8th Day is an American

Hasidic Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism ( Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of conte ...

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

band based in

Los Alamitos, California Los Alamitos () is a city in Orange County, California. The city was incorporated in March 1960. The population was 11,780 at the 2020 census, up from 11,449 at the 2010 census. The adjacent unincorporated community of Rossmoor uses the same 9 ...

. Formed in 2004 by brothers Shmuel and Bentzion Marcus, the group gained popularity in the

Jewish music Jewish music is the music and melodies of the Jewish people. There exist both traditions of religious music, as sung at the synagogue and domestic prayers, and of secular music, such as klezmer. While some elements of Jewish music may originate ...

scene with their album ''Chasing Prophecy'' (2011) and its

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

, "Ya'alili", whose video became a minor viral hit on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

. As of 2021, the group has released nine

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

s and one live album. They have performed at venues throughout the country and abroad including Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts,

American Airlines Arena FTX Arena (known as American Airlines Arena from 1999 to 2021) is a multi-purpose arena located in Miami, Florida, along Biscayne Bay. It was constructed beginning in 1998 as a replacement for the Miami Arena and designed by the architecture f ...

, and

Universal CityWalk Universal CityWalk is the name shared by the entertainment and retail districts located adjacent to the theme parks of Universal Parks & Resorts. CityWalk began as an expansion of Universal's first park, Universal Studios Hollywood, and serves as ...

Name

The band chose its name with an eye to being "abstract" and "cool". The name evokes the holiday of

Shemini Atzeret Shemini Atzeret (—"Eighth ay ofAssembly") is a Jewish holiday. It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei in the Land of Israel, and on the 22nd and 23rd outside the Land, usually coinciding with late September or earl ...

(the "8th day of assembly"), which is also Shmuel Marcus' birthday, and the idea of the number 8 evoking "transcendence".

History

Brothers Shmuel and Bentzion Marcus, both nephews of singer

Avraham Fried Avraham Shabsi Hakohen Friedman ( he, אברהם שבתי הכהן פרידמן, born March 22, 1959) better known by his stage name, Avraham Fried, is a popular musical entertainer in the Orthodox Jewish community. Career Fried was encourag ...

and cousins of singers Benny Friedman and Simche Friedman, grew up in a musically-inclined family and began collaborating in 2004, with Bentzi, a professional bassist, putting music to lyrics Shmuel had written. That same year, the pair recorded a four-song

demo Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to: Music and film *Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release * ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes * ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...

with their brother Chaim Marcus producing. Their debut

, ''Tracht Gut'' (

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...

for "think positive") was released on April 1, 2005 and featured Zalman, Chaim, Yossi, and Eli Marcus on

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...

. Their second album, ''Brooklyn'', was mixed by Andy Haller and released in 2007, followed by a live album in 2008. Eli Marcus later went on to become a solo artist with his debut

"Dovid HaMelech" released in 2015. In 2011, the group released ''Chasing Prophecy''. The first single for the album, "Ya'alili", became a hit on the strength of its

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

, which received over 6 million views on

, and gained the group many followers. They re-teamed with Haller in 2012 for their fourth album, ''All You Got''.

Musical style

8th Day's sound, though primarily inspired by traditional Jewish music, also contains influences from secular styles such as

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and c ...

, blues, and

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

. Guitarist Bentzion Marcus has described the group as a "very eclectic, klezmer- funk-

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band", noting that on ''Chasing Prophecy'', "each song stands on its own. The style of songs range from Middle Eastern, rock,

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fo ...

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

/blues. It’s got everything."

Members

* Shmuel Marcus — lead vocals,

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a " libretto" and their writer, ...

* Bentzion Marcus —

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

* Jason "Rosy" Rosenquist — drums *

Philip Bynoe Philip Earl Bynoe is an American musician best known for his work with Steve Vai. He has been the bass player of Vai's touring band since 2012, a role he previously held from 1996 to 2000. He has also played on four of Vai's studio albums. Other ...

— bass * Leo Chelyapov — keys,

horns Horns or The Horns may refer to: * Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells * The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain * ''Horns'' (novel), a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Joe Hill ...

Discography

;Studio albums * ''Tracht Gut ''(April 1, 2005; 14th Terrace) * ''Brooklyn'' (August 8, 2007; 14th Terrace) * ''Chasing Prophecy'' (February 3, 2011; 14th Terrace) * ''All You Got'' (June 7, 2012; Aderet) * ''Hooleh!'' (January 2, 2014; Aderet) * ''Inner Flame'' (June 10, 2015; Aderet) * ''Slow Down'' (March 6, 2017;

Bruce Witkin The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been ...

) * ''Stronger Closer'' (2018) * ''Lucky'' (2021) ;Live albums * ''8th Day Live'' (July 3, 2008; 14th Terrace) ;Singles and music videos *"Ya'alili" (March 23, 2011; ''Chasing Prophecy'') *"Shabbos Now" (April 5, 2011; ''Chasing Prophecy'') *"Cheery Bim" (ft. Kids of Courage) (November 19, 2012; ''All You Got'') *"All You Got" (December 19, 2012; ''All You Got'') *"Hooleh!" (March 9, 2014; ''Hooleh!'') *"Gam Zu" (January 1, 2015; ''Shmorg Tunes'' - a compilation of songs by

Oorah ''Oorah'' is a battle cry common in the United States Marine Corps since the mid-20th century. It is comparable to Hooah in the United States Army, the United States Air Force, and the United States Space Force, or Hooyah in the United States ...

) *"Celebrate" (May 6, 2015; ''Inner Flame'') *"Why Wait" ("Celebrate" Hebrew Version) (2016; non-album single) *"Hakhel" (2016; non-album single - collaboration with

Chabad.org Chabad.org is the flagship website of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. It was one of the first Jewish internet sites and the first and largest virtual congregation. History In 1988, Yosef Yitzchak Kazen, a Chabad rabbi, began creating ...

) *"Torah" (March 14, 2017; "Slow Down") *"Kapayim" (April 1, 2017; "Slow Down") *"Moses In Me" (June 11, 2017; "Slow Down") *"Miracle of Light" (December 9, 2017) *”We All Belong” (May 22, 2019) *"Rollin" ( January 23, 2021) *"Wake Up Yidden" (March 13, 2021)

References

External links

* http://forward.com/articles/11463/yeshiva-of-rock-/ {{Authority control Jewish musical groups Musical groups from Los Angeles Folk rock groups from California Funk rock musical groups Hasidic entertainers Musical groups established in 2004 People from Los Alamitos, California Jewish rock groups Hasidic music Jewish folk rock groups