Schmekel
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]
Schmekel | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Genres | Folk punk, queercore |
| Years active | 2010–2014 |
| Labels | Schmekel Music; Riot Grrrl, Ink |
| Members | Lucian Kahn Ricky Riot Nogga Schwartz Simcha Halpert-Hanson |
In literature
In the final Tales of the City novel, The Days of Anna Madrigal (2014), the character Jake reports his love interest, Amos, flirting with the lead singer of Schmekel.[4]
Members
- Lucian Kahn – guitar, vocals
- Ricky Riot – keyboard, vocals
- Nogga Schwartz – bass guitar
- Simcha Halpert-Hanson – drums
Discography
- Queers On Rye (Riot Grrrl, Ink) – December 2011
- The Whale That Ate Jonah (Schmekel Music) – October 2013
Members' Subsequent Projects
Following the group's disbandment in 2014, keyboardist Itai Gal aka Ricky Riot formed a new project called Itai and the Ophanim, which released a debut album, Arise, in 2019.
Notes
- Hugh Ryan (25 November 2011). "Schmekel, a Band Born as a Laugh". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- Eddy Portnoy (19 October 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.
- Maupin, Armistead. The Days of Anna Madrigal. New York: HarperCollins, 2014. pp. 84-85.