, paid 17 shekels for his beer like on any normal night. Lugi said he frequents the bar on the weekends, but made a special trip on Wednesday because he really likes Rosenberg's concerts. For information on upcoming concerts, visit www.Tuborg.co.il.