Kneecap at Warsaw (photo by Kevin McGann)

 

This past weekend saw the return of Irish political hip hop group Kneecap to NYC, playing to a packed room at Brooklyn’s Warsaw. The Belfast trio—made up of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí—brought their blend of beats, rhymes, politics, and humor to the States at a time when tensions are riding high with ongoing events in the Middle East. The night was fun but still politically charged—Mo Chara took time between a few songs to call for human rights and to stop the genocide of the Palestinian people; the crowd responded in kind chanting “Free Palestine” as the band came to the stage to start the show and several more times throughout the evening. Many fans also donned gear bringing attention to the Palestinian struggle as well as calling for a united Ireland which is a central theme of the group’s work. And while Chara also commented that it was tough to have such a serious message and then launch into a song, they managed to pull it off  seamlessly and the crowd was there for it.

 

I first caught Kneecap—who rhymes in both the Irish language as well as English—this past November at the Iceland Airwaves festival in Reykjavik and it was a standout performance among many great acts that week. Like that night, Mo Chara got the crowd pumped Saturday to open the floor and create a pit that was safe and inclusive. He reminded everyone that they were there to have a good time, so no elbows or fists and when someone falls down, you pick them up. And to make sure it wasn’t a “sausage party” he pushed for the crowd to let the women come up front and join in the mayhem.

 

The trio brought their all to the performance, despite Chara wearing a boot for an ankle injury. While introducing some new songs from their upcoming album, the set included fan favorites “Your Sniffer Dogs Are Shite,” “Get Your Brits Out,” and of course “C.E.A.R.T.A” which had the sold-out crowd chanting along. Móglaí Bap worked the stage while DJ Próvaí alternated between mixing from his table to going centerstage to whip up the crowd. The stage setup itself included some eye popping visuals thanks to a video screen with constantly changing graphics to help illuminate the action on the stage.

 

 

Opening the night was Atlanta hip-hop duo Revival Season, which is made up of Brandon “Bez” Evans and producer Jonah Swilley. With a sound that’s rooted in a more traditional approach to the genre it sounds familiar and fresh at the same time. They list Outkast and Beastie Boys among their many influences and you can hear it in singles like the infectious “Pump.” Their album, Golden Age of Self Snitching, dropped last month and it’s a banger.

 

Kneecap’s full length album Fine Art (Heavenly Recordings) is scheduled to be released on June 14th and if the new tracks they debuted at Warsaw are any indication, it’s going to be the album of the summer. 

 

Scroll down for pics of the show (photos by Kevin McGann)

 

REVIVAL SEASON

 

KNEECAP