The global musical community largely remained silent after Hamas’s brutal attack on innocent festival-goers at the 2023 Nova festival on October 7. While U2’s Bono and Madonna made brief references to the barbarism, Madonna’s comments notably included a “both-sides-ism” framing. Subsequently, many musicians resumed their usual activities, later often uniting to condemn Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Hamas and its efforts to recover captured citizens. Few, if any, publicly addressed the alarming surge of antisemitism that followed the October 7 massacre.
However, two musicians consistently brought attention to the horrific events of that day and the plight of the many hostages still enduring terrible conditions in captivity: John Ondrasik, known as the voice of Five for Fighting, and Disturbed lead singer Dave Draiman. As major events like the Grammys passed, no musicians dared to highlight the ongoing hostage crisis or denounce Hamas’s atrocities. When political statements were made, they frequently involved condemning Israel or praising the Palestinian cause. This pattern was also evident at film and television awards galas.
From both stages and social media platforms, Ondrasik and Draiman persistently reminded the public that Israelis remained held in Gaza. Ondrasik even adapted his hit song “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” to honor the hostages, specifically mentioning pianist Alon Ohel. Ohel, 24, was among those abducted by Hamas during the Nova Festival massacre.
Last April, Ondrasik released “Superman (For Alon, the Hostages, and Their Families).” The song, already significant in 9/11 remembrance, having been performed at The Concert for New York City as an anthem of support for a city reeling from catastrophe, now found a renewed purpose. It served as a powerful reminder of Hamas’s actions, perhaps subtly shaming those inclined to overlook the atrocities. A video released on April 14 featured Ondrasik playing the piano in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square. In a poignant lyric change, “Find a way to lie, ’bout a home I’ll never see,” became, “Find a way to fly, to a home I will soon see.”
Ondrasik harbored a long-standing dream: to one day perform “Superman” alongside Ohel on the piano. This week, that aspiration transformed into a deeply moving reality. He shared a video documenting the emotional moment, recalling how often he had expressed his wish for this reunion before commencing the concert performance. “We all hope and pray for the day that I can sit down at a piano with Alon and sing ‘Superman.’ We prayed for that miracle. We hoped for that miracle, and my friends, that miracle is right now,” he declared before the duet began.
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