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* Organizer: Devil Inside – Music Production
* Date: November 17, 2025
* Venue: Lucerna Music Hall, Prague
A sold-out crowd packed Prague’s Lucerna Music Hall Monday night for a concert by the iconic Czech band J.A.R., with some fans waiting as long as half an hour in line and even resorting to standing on crates to get a better view. The performance came with a cloud of uncertainty, as the band hinted it could be their last. As the hall filled to its 2,500-person capacity, blue lasers cut through the darkness before a black curtain dropped, revealing eight musicians – a smaller lineup than their usual ten. “So, we’re all here, good evening, thanks for coming,” rapper Michael Viktořík exclaimed to a roaring applause.
The concert held particular significance as it marked the band’s anniversary – J.A.R. first performed on November 17, 1989, and have regularly celebrated the Velvet Revolution and their band’s birthday around this date ever since. Lucerna has hosted many memorable J.A.R. shows over the years, including a theatrical performance with a Bulgarian guest in 1999, a 20th-anniversary celebration featuring actors like Anna Geislerová and Petr Čtvrtníček presenting roses onstage, and a performance with then-presidential candidate Karel Schwarzenberg.
This year’s show arrived amidst significant changes for the band. Earlier this year, Dan Bárta stepped down from performing with J.A.R. due to hearing damage. Then, Oto Klempíř, the band’s lyricist and rapper who had been working in political marketing, decided to run for office with the Motoristé sobě party, leading to his departure from the group. Ondřej Ruml, Tereza Černochová, and Michal Skořepa, known as Pan Lynx, filled in for the two missing frontmen. While some fans welcomed the changes, others voiced criticism online, prompting the band, winners of the Anděl Award for Group of the Year, to announce that Monday’s concert could be their last. “It’s likely we won’t see each other for a long time, and the possibility of us breaking up is also on the table,” they wrote. They even created a poster featuring a blue dog in a wheelchair, symbolizing the two “amputated” members.
The concert offered a mixed bag. While the band hasn’t fully replicated the dynamic of Klempíř’s absence, the show underscored J.A.R.’s enduring appeal. Their signature sound relies on the interplay of two expressive rappers trading rapid-fire lyrics, often absurd and humorous, balanced by Dan Bárta’s more melodic vocals.
Without both Bárta and Klempíř, the sound felt different. However, Ondřej Ruml, who performed in black sunglasses throughout the evening, proved a capable replacement, growing into the role. The younger artist, who listened to their album *Mein Kampfunk* as a child, possesses a vocal tone reminiscent of Bárta in certain registers and had even learned some of Klempíř’s raps by the time of the show. He delivered an impressive scat performance during the song “Pap muziek” from 1999.
Foto: Radek Vebr, Seznam Zprávy
J.A.R. has always blended two distinct styles: the frenetic rap reminiscent of Public Enemy or Beastie Boys, alongside elements of black funk or rock, drawing inspiration from artists like Kool & the Gang, Prince, and James Brown. The original lineup initially performed partially to playback before adding a rhythm and horn section comprised of leading jazz musicians. Dan Bárta later joined as a vocalist for the choruses, having previously starred in the musical *Jesus Christ Superstar*.
In this configuration, with a generous dose of humor, dance energy, and a willingness to provoke, the band rose to prominence around the turn of the millennium. During a period when Klempíř sported a long black wig, they released the album *Homo fonkianz*, which leaned towards a more pop-oriented sound and featured hits like “Bulhaři” and “Už mizí pryč je… Hanka.” These songs were powerfully delivered Monday night by bassist Robert Balzar and drummer Pavel Bady Zbořil, who played behind a plexiglass drum kit.
J.A.R. has weathered crises before. Around the beginning of the 2000s, drug use impacted the band, leading Roman Holý to form Monkey Business and Dan Bárta to join Illustratosphere. However, J.A.R. persevered, releasing several acclaimed albums, including *Eskalace dobra* in 2017, which earned them three Anděl Awards, including Album of the Year and Group of the Year. They revisited songs from that album Monday, performing “Ještě se připlazíš.”
Their 2022 album, *Jezus Kristus Neexistus?*, also received accolades, though some younger fans in the audience expressed disappointment with the explicit track “Herečky píšou.” Similarly, a request from rapper Michael Viktořík for someone to tie his shoelaces drew mixed reactions.
Now comprised of musicians in their 50s and 60s, J.A.R. has always been provocative. Their debut album featured lyrics that are unreproducible today, and many of their most famous hits are characterized by playful neologisms and childlike wordplay. Yet, their lyrics were always elevated by a strong foundation in funk. And just as J.A.R. never took themselves too seriously, they were also able to poke fun at their own machismo or sexism.
The audience’s continued appreciation for this approach was evident during the concert’s finale, as they sang along to “Ťo ti ťo,” a song parodying xenophobia.
At its core, J.A.R.’s music is energetic dance music played by exceptional instrumentalists. The band’s sound draws from funk, pop, jazz, soul, and electronic music, with influences from artists like Kool & the Gang, Prince, and James Brown. Guitarist Miroslav Chyška often played rhythm guitar throughout the evening, occasionally joined by the rest of the band at his feet during a dreamy intro to “Poslední rváč.”
The more than two-hour concert featured twenty songs, with a heavy emphasis on the *Homo fonkianz* album. The show opened with a standout performance by the horn section, arranged by trombonist Filip Jelínek, who often incorporated synchronized choreography.
Foto: Radek Vebr, Seznam Zprávy
Na fotografii z pondělního koncertu jsou zpěvák Ondřej Ruml, altsaxofonista Radek Kašpar, trombonista Filip Jelínek, zpěvák Matěj Ruppert a tenorsaxofonista František Kop.
Viktořík cycled through several outfits, from a t-shirt featuring the Rolling Stones’ tongue logo to a bare-chested look. During “Fjůča,” a song about his school days, he ran across the stage wearing a flamboyant wig.
Roman Holý, the band’s composer and keyboardist, expertly steered the performance, operating five keyboards. He played the Hammond organ for songs like “Babička” and “Žárlíme na Romana,” but primarily used a Fender Rhodes electric piano and two Roland synthesizers, one of which functioned as a vocoder, creating a robotic vocal effect used in songs like “Sláva nazdar výfetu.” Rappers Vladimir 518 and Orion joined him onstage for that track.
Tereza Černochová and Matěj Ruppert, who also play with Holý in Monkey Business, delivered strong supporting performances. Michal Skořepa spent much of the evening providing vocal support. The biggest applause, however, was reserved for Dan Bárta, who returned to the stage to perform two tracks from *Homo fonkianz*. During “Ty ho vidíš, Otavo,” the band created space for an impressive vocal showcase, featuring Bárta’s soaring falsetto.
He then returned for “Bulhaři,” a song that once prompted a complaint to the Czech broadcasting council from the Bulgarian ambassador and featured actress Helena Vondráčková in its music video as a kidnapped prostitute step-dancing on a Bulgarian mobster’s table.
Comprised of musicians in their 50s and 60s, J.A.R. has always been known for its provocative nature. Their first album contained lyrics that are considered unreproducible today, and many of their most famous hits feature unique neologisms and playful wordplay. However, their lyrics were always underpinned by a strong foundation in funk. And just as J.A.R. never took themselves too seriously, they were also able to satirize their own machismo or sexism.
The audience’s continued appreciation for this approach was evident during the concert’s finale, as they sang along to “Ťo ti ťo,” a song parodying xenophobia.
Concert: J.A.R.
Organizer: Devil Inside – Music Production
November 17, 2025, Lucerna Music Hall, Prague
