The No Brainer Returns
The No Brainer Returns in 2016!
Sunday, April 17 – SAVE THE DATE!
I’ll be rocking out to fight Brain Tumors. Come join me!
Stay tuned for tickets & more info.
gigs
Poland Part II Day 3.3
My Polish Wisnia, Live in Warsaw!
Every language and every culture has a popular song dedicated to Mother. One of my grandfather’s standards is Momele. To know his history and to perform Momele with him in this place is a gift. (He then threw in the Italian Mama Son Tanto Felice, for good measure.)
Performing with my grandfather, songs in English, Polish, Yiddish, German, and Hebrew. Music passed down from generation to generation.
Towards the end of the concert, we left room for a Q&A with the audience. My grandfather answered questions about growing up in Warsaw, the great cantors he studied with, the places in Poland in which he performed, and the song he composed during his time in the Auschwitz concentration camp. And then, one woman rose her hand and approached the stage, and then got on the stage and handed my grandfather a tupperwear container.
Back in January, on our way to the 70th Anniversary event of the Liberation of Auschwitz, we had taken a 2-hour train from Warsaw to Katowice. Sharing our train compartment was a married couple, slightly young than my grandfather. Just slightly. They spoke no English, so I could only guess from facial expressions what was being said until my grandfather later translated for me. It turned out the man, this stranger on a train, had grown up next to Krochmalna 43, the place where my grandfather grew up as a child in Warsaw, the home that was destroyed. Because this stranger was younger than my grandfather and lived on the street, he knew what it was like there after the war. He was able to tell us about the street, the neighborhood, the city. He even later sent us an email with picture of Krochmalna Street through the years, what it looked like and the changes it went through.
And so when Renia and Andrzej planned to see us again at this concert, they came with a present, a surprise for not only my grandfather, but for everyone in attendance. In the tupperwear container, Renia explained in front of the audience, were chestnuts and berries from a tree that grows along Krochmalna Street. Now, David can take the memory of Krochmalna Street back with him to the United States, plant it, keep it alive, and let it blossom.
My Aunt Rickie, my Aunt Margie, my Uncle Richard… these are people that I know and love, that are always there at family holiday celebrations, that i talk to on the phone; these are the siblings of my other grandparents, whose children and grandchildren are such a big part of my life and what I consider my family. When i think about my grandfather’s family that was shot in the Warsaw ghetto, being here in this place makes me truly understand that they are my family too. My family, cornered and killed. Even though i never knew them, they are not so far removed. The history is not so distant.
It is an indescribable feeling to come back to Warsaw and feel like we have made connections, a network of support, true friends. We saw many of these friends at our concert. Pictured below is Alina, also a survivor of Auschwitz, and her granddaughter Ewa, whom we first met in Auschwitz at the event earlier this year celebrating the liberation of the camp. We became close with them over the course of many meals together, and they attended our concert with their entire family. Being able to share history with them and laugh with them is something like magic – you are not quite sure how it is possible, but it is awe-inspiring.
To Wojtek and the people of Fabryka Trzciny, to Iza Rivka, Sebastian, Piotr, and all our friends in the Beit Polska community, to our friends Robert, Anna and the boys of the GRH 101st Airborne Club, to everyone that came and welcomed us to Warsaw with open arms, to everyone that sang and clapped along, to everyone that gave us hugs and handshakes and chestnuts and chocolate and Chopin CDs, i say to you with a full heart: Dziękuję bardzo, przyjaciele!
Poland Part II Day 3.2
My Polish Wisnia and I have arrived at our concert venue! Here we are, greeting ourselves. Look at this beautiful poster the good ppl of Fabryka Trzciny put together! This is going to be one classy affair. See you inside.
Sound Check at Warsaw’s Fabryka Trzchiny Theater. This old factory used to produce cigarettes, then marmalade, then shoes. Then it housed Russian prisoners. Now it’s a prominent 4-stage arts & culture center, repurposed but keeping the original factory aesthetics. And instead of Russian prisoners, now it houses artists like Esperanza Spalding, Noel Gallagher, and of course, The Wisnias.
Backstage with My Polish Wisnia.
My grandfather was a singing star, a child prodigy of Poland. He studied with famous Cantors Gershon Sirota and Moshe Koussevitsky; he sang in opera houses, theaters and on Polish radio; he performed at the Tlomackie Synagogue as a featured soloist, backed by an 80-person choir. Whatever trajectory little Davidek was on was cut short, suddenly and violently, by the war.
Tonight, back in Warsaw, he is the star of Poland he was meant to be.
Live in October
Big Shows in October! First, i’ll be playing with a full band for the first time this entire year! I’ll be featuring some great musical talent at this concert, plus surprise guests that you won’t want to miss. It’s all a part of the CMJ Music Festival in NYC, and i’ll be performing on the grand piano at DROM in the east village. Next, I head back to the Philadelphia area to perform with some of the area’s best songwriters in a special evening of songcraft and collaboration. Reserve your tickets and come see me!
October 16, Fri: New York, NY – DROM | RSVP & TICKETS
October 17, Sat: Ardmore, PA – Melodies Cafe | RSVP & TICKETS
October 17, Sat: Ardmore, PA – Melodies Cafe | RSVP & TICKETS
For more event information, check the full tour schedule.
Now Booking House Concerts
I’m starting to book tour dates for 2016, and I’d love to make a stop in your livingroom for an Avi Wisnia House Concert! House concerts are some of my favorite gigs to play. It is a great way to provide an evening of entertainment for your friends, and a sure way to get me to play your favorite songs.
If you are interested in hosting your own house concert in the coming year, or if you want to learn more, email: AWHouseConcert @ gmail.co
Read more about house concerts: HERE
