Impressions: Chronixx, Junior Reid + Rice and Peas at Central Park SummerStage

Words by LargeUp Crew, Photos by Sherwin Dyer—

Chronixx continued his best week ever on Saturday with a performance at Central Park SummerStage that won’t soon be forgotten, cementing his status as reggae’s big new attraction. Mick Jagger (Seriously, Mick Jagger) was among those in attendance, watching Chronixx’s set from the side of the stage, and personally congratulating the young singer on a job well done. A capacity crowd of 5,500 witnessed the show from the SummerStage space at Rumsey Playfield, with an estimated 2,000 (and likely a whole lot more) onlookers stretching their ears for a listen beyond the gates.

The event, LargeUp’s first at SummerStage, was a co-production with Okayplayer and Federation Sound, and also featured a performance from Junior Reid, who left a big impression in his own right. Hip-hop legend Rahzel (of The Roots fame) also made a cameo appearance, putting a beatbox spin on dancehall classics between JR and Chronixx’s sets.

Keeping things hype throughout were the Rice and Peas crew—DJs Max Glazer, DJ Gravy and Orijahnal Vibez and MC Micro Don—who warmed the crowd early with classic reggae, rocksteady, rockers and dub and turned up the energy between Junior Reid’s and Chronixx’s sets with dancehall chroreography courtesy of dancers Blacka Di Danca, Sir Ledgen, Mela Murder (of Major Lazer), Nelly, Miss Likkle Bit, Syren, Blacka and Empress Cece.

All of which set the stage for Chronixx and Zincfence Redemption, who closed out the show with a captivating set that included “Here Comes Trouble,” “Odd Ras,” “Smile Jamaica,” among other anthems. Scroll through for the full photo series and the story behind the show.

The crowd filled in early after doors opened at 2. It wasn’t long before the gates were locked…

This guy was one of the first ones in…

The crew from the Rice and Peas party—the NYC monthly that’s been bringing authentic dancehall vibes to downtown NYC for the last seven years—includes LargeUp co-founder DJ Gravy (left) and Federation Sound co-founder Max Glazer (right), as well as Orijahnal Vibez (at center) and Micro Don. Here’s Orijahnal Vibez shelling down the crowd with some modern dancehall classics, after Gravy and Max warmed them up with some vintage selections.

If you’ve ever been to a Rice and Peas party, you know Micro Don always gets the energy tun all the way up. While the party moved from the club to a massive stage, the vibe was no different.

Rapper Spliff Star (right, of Flip Mode Squad fame) took in the show from backstage. Other notable guests included DJ Cipha Sounds, photographer Ricky Powell, actor Malik Yoba… and Mick Jagger.

The Godfather of Noyze Rahzel brought his legendary beatboxing skills to the dancehall arena once more (you might have caught him in dancehall mode before during LargeUp’s Caribbean segment at the Okayplayer Holiday Jam), dropping a dancehall kick/snare pattern with his mouth before running through a ’90s dancehall medley with “Murder She Wrote” and the like. Here he is backstage.

LargeUp scribe Natalie Louise Weiner pauses for the camera.

Junior Reid and crew backstage.

Several different but overlapping entities came together to put on Saturday’s show: LargeUp, Federation Sound, Okayplayer and Rice and Peas. Here’s LargeUp’s Jesse Serwer; DJ Gravy of LargeUp and Rice and Peas; Max Glazer of Federation Sound and Rice and Peas; and Orijahnal Vibez of Rice and Peas.

Junior Reid holds a meds.

The crowd quickly swelled to capacity. Of the thousands of fans who were turned away at the gates arrived too late, many remained, setting up on the rocks behind the venue and along the nearby bike path.

Starting things off with a version of Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song,” (or, more accurately, a version of his Guru/Jazzmatazz collaboration “Mashing Up The Earth,” which interpolates MJ’s hit)  Junior Reid’s hour-long set included classics like “Original Foreign Mind” as well as hits from his deep catalog of hip-hop collabs (Mims’ “This is Why I’m Hot,” Fabolous’ “Real Gangstas Don’t Play”).

Junior Reid was backed by the Statement Band, led by the great dancehall bassist Derrick Barnett.

Raymond Stewart (keyboards), Damion Martelliere (drums) and Andrew Mcintyre (guitar) round out the Statement band. Here, they hold a groove while J.R. supplies a dexterous leg kick.

Naturally, “One Blood” was the high point of Junior Reid’s set—he even gave the heavily Caribbean, but largely multicultural crowd a taste of the Spanish version.

Wave yuh flag! As diverse as the crowd was the Caribbean definitely represented the heaviest.

It wasn’t Junior Reid’s first time performing for the SummerStage crowd, and we’re betting it won’t be his last.

The audience got a dose of authentic dancehall choreography courtesy of Blacka Di Danca (center), Sir Ledgen (not pictured), Major Lazer’s Mela Murder and Nelly (center), who demonstrated the Back to Basics, World Dance and Row Like a Boat to a soundtrack of Buju and Beenie.

Micro Don holds a wine with Mela Murder as the Zincfence Redemption band set up.

Miss Likklebit and crew (Syren, Blacka and Empress Cece) got the crowd roaring as they demonstrated dances like Pon Di River, Pon Di Bank and Skip To My Lu.

A Hollywood screenwriter couldn’t have scripted Chronixx’s week better. After starting his New York trip with a Tuesday night appearance on The Tonight Show that no one saw coming (except fan Jimmy Fallon), SummerStage closed things out on a high.

Mick Jagger came to check out Chronixx on his birthday, and he brought nearly his whole family (daughters Georgia May, Lizzie and Karis; sons Jimmy and Lucas; and some grandkids) with him? If he looks unenthused in this pic (with Georgia May at his side) , it’s because he was waiting for Chroixx show to start, not because of it. The Rolling Stone requested to meet Chronixx after the show, congratulating the younger singer, who then sang him the words to “(You Gotta Walk) Don’t Look Back,” Mick’s 1978 collaboration with Peter Tosh.

Joshua “Flubz” Jones holds down the bass for Chronixx’s band, Zincfence Redemption. Rounding out the band are Stephen Coore (guitar), Nnamdi Robinson, Elisha Ellis, Kevin “Zuggu” Patterson and Evan “Yello” Mason.

It’s hard to believe with the moves Chronixx has been making that he’s yet to release an LP. He performed several tracks off his latest EP, Dread and Terrible, including the single “Here Comes Trouble.”

After shelling down SummerStage, the sky is the limit for Chronixx. Where will he play on his next visit to New York, Madison Square Garden?

Chronixx photobomb!

Actor Malik Yoba (center) poses with Rice and Peas crew [From L]: Blacka Di Danca, Nelly, Micro Don, Sir Ledgen