Rockin’ Out at the Sixth and I Street Synagogue

By Elisabeth Grant

Did you know that Ryan Gosling (heart throb from The Notebook) has a band? More importantly, did you know that it’s really good?

This past Saturday, Gosling’s band, Dead Man’s Bones, brought their eerie and soulful sound to the Sixth and I Street Historic Synagogue. Accompanied by a spooky gospel choir (outfitted in white robes and backlit by a haunting blue light), Gosling sang, played guitar, piano, keyboard, and even banged a drum once or twice, along with bandmate Zach Shields, a swanky female bluesy singer (whose name we just didn’t catch), and a drummer and bass player. Playing against a backdrop of a spooky house and graveyard, lighting and effects helped enhance the ghoulish nature of the songs.

Music fans and what looked like every female staffer from the Hill packed the intimate Synagogue, filling the pews and balconies until there was only standing room in the back. The audience bopped along to the beats, clapped when cued (and often just when the moment seemed right), and eventually stormed the front part of the stage to dance around.

Gosling and Shields genuinely seemed to be enjoying themselves, kidding around with the audience, smiling through songs, and just plain getting into it. With songs like “In the Room Where You Sleep,” “My Body’s a Zombie for You,” and “Name in Stone,” Dead Man’s Bones seems like the perfect album to pick up before Halloween. But while the songs focus on graveyard themes this music is catchy and clever enough to be enjoyed year round.

The Sixth and I Historic Synagogue, a “non-denominational, non-membership, non-traditional synagogue” hosts concerts, films, speakers, and comics throughout the year. Upcoming events include a discussion with Ami James of Miami Ink, a night of stand-up and sketch comedy with Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter, and a talk with author Mitch Albom about his new book.

Sixth and I is small enough for audiences to feel close and connected to performers but large enough for there to be plenty of bad seats. Some of the features that make it such a unique setting (cloumns, pews, and balconies) can also hinder a good view. So get there early to stake your spot.