There are sure to be many Rosh Hashanah celebrations this weekend, but here at Rocks Off, we’d like to suggest you “think outside the box,” as the kids say, and shake up your holiday musical selection by considering a few acts that you might not have realized were composed (in some part, anywway) of the Chosen People.
Megadeth
As we all know from listening to David Cross, if your mother is Jewish, it’s pretty much out of your hands. That takes care of Dave Mustaine, so be sure to have a listen to him and Marty Friedman on such classic Talmudic tunes as “Hangar 18” or “Tornado of Souls.”
Ike Turner
Admittedly, a bit of a cheat (he converted in 1994). Whatever, we’ll use any excuse we can to play some Tina.
The Cars
You know Richard Otcasek, Benjamin Orzechowski, and Elliot Steinberg better as Ric Ocasek, Ben Orr, and Elliot Easton, the core of one of the more successful New Wave acts of the 1980s. The above clip would appear to offer evidence — contrary to my experience seeing them in concert in 1989(?) — they didn’t always suck live.
KISS
Just kidding, everybody knows Paul and Chaim Gene are Jewish.
Paula Abdul
Like most dancers, a young Abdul aspired to fame after watching the greats like Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. I’m not sure how close in spirit “Opposites Attract” is to Top Hat, but Kelly did dance with a cartoon mouse once.
This article appears in Sep 17-23, 2009.
