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After every show, one young audience member invariably approaches the stage and asks Steve Singer, "How do you make all
those sounds?" Steve pauses for a moment, smiles and replies, "I had way too much time by myself as a child." Indeed, part
of the difficulty in describing what LU! is resides in explaining what Musical Director and vocalist Steve Singer does
in performance and in the studio. Steve is a baritone who would rather deliver stand-up than sit down (and be quiet). A percussionist
who sings drums better than he plays them. An aspiring Latin Jazz pianist who doesn't play the piano. See a pattern?
All told, Steve's creative energies have found a welcoming 15-year home in this uncommon vocal band. His quirky arrangements
and never-take-yourself-too-seriously perspective have helped to define LU! With founding member (and power-alto) Rebecca,
Steve has found not just the only woman in the world that would tolerate his mishigas, but also a mother to his 3
children.
AY is a two-letter, crooning baritone spectacle. The once-youngest member of LISTEN UP! (see above) was born and bred
in Israel, then arrived in the States to attend Chicago's Brisk Yeshiva. His mother (our biggest fan) is Sephardi.
His father, Rabbi Yehoshua Karsh (a prominent leader for Jewish outreach, kiruv, in the Midwest) is Ashkenazi.
So, it's a mixed marriage.
The result - AY and his brothers daven at Chabad and fill the Shabbos table with eclectic, inspired tunes. By
day, AY works as an educator at the Hillel Torah Day School ("I'm back in the 6th grade again!"). Although the alterkockers
of the group have to shake their heads when we see AY's eyes glaze over at the mention of Billie Holiday, Coltrane, or Earth
Wind and Fire, we're working on him. But, don't be fooled. We've got an awful lot to learn from AY as well. Give it time.
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 With the recent addition of Yaakov Weiner, LISTEN UP! has reached an all-time low. Really. Winston Churchill once said
that basses are, "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key." Thankfully, the key is usually
right-on. Yaakov is new to the band. As such, he usually commits an aggregious faux paus at each rehearsal
when he takes out his gee-tar, and starts strumming away. With a brief reprimand and a pinching of his cheek (he is the youngest
pup in the group), Yaakov returns to the LU! derech and starts to sing... or rumble, really. His bass timbre is almost
imperceptible (we're actually not sure that he's really singing -- he just likes to hang out with us). But, those tonic tones
are definitely felt... like a boom-boom car driving past shul during Mussaf.
Consider his background: Teacher, guitar and bass (Hero: Ozzy); student, first Kerem B'Yavneh, now the Skokie Yeshiva,
father (Rabbi Heschel Weiner) - teacher: Hillel Torah Day School. Yaakov's father taught Kevin's kids, but Kevin is old
enough to be Yaakov's father. Ponder that, grasshopper. There is a rumor that AY lured Yaakov to the group
so that Kevin and Steve would stop ridiculing him for being so young. It's not true. Yaakov was in kindergarten when LISTEN
UP! was born.
It's beshert that Kevin Kirshenbaum found his way to Chicago's very own Jewish vocal band. Actually, he hired
us to perform at his oldest son's bar mitzvah, but he couldn't pay the bill... so, the rest is history.
Kevin's roots run deep in the Second City. His father, Joseph Kirshenbaum z"l, owned the cornerstone kosher deli of West
Rogers Park. Kevin's soaring tenor vocals got their start early, in the breakout role of Captain Hook in Peter Pan
at Camp Ramah. He was 12.
Though life has changed since then -- a beautiful family of six, a successful radiology practice -- his voice hasn't.
For the High Holidays, Kevin aspires to Tucker's operatic chazzanus ("My family hates when I practice"). Alas, his
best gig remains singing with his musical kids. They'll be cutting a CD this summer. We can't wait to hear it.
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