The Hanukkah Sessions are a series of video presentations of popular songs originally written or performed byJewish artists, ascovered by musiciansGreg Kurstin andDave Grohl. Kurstin and Grohl covered eight songs per year for this project, and released one per night to digital streaming platforms for each night ofHanukkah in the years 2020 through 2022.[1]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, Kurstin (primarily playing keyboards) and Grohl (primarily playing drums) recorded those years' Hanukkah Sessions in Kurstin's home studio.[2][3] During these times they occasionally featured other performers, such asPeaches singing "Fuck the Pain Away" with them remotely,[4] and Grohl's daughter Violet singing a cover ofAmy Winehouse's song "Take the Box".[5]
In 2022, when pandemic conditions had eased, Kurstin and Grohl held a concert with various guests on December 5 at the Largo nightclub in Los Angeles. These guests includedInara George (Kurstin's bandmate fromThe Bird and the Bee),Beck,P!nk,Jack Black andKyle Gass ofTenacious D,Karen O, and Grohl's daughter Violet. DirectorJudd Apatow collaborated with Kurstin and Grohl to make the 2022 edition of the Hanukkah Sessions a fundraiser for theAnti-Defamation League.[6] The songs recorded at this concert were released to streaming platforms one at a time on each night of Hanukkah, in keeping with the pattern established the previous two years.
^Kaufman, Gil (December 21, 2022)."Dave Grohl, Inara George, Tenacious D Explore 'The Things We Do For Love' for 2022 'Hanukkah Sessions'".Billboard. RetrievedDecember 26, 2022.Singer George — Kurstin's partner in the indie pop duo The Bird and the Bee — soared with the swoony ballad, belting out the song's dreamy lyrics about walking through any kind of weather for love as Kurstin banged out the track's barroom roll on his piano and Grohl held down the beat. As a bonus, Tenacious D's Jack Black and Kyle Gass casually added in some background sweet harmonies.
^Vivinetto, Gina (December 22, 2022)."Dave Grohl and 16-year-old daughter Violet perform together for 'Hanukkah Sessions'".Today. RetrievedDecember 26, 2022.Ian, who wrote the song when she was in her early 20s, commented beneath the video to praise Violet's rendition. "Thank you both! For singing my song so beautifully, and with such heart, Violet," Ian wrote, adding that she was grateful to Grohl for "fighting antisemitism" with his annual "Hanukkah Sessions" series.
