On the drive from Central New Jersey to Ninet Tayeb‘s gig in Brooklyn, New York, I pulled up a playlist of Ninet’s songs on Spotify. She had already told me that she would not be singing Hebrew songs during her US appearances, so I decided to get a feel for the kind of music she’d play later that evening.
Within moments, my wife and I realized that this will be a far cry from the typical pop music concert we’re used to…and, being the alter kakers, we are, pulled into the nearest Walgreens to purchase two pairs of earplugs.
Don’t get me wrong. I can get behind almost any genre of music. And with Ninet on stage? Wouldn’t miss the chance to see her live. However, the older I get, the less tolerance I have for overly LOUD music. And I could just tell, this was going to be a loud evening. That doesn’t mean I didn’t want to hear her music. I heard absolutely everything…just toned down a drop.
God, I sound so old. Sigh…
Who Doesn’t Love Ninet?
Anyway, decibels notwithstanding, I remained excited to attend the show. I mean, c’mon…this is NINET! The girl we all fell in love with during Season One of “Kochav Nolad”. The same Ninet who’s rocked out with puppets, ignored comedian Guri Alfi’s advances on Valentine’s Day, and remains Israel’s sweetheart, no matter how her musical image has changed over the years.
And then, within the past month, I conducted a fun and eye-opening interview with her, then binge-watched all ten episodes of “When Heroes Fly” on Netflix (a must-watch). Ninet plays Yaeli, a very likable (and beautiful) character whose mysterious whereabouts provide the central theme of the show.
So needless to say, I was bursting with excitement at the thought of finally seeing her perform live.
After enjoying dinner at a kosher burger joint in Williamsburg, home to thousands of Chassidim, our next stop could have been two worlds away. We arrived at Rough Trade NYC, an impressive record store in Brooklyn with an intimate performance space in the back – AND plenty of free street parking nearby, a major plus. There was a bar in the room, and no seating. We walked in, surprised at how small the venue was. There couldn’t have been more than 100 people or so in attendance. But with plenty of Hebrew spoken throughout the room, you just knew Ninet would be playing to a friendly audience.
Ninet Takes the Stage
Ninet came on stage, guitar in hand, accompanied by four other musicians. Two other guitarists (one of whom was her talented husband, Joseph “Yossi” E-Shine Mizrachi), a keyboardist, and a drummer (also her publicist, Yotam Weiss). Within seconds, she began rocking. Hard.
I’ll be honest. For a guy who’s spent his life listening to cheesy pop music, Ninet’s genre is not what I’m used to. If it wasn’t Ninet, I wouldn’t have attended a show like this. And I’m probably not the most qualified to review her performance, because I don’t have much to compare it to.
However, Ninet Tayeb is clearly great at what she does. While her overall style may not be my cup of tea, her impressive vocal abilities are on full display, and she sounds as powerful as ever. She owns the stage, sometimes accompanying herself on guitar, sometimes leaving the guitar behind to explore the rest of the stage. At one point, she even came into the audience, and the grateful crowd surrounded her warmly – forming a wide circle around her while giving her plenty of space to breathe.
And although I had not heard most of the songs before, there were a few that stood out for me. The first was Ninet’s amazing cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock”, which cleverly took the mellow song in a completely different direction. She also performed one of her biggest English-language hits to date, “Self Destructive Mind”, a fan favorite which explores her struggle with anxiety. Ninet’s encore was a cool, edgy cover of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy”, and she exited the stage to a rousing ovation.
The Ninet Tayeb After-Party
But what makes Ninet consistently irresistible is her off-stage presence. Shortly after the concert was over, Ninet was outside – happy to chat with fans, sign autographs and pose for photos. Ninet’s warm smile and fan interaction is as sweet as you would have expected from the “Kochav Nolad” winner. In person, she presents herself as genuine, personable, and grateful to fans for their embrace of her music. She even took a moment to chat with one fan’s little brother (who sang “Self Destructive Mind for her) on FaceTime. All in all, THIS was the adorable Ninet Tayeb we always admired.
Do I wish Ninet was still singing pop music, as she had done early in her career? Sure. I miss that side of Ninet, as do many Israeli music fans around the world. But those days are long behind her, and she likes it that way. Ninet Tayeb is chasing her dream, touring all over the USA, meeting lots of existing fans and endearing herself to brand new ones. She has a promising career ahead, and we couldn’t be happier for her success.
