Impressions: Sounds of Reggae at the Barclays Center

Photos by Jason Zucker—

This past Wednesday night, audiences in Brooklyn were treated to the first ever reggae/Caribbean music concert at the borough’s newest venue, the Barclays Center. In the two months since it opened near downtown Brooklyn, the NBA-sized arena has already hosted shows by Jay-Z, Barbra Streisand and the Rolling Stones but this event had its own unique gravitas. With its vast population of Jamaicans and other West Indians, Brooklyn has been the home of live reggae music in the U.S. for years, but, until now, has never had a venue large enough for shows of this size and scope.

Wednesday night’s event, dubbed Sounds of Reggae, brought Shaggy, Maxi Priest, Ali Campbell’s UB40 and Beres Hammond—who performed one night after his debut US TV appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (watch the LargeUp TV episode featuring Beres and the Roots at Fallon here)—together for one big show, right into the heart of Brooklyn. Scroll through to see LargeUp’s photos documenting some of the evening’s many highlights.

As usual Shaggy had his longtime sideman, Rayvon, onstage with him to perform songs like “Angel” and “Big Up.” Here, Rayvon poses backstage with a friend.

Maxi Priest sipping some rosé…or is that iced tea? Gotta be rosé.

Max Priest toasts to LargeUp

New York dancehall legend Red Fox backstage just minutes after he flattened Barclays alongside Shaggy

Maxi Priest sideman Beniton the Menace stop fi hol’ a pose for LargeUp.

Beres Hammond considers a request from an enthused female in the crowd… to take his shirt off. He respectfully declined.

Beres Hammond’s backup singers insisted that he perform his new single, “No Candle Light” off his new album, One Love, One Life.

The crowd at Barclays Center, Instagram-ing away during Beres’ set

Everytime Kirk aka Kirkledove hit the crash cymbal, Beres responded with a high flying karate kick

Ali Campbell of UB40 and Sirius XM program director/legendary reggae radio personality Pat McKay moments before Ali’s performance

Ali Campbell waiting for his moment

People just kept screaming for UB40’s mega smash hit, “Red, Red Wine” until he finally did it. Then some older, visibly intoxicated lady screamed for “Rat In Mi Kitchen” but it was too late, Ali was done…