Schmekel was an all-transgender, Jewish folk punk band from Brooklyn, New York, known for their satirical lyrical material.[1] Eddy Portnoy of The Forward cited Schmekel as an example of the cultural movement "Queer Yiddishkeit."[2] Schmekel made their audiences more comfortable with transgender topics through jokes, but also often included lyrical references to obscure queer, Jewish, and punk content that only cultural insiders would recognize.[3] Hugh Ryan for The New York Times compared Schmekel's sound to Pansy Division and compared Lucian Kahn's songwriting to Jewish singer-songwriter and satirist Tom Lehrer.[1]The Advocate compared Schmekel to Pansy Division and Tribe 8,[4] and the book Listen to Punk Rock! Exploring a Musical Genre compared Schmekel's song "I'll Be Your Maccabee" to Pansy Division's song "Homo Christmas."[5] Schmekel's lyrics frequently referred to Jewish holidays, and their first album started with Kahn sounding the Yom Kippur "tekiah" and bassist Nogga Schwartz blowing a shofar[6] before launching into a punk song. The Jewish Music Resource Centre at Hebrew University of Jerusalem noted that Schmekel's music used "direct musical quotes from traditional Jewish melodies such as Chad Gadya, Ma'oz Tzur, and Al Chet".[7] Professor of Musicology Edwin Seroussi compared Schmekel's tongue-in-cheek allusions to prayers to similar inside jokes in Yiddish theatre and vaudeville at the turn of the 20th century.[7]
Schmekel performed with other Jewish punk bands local to Brooklyn, such as The Shondes,[8][9] at New York City venues like the Knitting Factory,[10] the Delancey,[11] Public Assembly,[12] and Otto's Shrunken Head.[13] They also played at colleges in the Eastern United States like Brandeis University,[14] Yale University,[15] State University of New York at Purchase,[16] Hampshire College[17] and the University of Mary Washington,[18] sponsored by Jewish and LGBT student clubs. Schmekel's egg salad sandwich logo was created by queer illustrator and punk rocker Cristy Road[19] while Schmekel was performing with her band The Homewreckers.[20]
Susanne Mayer of Die Zeit contrasted the celebrities at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's fashion exhibit PUNK: Chaos to Couture[21] with Schmekel's dirty song lyrics, antimilitarism, and criticism of same-sex marriage as bourgeois.[22] Schmekel broke up in February 2014 to focus on other projects.[23]
^ abHugh Ryan (November 25, 2011). "Schmekel, a Band Born as a Laugh". The New York Times. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
^Eddy Portnoy (October 19, 2011). "Transgender Jews May Be Nothing New". The Jewish Daily Forward.
^Croland, Michael. Oy Oy Oy Gevalt! Jews and Punk. Connecticut: Praeger, 2016. p. 66.
^"Reasons to Have Pride in 2012 Part 1". www.advocate.com. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
^Pulliam, June Michele. Listen to Punk Rock! Exploring a Musical Genre. ABC-CLIO, 2021. pp. 104
^Croland, Michael (August 23, 2017). "Punk bands prove shofar isn't just for the High Holidays". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
^ abAdelman, Eliahu (October 1, 2013). "I'm Sorry, It's Yom Kippur: Atonement through Punk (and Traditional Jewish Music)". Jewish Music Research Centre – Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
^"Out and About". The Forward. December 19, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
^"Hanukkah Events – New York Magazine – Nymag". New York Magazine. December 14, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
^"Check Out Mr. Transman 2011". www.pride.com. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
^"Schmekel: Your Friendly Neighborhood All-Jewish, All Transgender Punk Band". Jewcy. October 9, 2010. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
Schmekel was an all-transgender, Jewish folk punk band from Brooklyn, New York, known for their satirical lyrical material. Eddy Portnoy of The Forward...
farce. His games include Visigoths vs. Mall Goths and his music includes Schmekel. Writing and Design Kahn wrote and designed the tabletop role-playing games...
Bad, attended Sarah Lawrence. Lucian Kahn, singer/guitarist of the band Schmekel and game designer of Visigoths vs. Mall Goths, attended and graduated from...
punk with classical and traditional Jewish music influences; similarly, Schmekel, an all-transgender, all-Jewish Brooklyn band combines punk rock with klezmer...
families, genera, and species (Mollusca, Gastropoda). ZooKeys. 717: 1-139. Schmekel L. (1972). Flabellina babai n. sp., ein neuer Aeolidier (Gastr. Nudibr...
development), or there may be a short swimming larval phase of 2 days. Schmekel, L. & Kress, A. (1977). Die Gattung Doto (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) im...
Facelinidae. This nudibranch is known from the Gulf of Naples, Italy. Schmekel L. (1966). Zwei neue Facelinidae aus dem Golf von Neapel. Facelina (A.)...
Italy. It has subsequently been reported from the east coast of Spain. Schmekel L. (1968). Vier neue Cuthonidae aus dem Mittelmeer (Gastr. Nudibr.): Trinchesia...
family Facelinidae. Species in this genus include: Dicata odhneri Schmekel, 1967 Schmekel, R. L. 1967. Dicata odhneri, n. sp., n. gen., ein neuer Favorinide...
Lucian Kahn (born 1982), American singer, songwriter and guitarist of Schmekel Lucille Kahn (1902–1995), American actress and parapsychology advocate...
Facelinidae. This species has been reported from the Mediterranean Sea. Schmekel, L (1966) Zwei neue Facelinidae aus dem Golf von Neapel: Facelina (A.)...
on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea from Italy to south-west France. Schmekel, L. (1966). Zwei neue Arten der Familie Cuthonidae aus dem Golf von Neapel:...
film/television actor (Jewish mother) Lucian Kahn (born 1982), musician (Schmekel) Avriel Kaplan (born 1989), musician/songwriter (vocal bassist of a cappella...
Groggers A Modern Orthodox satirical pop punk band from New York. 2011 Schmekel Transgender Jewish folk punk band from Brooklyn, known for their humorous...
number of colonial hydroids including Sertularella and Halecium labrosum. Schmekel, L. (1966). Zwei neue Arten der Familie Cuthonidae aus dem Golf von Neapel:...
rhinoplasty. Shortly afterward, the all-transgender queercore/folk punk band Schmekel garnered attention with their humorous lyrics (likened to Frank Zappa,...
other genera: Calmella sphaerifera Schmekel, 1965 transferred to genus Piseinotecus as Piseinotecus sphaeriferus (Schmekel, 1965) Eliot, C. N. E. (1910)....
Atlantic Coasts of Europe as far north as Lough Hyne in southern Ireland. Schmekel, R. L. 1967. Dicata odhneri, n. sp., n. gen., ein neuer Favorinide (Gastr...
Trinchesiidae. This species was described from the Gulf of Naples, Italy. Schmekel L. (1968). Vier neue Cuthonidae aus dem Mittelmeer (Gastr. Nudibr.): Trinchesia...
Naturelle de Belgique, series 2, fasc. 3: 1057-1128. (Pl. 1) (in German) Schmekel L. & Portmann A. (1982). Opisthobranchia des Mittelmeeres. Nudibranchia...
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