WATCH: Israeli Violinist Welcomes Radiohead With ‘No Surprises’ Cover

Radiohead performing at the Coachella music festival in April. Image by Getty

By Ari Feldman July 20, 2017

Many pro-boycotts, divestments and sanctions activists met the rock band Radiohead’s arrival in Tel Aviv on Wednesday with protests. Michael Greilsammer, a noted Israeli violinist, welcomed the band with a passionate cover of one of their songs.

In a video posted earlier this week, Greilsammer plays Radiohead’s classic hit “No Surprises.” The song is from Radiohead’s 1997 breakthrough album “OK Computer” — a record Greilsammer credits with changing the way he thought about music.

“I’m closing a circle with this song, album and band that changed my life,” Greilsammer told the Times of Israel.

“Radiohead didn’t just change me, it changed the way a lot of people thought about music,” he added.

On Wednesday night Radiohead played for over two hours before 47,000 fans in Tel Aviv’s sprawling HaYarkon Park.

Contact Ari Feldman at [email protected] or on Twitter @aefeldman.

Ari Feldman is a staff writer at the Forward. He covers Jewish religious organizations, synagogue life, anti-Semitism and the Orthodox world. If you have any tips, you can email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @aefeldman.

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