At the first Show Brain show of 2026 in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Sunday saw the first Show Brain show of the year in Tompkins Square Park. 

The bill featured headliners the Lemon Twigs (above) and Josephine Network...

... Fine Mess ...

... with tarot card readings by MamajoeVramajoe... (unfortunately, we missed the opening DJ set by Sarah Savannah)...

Here's Show Brain founder Ozzie...

... and in the crowd...

You can follow Show Brain on Instagram for updates on free shows here or in Washington Square Park or Maria Hernandez Park.

Sunday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Great turnout this afternoon for the first Show Brain show of the season in Tompkins Square Park... more photos soon!

About the first Show Brain show in Tompkins Square Park this year

This afternoon marks the first FREE Show Brain show of the season in Tompkins Square Park.

On the bill: Headliners The Lemon Twigs ... Josephine Network and Fine Mess. There is also a DJ set by Sarah Savannah. Music is expected to start around 2 p.m.

Unfortunately, The Shadow's show yesterday, headlined by Non Residents, got rained out.

By the numbers

 

This Sunday afternoon marks the first FREE Show Brain show of the season in Tompkins Square Park.

On the bill: The Lemon Twigs ... Fine Mess... and Josephine Network.

The above video is for "2 or 3" by Long Island's own The Lemon Twigs, from their album Look For Your Mind! out TODAY. 

Scenes from the final Show Brain concert of 2025 in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Stacie Joy

Halloween afternoon brought the last Show Brain concert of the season to Tompkins Square Park, wrapping up another year of live music here. (There's a Show Brain show coming Saturday in Washington Square Park.) 

A big thanks to Ozzie, the tireless promoter behind these events, for another season of community and music — all free...

The lineup featured Bec Lauder & the Noise, a band with East Village roots, which recently released their debut record...

We also enjoyed the energetic set from Brooklyn's TVOD...(their debut album came out in May)...

EVG faves Skorts were also on the bill ... and lead singer Alli Walls and bassist Emma Welch showed off their debut record that came out on Friday...

And headlining — punk-trash scenesters Balaclava ...

Thanks, too, to Chris Flash of The Shadow and all the other promoters who bring live music to Tompkins. 

To 2026...

There's a Halloween afternoon show in Tompkins Square Park TODAY

In case you are around... Show Brain is hosting another free show this afternoon in Tompkins Square Park — from 2:30 to 6. Starting off with Bec Lauder & the Noise ... then TVOD ... Skorts (whose debut album is out TODAY) and Balaclava.

Bands we like: Puzzled Panther (plus Crazy & the Brains and Nabihah Iqbal)

Photos by Stacie Joy 

We finally got to see Puzzled Panther live last Sunday ... after hearing about them for the past 18 months or so. 

The NYC band was part of the latest Show Brain show in Tompkins Square Park. 

Victoria Espinoza and Kay Bontempo started PP as a duo. They continued to add firepower to their punky dance-floor tapestry with the addition of drummer Brian Chase, moonlighting from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs... and Eugene Hütz of Gogol Bordello, who signed PP to his Casa Gogol label. 

Hütz described last Sunday's set as a "psychosleaze spectacle," which is pretty accurate. 

Also with the band now: Ty from Genre Is Death and bassist Rob Mellinger, doing double duty this day from another band on the bill, Crazy & the Brains. 

Here are a few scenes from the inspired set featuring songs from their two EPs as well as a cover of the Velvet Underground's "Venus in Furs" and Sonic Youth's "Dirty Boots."

Puzzled Panther is off to Europe now for a tour. You can keep tabs on them via Instagram. 

It was an inspired afternoon of music with Bubbles, 95 Bulls, and Grace Begere. 

Crazy & the Brains, who got their start in the East Village, tore it up...

And there was headliner Nabihah Iqbal, who also played a sold-out show this past Monday at Night Club 101 on Avenue A, and delivered an atmospheric, genre-blurring set...

Faces in the crowd included Ty and Taylor from Genre Is Death, currently working on a new record...

... and East Village resident Alli Walls, lead singer of Skorts...

We're not sure if there's one last Show Brain show this year in Tompkins. Regardless, thanks to SB founder Ozzie for bringing so much music to the park this spring and summer.