The a cappella group Six13 will sing a concert for Hanukkah in New Brunswick
By Keith Loria
From the Princeton Packet
Ever since the 2012 movie “Pitch Perfect” became an underdog smash at the box office, a cappella music has found its way into the mainstream, with TV shows, movies and radio all seeing increases in great vocal music in recent years.
One group that started even before the craze hit is Six13, a group of six Jewish singers who perform an unprecedented style of Jewish hip-hop dance tracks and rock anthems with tracks that sounds like a full band — using nothing but their voices.
“We play the Jewish favorites you grew up with,” says Mike Boxer, a singer with the group. “Our initial hook is a cappella, but we know that after about 30 seconds of that novelty, we need to entertain people for the next hour. What we’re known for are some of the big Jewish songs as well as some of our original stuff.”
Six13’s roots started with four of the members having gone to college together. They would put some harmonies together around the dinner table on Friday nights. Once school was done and they were dropped into the real world, they decided they wanted to keep the music going.
“We found a couple of more guys to hit a group of six, which is a good functional number to do with a cappella, and we started appearing where we could,” Boxer says. “When it was clear there was a demand for what we were doing — bringing this century-old tradition of singing without instruments and putting it in a contemporary format — we made some CDs and it took off from there.”
That was a dozen years ago, and once the viral media began to get wind of Six13, the group started to reach new heights, attracting millions of fans and touring all over the country.
“We may have been a bit ahead of our time because the whole a cappella explosion, as well as social media, didn’t really hit until we were well into what we were doing,” Boxer says. “We have always had a commitment to an entertaining show, with a sophisticated and intricate quality of music and being dedicated to our craft.”
On Dec. 25, Six13 will help celebrate the second night of Hanukkah with a special concert at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick.
“We are thrilled to have Six13 come to Anshe Emeth as part of our concert series,” Regie Roth, president of the Temple Board, says. “If you close your eyes, you would swear that it’s a full band performing. Their high-energy, unique sound, and great dance moves will make it a fun evening.”
Although this is the first time that the group will be at the Temple, or even in New Brunswick for that matter, Boxer says the guys are looking forward to celebrating the special day with everyone.
“It’s a fun show whether you’re 5 years old or 95,” he says. “We do a bit of comedy on stage as well to get the audience in a bit of the groove and make it participatory as possible.”
Six13’s last album, Boxer says, pushed the boundaries of Jewish music and redefined “even our own understanding of the artistry that can be achieved with the human voice.”
The group is also known for some popular parodies, including “Chanukah (Shake it Off)” (a parody of Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off”), “Chozen” (based on Idina Menzel’s “Frozen” and “Uptown Passover” (Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk”).
Many of these tunes will be played at the concert, but since it’s also the celebration of Hanukkah, there will be new material that is perfect for the show.
“We’re always excited to come to a new community and introduce our stuff to them and meet them,” Boxer says. “We love meeting people who are likeminded, and interacting with them and making new friends.”
Six13 will perform at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, 222 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, Dec. 25, 7 p.m. Tickets cost $36, $18 students; aemt.net; 732-545-6484.
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