On July 28 with only about 24 hours’ notice, Knocked Loose announced a free show at Substance Skatepark in Brooklyn, New York, with Denzel Curry and support from New York’s own Combust. The line outside of 314 Sholes Street wrapped around the block. I heard from other attendees that they had called out of work and been in line since the early afternoon hours. To my surprise, it was announced at around 4:45 p.m. that the line was full; New York (as expected) came out in full force. There were still people waiting outside even after the show had started. The choice of venue was surely unique—I had been there before for an event with a totally different context; seeing it transformed into a NY hardcore-esque space was really awesome.
Combust delivered an outstanding set; maybe I’m biased, but every time I’ve seen them, I’m always blown away. (Side note: I couldn’t find my shirt that morning to wear to the show). Since forming in 2017, they have put out four studio albums/EPs, most recently Belly Of The Beast in 2025 with Triple B Records. They have created a unique style with rich bass tones and thrashy riffs and also notably have a legendary lineup of features on many of their releases. Saying the crowd was familiar with their music would be an understatement—They were an awesome band to kick off this extraordinary show. Combust frontman Andrew Vacante firmly spoke of love and support for his long-time friends in Knocked Loose and humored how they have gotten so big as a band that their trailer no longer fits in his mother’s house block.
Denzel’s set was absolutely amazing; he weaved in and out of the crowd for its entirety, jumping and moving with swift enthusiasm. “Hive Mind,” a song released back in February by Knocked Loose and Denzel Curry, has received a ton of praise for its refreshing, dynamic sound. Seeing it performed live for the first time in unison was really powerful. His robust discography consists of five studio albums, four extended plays, two collaborative albums, and seven mixtapes since the artist emerged in 2011 from Miami. I’m loving this hardcore-rap crossover moment that’s re-emerged in recent times, and I hope it continues. The two genres are energetically adjacent, richly rooted in the intersection of narrative and raw expression. He closed out with his cover of “Bulls on Parade” with a really cool story about meeting Zach DeLarocha of Rage Against the Machine. RATM really paved the road years ago for music like this to exist, and it made me happy to hear that Denzel received praise from Delarocha himself for his cover.
Knocked Loose, with their catchy metallic shredding riffs and harsh screams, took the stage last during this once-in-a-lifetime indoor skatepark event. Of all the bands on the bill I’ve seen them the most, but this one may have changed the game for me. Somehow, the same energy of seeing them at Riot Fest last year was packed into this comparatively tiny room in Brooklyn, New York.
People who were on top of the ramps slid down to join the action, jumping directly into the crowd—because how could you not? This was a rare small-scale show for a band that surely know how to fill a giant stage. Even in a small space, the band and the crowd alike still moved with passion; frontman Bryan Garris still commenced his energetic parade around on the small curved stage. I’m shocked the sound was good in the skatepark with the large curved ramps and high echoey ceilings; their impending doom-sounding bass tones in the space sounded heavier than ever. There were notable live features from Denzel Curry and Kadeem France of Loathe. As mentioned earlier, their collaborative single release this year with Denzel Curry has taken the world by storm, and hopefully highlights the dawn of a new era for both of them (I can only hope for another collaboration in the future, maybe even a split album?!?!) Their last album was released under Pure Noise Records in 2024 and titled You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To.
This is a show that fans will have FOMO over for the foreseeable future, with dynamic and outstanding sets that absolutely killed it. Certainly a well-deserved celebration of these three artists and the years of hard work and dedication they have had to their craft and fans. Garris stated at the end of the show that they had 5,000 RSVPs, which is insane and awesome! The air in the room was thick and sauna-like, but with no lack of energy; I admit that the entire experience was simply out of this world.
