Ivri Lider brings an odd, yet harmonious medley to Tel Aviv

The entire crowd was caught up. Everyone sang along with Lider, hanging on to every word, entranced into the mood and flood of emotion each song brought with it: the love, the hurt, the calm.

By TZVI JOFFRE
IVRI LIDER performs in Tel Aviv on Monday, in his first large show since the birth of his son Albi. (photo credit: GAL GASHMA)
IVRI LIDER performs in Tel Aviv on Monday, in his first large show since the birth of his son Albi.
(photo credit: GAL GASHMA)
IVRY LIDER
Hangar 11, Tel Aviv
December 14
An Ivri Lider concert is an odd, yet harmonious medley in many ways.
The crowd in Hangar 11 at the Tel Aviv Port on Saturday night was a mix of young and old from all sorts of backgrounds: religious youth, secular Tel Avivians, older couples and budding loves could all be found interspersed throughout the audience.
The music melded a mix of different genres, flowing smoothly from quiet piano to Mizrahi beats to electronic dance within the two-hour-long concert.
But this concert wasn’t just music, because Lider isn’t someone who just performs to an audience. Lider creates an experience with his audience. At intermittent parts in-between and during songs, he converses with the crowd. He explains what his songs meant to him when he wrote them and what they mean to him now. Lider remarked to the crowd about how good it is to be back performing. At one point, Lider walked through the crowd, hugging, taking selfies and singing. He seemed to be a part of the crowd and leading it at the same time.
The entire event had an unusual energy with a crowd that was soothed and electrified at the same time. Within minutes of Lider arriving onstage, the entire crowd was out of their seats or even standing on them, but still the atmosphere remained chilled as people danced and sang along.
The entire crowd was caught up. Everyone sang along with Lider, hanging on to every word, entranced into the mood and flood of emotion each song brought with it: the love, the hurt, the calm.
The show was the first large concert Lider has done since he returned to Israel from over a month in Alabama with his newborn son, Albi, who was born through a surrogate mother. Lider, who turned 45 this year, went to the US for the surrogacy.
Love and family were constant themes. There were multiple mentions of Albi in Lider’s conversations with the crowd. Designs that Lider’s father drew appeared in the background as he sang “M’Lateif V’Meshaker” (“Caressing and Lying”). While thanking his team and supporters at the end of the show, Lider lamented that his mother and his partner couldn’t make it.
At one point, Lider encouraged the crowd to hug their loved ones, be they friends, family or spouses.
While singing his song “Zachiti L’ehov” (“I was Fortunate to Love”), Lider mentioned how ever since Albi was born “the whole song got a different meaning. I think [the song] was written from a place of romance and suddenly I found a kinda new type of love, an amazing [type of love].”
He followed up with the song “La’Yeled Sheli” (“For My Child”), about the many dreams he has for his child’s future, as the crowd sang softly along as he played the piano.
The entire performance featured a beautiful array of lighting effects and background designs that changed throughout the night. As much as the focus of the night was Lider, the art created with the light and displayed on stage was hard to look away from.
Amit Shauli, a contestant on The Voice singing competition who was mentored by Lider, joined him on the stage to sing “N’sicha Sheli” (“My Princess”).
Although the word freicha (a slang term meaning “bimbo”) was caught up in a load of controversy recently in Israeli society, that didn’t stop Lider from singing a song he wrote to fellow artist Sarit Hadad called “Freicha Ba’Mercedes.”
Lider stated that he was going to sing a song that had relevance to the times and began singing “Adoni,” a song featuring the line “My sir wants to be the prime minister,” which may have been a jibe at the current political chaos in Israel.
Tomer Maizner, a DJ who recently released a song with Lider called “Lirkod Im Dmaot Ba’Ainayim” (“To Dance with Teary Eyes”), joined Lider for the last few songs, livening the atmosphere with a more party-like feel. Lirkod Im Dmaot Ba’Ainayim was also the name of the concert.
As Lider left the stage, the audience filed out with everyone seemingly feeling soothed, emotional, electrified, happy and satisfied all at once. The performance had brought everyone through a process alongside Lider. There were moments to laugh, moments to cry, moments to love and moments to let loose and party. When he talked about Albi and sang “La’Yeled Sheli,” you could see the unfiltered pride and utter joy of the new father. He mixed along the crowd not as a rock star, but as a cool friend, enjoying a good time with his fellows.
Lider showed that he is not an artist who stays on the stage. He mixes in with the crowd, connects with them and leaves them filled with emotion even after the stage lights have gone dark. He sings and speaks with feeling that sweeps you off your feet while keeping you stable on the ground.
Since the show on Saturday night sold out, Lider will play an additional show at Hangar 11 on February 22.


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