Signs went up today on campus, advertising:

“Join Jewish music sensation Shlomo Katz this Shabbos at YU. Hear Shlomo daven for the amud and lead an amazing tisch Friday night!! Melavah Malka motzei Shabbos with music by Shlomo Katz and make your own sundaes.”

The musician in question has his own Myspace webpage, where you can listen to 3 of his songs. From his website: “[Katz’s] second CD, entitled ‘BIGLAL AVOS’ sold out its first three pressings. The fourth pressing is on it’s way out to the market these days. Shlomo has just released his third album, his first solo album entitled ‘VEHAKOHANIM’.”
The title song from the third album is on the Myspace page. He sounds like your standard post-Carlebach Jewish musician - drawing on folk, simple finger-picking, and lyrics taken directly from traditional Biblical texts. His voice is rough, which would be interesting if he didn’t try to sing notes that he can’t hit. His falsetto isn’t as nice as Dave Matthews, and he doesn’t have the same irreverence for singing as Bob Dylan. Which puts him squarely in the same camp as his major influences: Carlebach, Chaim Dovid, Diaspora Yeshiva Band, and the like. The only two surprises are that he claims to be influenced by Nick Drake and Neil Young. I don’t hear it, but I’m pleasantly surprised that he cites them on his page.