She sings. She plays piano. She composes hit songs – for herself and others. She’s collaborated with the biggest names in Israeli music.

Keren Peles is the real deal, and I’ve been a fan for a long time.

So I was very excited to see her live for the first time, after many years of enjoying her music. Keren Peles performed in New York’s Sony Hall to a standing-room-only crowd on Sunday night, November 3. To say the least, I was impressed.

Let’s talk first about the venue. Located in the heart of Times Square, Sony Hall is more of a supper club than a theater. With food and drinks served throughout the evening, there were waiters and waitresses crisscrossing the room during the show. While I found that a bit unusual, perhaps it added to the festive, informal nature of Keren’s performance.

The search for a seat…

Knowing full well that Israeli events NEVER begin on time, I arrived at just about 8pm, the advertised start-time for the show. However, seating was on a first-come, first served basis…and by the time I arrived, I was informed that there were no additional seats available – and that all latecomers would have to stand in the back at the bar. Ugh.

As a party of one (my wife was under the weather that evening and decided not to join me at the last minute), I was determined to find a place to sit. I wandered through the room, in search of an empty chair. “Mishehu yoshev kan?” (is someone sitting here?), I asked in Hebrew, at one table after another. Apparently every extra seat was spoken for, and I was out of luck. Until…

Someone called out my name. It was Yael Zofi Wohl, who had hosted the Israeli music radio show at Rutgers University a few years before I got there. We’d never actually met, but she recognized me from Facebook. How cool is that? Turns out she had an extra seat available at her table. Grateful to connect with a new friend (and a chair), I settled in as the show began.

Keren Peles Takes the Stage

Our star arrived on stage and took her place behind her keyboard. Accompanying her were a guitar player, a drummer, a guy who played several brass instruments throughout the evening…and Ron Buchnik, Keren’s latest singing buddy. Their song “Shkufim” was one of Israel’s biggest hits of 2018, and a warm highlight of the evening. “Me’ever LaNahar”, another duet, was the first song of the night.

Ron was Keren’s co-star for the concert, accompanying her on just about every song and singing one song of his own, “Tzva’im”. Their voices blended together beautifully, and they even treated the audience to their rendition of another of 2018’s greatest (international) hits, “Shallow”.

Keren Peles’s Greatest Hits

But the night belonged to Keren Peles, and her musical and vocal talents were on full display. In addition to the songs she sang with Ron, Keren played nearly each and every one of her greatest hits. We heard “Itai”, “Shimon HaShachen”, “Lake Wanaka”, “Im Eileh HaChaim”, “Mabul”, “Rak Elohim Yishpot Oti,” and her newest hit, “Mi Ani”.

Keren also showcased some of the songs she’s written for others, including Harel Ska’at’s “Kol HaTziporim” and “V’at”, and Miri Messika’s “November” and “L’sham” (Keren’s encore for the evening). Near the end of the show, she sat on the floor at the foot of the stage and sang Yehudit Ravitz’s “Shir L’lo Shem” – a song which I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know before, though EVERYONE else certainly did.

Between songs, Keren showed off her fun personality, and you couldn’t help but fall in love with her. She answered questions from the audience, spoke of her previous romantic relationships, even asked to sample a piece of cake that an audience member was enjoying. Her sense of humor and easygoing nature made you feel as if you were enjoying an evening with a good friend.

While her voice did seem a bit worn by the end of the evening, Keren pushed on and maintained her powerful vocal presence. But with the audience singing along to every word, did it really matter? Keren is responsible for a vast library of some of Israel’s most beloved songs, and the audience responded enthusiastically to one hit after another.

A star-studded evening

As great as it was to see Keren Peles live, it was even more exciting to have the chance to MEET her after the show! Oh, and did I mention “Fauda” star Lior Raz was in attendance? And that I didn’t know that he was there until the day AFTER the concert? Yup. I’m a huge fan, and would’ve loved to meet him… but it wasn’t meant to be. Next time you’re in NYC, Lior, call me. We’ll do lunch.

Look, it’s always great to see a concert where you know – and love – every song performed. But these songs don’t just become hits by accident. Keren Peles is an extremely talented singer, songwriter, musician, and performer who’s managed to keep her career fresh and current since she first emerged on the scene in 2006. From mellow pop hits (“Itai”) to powerful, edgier anthems (“Mi Ani”), Keren’s music enjoys broad appeal in Israel and abroad – and especially at Sony Hall.

Can’t wait for her to come back and visit us again on this side of the Atlantic.