When Aviv Geffen gets on stage, the girls scream.
Yes, he’s cute — this dark-eyed, famously androgynous 33-year-old Israeli singer-songwriter.
But Geffen wants you to know that he’s more than just a pop star — he’s an activist, using his music to further his cause.
“My songs are reflecting the state of Israel,” Geffen said. “I consider myself like a mirror to the Israeli situation, every year.”
Geffen is headlining “Rock ‘n’ Rebuild,” a concert series Sept. 14 and 17 in the Bay Area, the proceeds of which will benefit the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation’s Israel Emergency Campaign. The concerts are sponsored by JCF’s Russian Division and Young Adult Division, Yad B’Yad, the Consulate General of Israel and the Israel Center.
Speaking by phone from Israel, Geffen says he’s been busy lately: He was about to leave Tel Aviv for a show in Jerusalem, then return to Tel Aviv for a concert to benefit Israelis displaced by the war in the north.
Back home, Geffen is a peacenik — “the occupation is a cancer on Israel’s body,” he declares, calling himself the “biggest artist in Israel fighting against the occupation” and noting that he’s gone to border checkpoints to observe the treatment of Palestinians. But the recent war with Hezbollah made even this devoted dove show his hawk feathers.
During the war, Geffen left his Tel Aviv home to spend two days in bomb shelters in Israel’s north. He saw firsthand the anger of the civilians, and he was angry, too.
“It wasn’t our fault. They did it, they opened fire, they were kidnapping the soldiers in Israel,” he said. “I’m a peacemaker — I don’t think war is good, but I don’t think we could just shut up and stay home while they were kidnapping our soldiers.”
Geffen has his own entry in Israel’s history books — on Nov. 4, 1995 he performed at a peace rally in Tel Aviv, with then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in attendance. Shortly after Geffen’s performance, Rabin was shot and killed by assassin Yigal Amir.
These days, Geffen spends a lot of time on the road — touring to promote his latest album, “Im Hazman” (“With the Time”), and traveling to London once a month to meet Steven Wilson, Geffen’s partner in his latest musical venture, prog-rock band Blackfield.
He tours America often, and admits that in the current situation, “I’m not sad to leave Israel.”
On his upcoming stint stateside, Geffen will be lecturing at Harvard, New York University, Columbia University and UCLA, “to present Israel as an Israeli.”
But at night, he’ll rock hard as an Israeli, to throngs of American fans. “My main role is to play and to show them my art,” he said. “Music is music — I’m a musician and songwriter, and I’ve got a great story behind me, coming from this place.”
In the Bay Area, he’ll be performing from his vast repertoire, and throwing in some songs from Blackfield, which is putting out a new album in January.
When he’s home again after his U.S. tour, Geffen will go back to songwriting and performing, and being an advocate for peace. But, he said, it’s not enough for him to do it alone — he needs to have a counterpart in the Arab world, something he hasn’t yet come across.
“No one else is standing on stage and saying stop the war, stop the occupation,” Geffen said.
“I’m always trying to find an Aviv Geffen from Syria or Aviv Geffen from Lebanon. I’m waiting to see someone who will fight with me from the other side.”
Aviv Geffen will perform 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14 at the JCC of San Francisco, 3200 California St., S.F. Tickets $30-$125. Also 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17 at College of San Mateo Theatre, 1700 W. Hillsdale Drive, San Mateo. Tickets $30-$75. Information: www.israelcentersf.org.