Enough about Christmas, I know about Christmas – but I love an opportunity to see how Hanukkah Rocks with Benjamin Cartel at The High Hat on Dec 20. Also, it’s an opportunity for me to check out a venue I’ve heard good things about but haven’t been able to visit yet. And he has pulled in some amazing Minnesota performers!
Please tell us about history Hanukkah Rocks and how it got started.
Hanukkah Rocks got started 4 years ago in Lawrence. I had just moved out to Lawrence, Kansas from my native New York City metro area. My new family had been living in Brooklyn. We came out during the pandemic when our twin girls were almost 2 years old.
I felt the need for music community and Jewish community that had I been missing since leaving NYC. This show helped to provide me with both. The few musicians I knew in Lawrence could bond by sharing music from some of their favorite artists and Jews (like me) could feel their voices were being heard within a town that is not particularly known for its Jewish population.
The first show was held at The Replay Lounge, a small but well known/ well-loved club in Lawrence to a full and very enthusiastic audience.
And for the record, without the help of local Lawrence musicians – singer songwriter Kirsten Paludan and keyboardist Nate Holt the show would not have happened. I’m grateful to them for their support over all 4 years this show has been running.
And the same can be said for drummer Peter Anderson and Ryan Smith in St. Paul. Their support is HUGE.
I was also inspired by Yo La Tengo’s 8 Nights of Hanukkah Shows in NYC and New Jersey which they have been running for decades. I just LOVED the idea of a Hanukkah show.
Why not a put on Hanukkah show of my own?
How did you connect with the local musicians for the show?
The musicians in this show are all friends of mine or friends of friends that I had known either from coming out to play in the Cites with Kaiser Carrel or in other ways.
I knew Ryan Smith from my days touring with Kaiser Cartel and his days touring with The Melismatics. We’d cross paths all over the country. We’ve become great friends over the years. He’s truly one my best friends. He helped to record some songs on the ‘Flickerling Light’ album and many of the songs on ‘Write At Home.’ I knew Peter through Ryan and through the late great Ed Ackerson who was another good friend of mine.
Claire and Annie were musicians that Ryan was / is working with who also I also got to work with in the past.
Dan is a friend I have known from friends of friends. I have always wanted to work with him.
Willie and I met at show we both played in Brooklyn, NY. We struck up a friendship several years ago.
Karen and Marc had become friends from the time The Jayhawks had Kaiser Cartel support a few of their local and touring shows. The two of them and Tim O’Reagan have been good friends ever since.
It sounds like the creation on your newest album, Write at Home, was very different with new people and a new location. How does home mean to you? And how has this album changed that definition or feeling?
‘Home’ is at the heart of the album. It’s the subject of many of the songs.
What is home? Home will always be The New York City metro area to me. That’s where my family immigrated to – about 135 years ago. NYC is where I grew up where most my family still live. It’s also where I formed so many important relationships.
For ‘Write At Home’ I had to re-evaluate ‘home’. Home, for my personal life became the family my wife and I had started in Brooklyn that was now living in Lawrence, KS.
Home, for my music life and for this album, became the community of musicians I had worked with and had gotten to know over the years. Some newer friends, some old friends. Some from Minneapolis, some living in LA, and others back in Brooklyn. Home became a community of musicians I had known and bonded with over many years.
I couldn’t rely on working with my NYC friends alone, as I had in the past. I had to work with some newer people. And I had to lean on friendships over many years with people all across the country.
It’s worth noting that most of the songs on ‘Write At Home’ were actually inspired by NYC experiences – though it may sound as I am ‘prophetically’ drawing from my most recent living situation.
I enjoy Bad Ole Days from the new album. It reminds me of a conversation I just had with one of my daughters (who is in her 20s) and the wisdom we gain over the years. Can you tell me about the inspiration for the song?
Well, first off I’m glad you can relate to the song and apply it to your life. Thanks so much. That means a lot to me.
Humans from ages 5 – 95 always want to talk about the ‘good old days’ when life was simpler, better etc.
But what about the times that were not so good? What about the unexpected turns that life took where you had to learn from mistakes or unfortunate situations?
Changing with age and experience is what the song is about. And as I’ve said, that kind of change and experience could happen at any age.
I like to call ‘Bad Ole Days’ one of my ‘motivational speaker songs’. I am literally cheering on myself and others to do better and be better than learn from our past selves.
Please give us the logistics for the upcoming show.
First off, Ryan Smith had a lot to do with making this show happen – MASSIVE thank you’s to him!
Musicians are:
- Myself – Benjamin lead vocals and rhythm guitar (Kaiser Cartel / Benjamin Cartel)
- Mike Alexander on lead guitar from Kansas City. (Hipshot Killer, Starhaven Rounders, Architects )
The Local Musicians Are:
- Ryan Smith (Melismatics/ Soul Asylum) is on bass and vocals.
- Peter Anderson ( The Ocean Blue, Polara ) on drums.
- Local Guest Musicians – Karen Grotberg and Marc Perlman (The Jayhawks)
- Willie Wisley (Willie Wisley Trio / Solo)
- Dan Israel (Dan Israel and The Cultivators / Solo)
- Claire Spinti (Stone Arch Rivals )
- Annie Kutchenmeister (Loki’s Folly)
The High Hat venue came highly recommended to me via Ryan Smith.
Mostly Minnesota 