The Klezmatics

The Klezmatics play the Musical Instrument Museum on Wednesday, December 2, at 7 PM. They're performing seasonal music from their holiday album, Happy Joyous Hanukkah.

If you're not familiar with them, The Klezmatics are a Grammy-winning Jewish klezmer band that formed in New York City's East Village back in 1986. They're credited with leading the resurgence of a nearly forgotten tradition, and they've spent the last few decades updating it with a punk rock attitude. Their sound fuses Yiddish and Eastern European Jewish roots with jazz, Latin, and global rhythms. They've put out 13 recordings and won a Grammy in 2006 for Wonder Wheel. Time Out New York once called them "among the best bands on the planet," and the group recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.

Since this is a seasonal show, the set is built around Happy Joyous Hanukkah, their holiday album. The music is klezmer—traditional Ashkenazi Jewish music—but played with the same energy and cross-cultural mixing they've brought to their regular work. It's a good fit for a December night, especially if you're looking for something a bit different from the usual holiday fare.

The venue is the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), 4725 E Mayo Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85050. It's the world's largest music museum: a 200,000-square-foot facility that opened in April 2010 and houses more than 15,000 instruments from nearly 200 countries. The show takes place in its 299-seat concert theater. The Klezmatics start at 7 PM.