Heading for the Big Top: Brothers Lazaroff on Hanukkah Hullabaloo’s 11th year
An image from the 2019 Hanukkah Hullabaloo. Photo: Phillip Hamer
Published November 14, 2021
We caught up with David and Jeff Lazaroff in advance of the 11th annual Hanukkah Hullabaloo at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 at The Big Top, 3401 Washington Blvd., in Grand Center. Their band, Brothers Lazaroff, will perform with Rabbi James Stone Goodman and the Eight Night’s Orchestra, Anita Jackson, DJ Boogieman and Dave Grelle. And yes, there will be latke frying onstage. For tickets go to https://www.metrotix.com/events/detail/11th-annual-brothers-lazaroff-hanukkah-hullabaloo.
This is the 11th annual Hanukkah Hullabaloo — any big surprises this year?
Each year there are all kinds of surprises in how the show comes together, but if we told you any of the surprises then they might get printed in the Light and wouldn’t be surprises! We are excited to be performing in a circus tent in the semi-round, so will be adjusting some of the music to suit the unique mysteriousness of the setting. We also picked The Big Top, which is part of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, because the tent allows for more air circulation and having a COVID safe event is really the most important thing for us this year.
How has the event changed and/or grown throughout the years?
Well, the Hullabaloo started as a very small after-party following a Kinky Friedman show and seems to evolve each year in a new way that we didn’t expect. We’ve held it at venues of all different sizes and in different parts of town. While it started as a loosely affiliated group of performers it has grown into a family of sorts that meets once a year to put on this event. It’s a nourishing thing to work on with everyone each year. It had to go virtual last year, which ended up expanding the audience for what we are doing and connected us with some of our heroes who we asked to participate “remotely.” A weird COVID-times miracle.
What’s the best and worst part of performing with your brother?
The best is sharing the joys and effort it takes to run a band and perform. The worst is part of why it is so great: Your siblings know your strengths and weaknesses well — there is no faking it.
What’s the best Hanukkah gift you’ve ever received?
As brothers, the best Hanukkah gift we got was probably the Atari 2600 we got back in the 80s.
Who makes better latkes, Jeff and his wife Julie or David and his wife Gayle?
Not touching that one with a 10-foot spatula!
