Afropunk Day 1 With RAAA, Candiria & Palaceburn

I only had time for a half a day at Afropunk on Saturday, so I decided to catch the best bang for my buck at the raucous “red stage,” which had a heavier lineup than the other stages.

First up was the hard-rock Philly band Palaceburn, who had guitar licks for days and an energetic lead singer who’s vocal’s were strong and unique. Having gotten to the venue early the following day, I ran into a few of the members of the band before the gates opened and chatted for a bit about the festival. Learning that it was their first ever performance in NYC was a surprise, but make no mistake – this band will be back and they will garner some well deserved attention.

Palaceburn

In between sets I heard a beautiful voice over on the big stage so jetted over a few hundred yards to see who it was. I caught a few songs from Adia Victoria, who remarked, “I can’t sing as hard as I should, because Lauryn Hill is here and I may shit myself.”

Adia Victoria

RAAA was ambling onstage as I got back just in time for what proved to be the most energetic and inspiring set I saw the whole weekend. Consisting of NYC school friends, all under the age of 21, RAAA used every second of their 30 minute set to make a statement – that they just might be the best young hip-hop group since I dare say it – Wu-Tang Clan. This isn’t your average hip-hop group however, despite their young ages, they are accomplished musicians that played their instruments live…without any pre-recorded tracks. A few songs in is where the fun started when a few members stage-dove and joined the moshpit. The pure energy this young group is about is hard to find these days, and am really looking forward to seeing them grow into men.

RAAA

RAAA fans

RAAA

I had time for one more set before having to jet off to rough trade for our birthday bash, so I decided to stay put and check out metal-rockers Candiria. Candiria has been rocking the fuck out for nearly twenty years in Brooklyn and with their seemingly effortless set, made a new fan out of me. With super tight guitar, bass, and percussion work – lead singer Carley Coma tore up his vocals with incredible range and a penchant for jumping (ridiculously high) when the mood struck him. The moshpit, as they hammered away, was a flurry of flying legs, arms and massive smiles throughout; which was a perfect way to end my short day at Afropunk.