Matisyahu Canceled in Chicago over ‘Threat of Protests’; Donates Proceeds to Israeli Hostages

Matisyahu, the Jewish reggae legend, has again been forced to cancel a sold-out concert — this time at the House of Blues in Chicago, which called off a Friday show due to the “threat of protests.”

Matisyahu said that his security team did not believe there was a threat, but that House of Blues had canceled the show and paid the penalty. He added that he would be donating the proceeds to an organization that advocates for the Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

pic.twitter.com/uzprAaeTZO

— Matisyahu (@matisyahu) March 8, 2024

The Chicago is the third that Matisyahu has been forced to cancel due to anti-Israel (and antisemitic) protests. As Breitbart News reported in February:

Anti-Israel staff at venues in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Tucson, Arizona, forced the cancelation this week of sold-out shows by Matisyahu, the Jewish reggae sensation.

Matisyahu’s songs emphasize hopes for peace and unity. He has been openly and proudly pro-Israel, especially in the wake of the October 7 terror attacks, and has performed for Israeli troops.

…

Matisyahu burst onto the music scene more than a decade ago, when he was deeply observant in the Hasidic Jewish tradition. He is still observant but no longer strictly so. He has worked with artists from a variety of backgrounds, including Bruno Mars and Akon.

In his statement on the Chicago cancelation, Matisyahu said: “While my fans and I are deeply hurt by this, please know we will not cower to these bullies and the pressure they exert. … These individuals and the organizations that break under their pressure threaten the bedrock of artistic expression … We will continue to play shows. And we will always stand tall against hate and march towards the true goal of a long term peace for all.”

 

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent book, “The Zionist Conspiracy (and how to join it),” now available on Audible. He is also the author of the e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.