By DCist contributor Abby Lavin

If you weren’t at Unbuckled last Thursday, your only excuse is that you were over at the 6th and I St. Synagogue checking out rising Israeli hip hop stars, Hadag Nahash (Snakefish). Listening to rap in a synagogue, engulfed in a mob of 15-year-olds, we felt like we were at the coolest bar mitzvah we’d never been to.

A little bit Bob Marley, a little bit Rage Against the Machine, the seven-man group have built up a global following since forming in 1996, putting out four chart-topping albums along the way. Their diehard D.C. fans came out in throngs last night, bobbing their heads ecstatically and chanting along with the group’s call-and-response. The fervent devotion of the fans, along with the venue, created the feeling that a Hadag Nahash show is a somewhat spiritual experience.