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.

Grace Bergere in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Local singer-songwriter Grace Bergere was part of a stellar Show Brain concert in Tompkins Square Park this past Sunday. 

She continues to make a name for herself, opening for acts this past summer such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at the Beacon Theater, Gogol Bordello on a California tour, and Jim Jarmusch and Jozef Van Wissem at Le Poisson Rouge. 

Bergere was one of Casa Gogol's first two signees (along with Puzzled Panther). Label head Eugene Hütz (Gogol Bordello) said of the two bands: "To me they are the new New York, which has a lot more in common with that magical old New York we know, and none of that bullshit in the middle." (To that end, she recorded a cover of "All Tomorrow's Parties" with Thurston Moore for Casa Gogol's NYContinuity Vol. 1 release.) 

Below is Bergere with her band on Sunday (from left): Bloody Rich Hutchins, Vern Woodhead, Eugene Hütz (not in the band!), and Robin Pahlman...

Check out Bergere's brand of hard-edged indie folk on her debut record, A Little Blood, here.

Here is the lineup for the free Show Brain show in Tompkins Square Park tomorrow

Show Brain returns to Tompkins Square Park tomorrow (Sunday) with another stacked lineup. (This free show is in collaboration with Casa Gogol Records.) 

Set times look like this:

• Bubbles, 1:40-2:10 

• Grace Bergere, 2:20-2:50 

• Crazy and the Brains, 3:05-3:35 

• 95 Bulls, 3:50-4:25 

• Puzzled Panther, 4:40-5:15 

• Nabihah Iqbal, 5:30-6:10

The lineup for Day 2 of the Show Brain Festival today in Tompkins Square Park

Chain reaction: Dion Lunadon yesterday in Tompkins 

Day 2 of Show Brain's free all-ages show takes place this afternoon in Tompkins Square Park.

The lineup with approximate set times:

  

• The Mystery Lights (5:20-6)

• Native Sun (4:20-4:55)

• Pons (3:30-4:05)

• Figure of Fun (2:40-3:15)

• Fine Mess (1:55-2:25)

You can follow Show Brain on Instagram for updates.

Saturday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

The Thing today during Day 1 of the Show Brain Festival in Tompkins Square Park. 

There's another afternoon of free shows in the park tomorrow. Details here.

More portraits of bands playing the Show Brain stage in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Stacie Joy 

This summer, we've been taking portraits of some of the bands playing the free Show Brain-sponsored shows in Tompkins Square Park (here, here, and here). 

Going back to July 26 for this show... featuring Avishag Cohen Rodrigues ...

... and Two Man Giant Squid...

... and one of the most cinematic bands we've seen in the park — P.H.0. ...

Thanks to Show Brain's Ozzie (on the right) for organizing so many free, all-ages shows... including the Show Brain Festival this weekend.

See some free live music this weekend in Tompkins Square Park at the Show Brain Festival

This weekend marks the third annual Show Brain Festival in Tompkins Square Park, two afternoons of free, all-ages concerts. 

Here's how the show is shaping up now (more bands are being added to the bill for Sunday): 

Saturday

• Daddy Long Legs 

• The Thing 

• Dion Lunadon 

• Dead Tooth

• 95 Bulls

Sunday 

• The Mystery Lights (5:20-6)

• Native Sun (4:20-4:55)

• Pons (3:30-4:05)

• Figure of Fun (2:40-3:15)

• Fine Mess (1:55-2:25)

You can follow Show Brain on Instagram for band updates and set times.

Sunday in Tompkins Square Park

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Yesterday marked day 2 of the free shows commemorating the 37th anniversary of the Tompkins Square Park police riot of Aug. 6, 1988. 

Although there was a good-sized crowd, it wasn't quite the stage-diving free-for-all we saw during parts of Saturday's shows. 

The afternoon also served as the Rock Against Racism concert, originally scheduled for May 4 in Washington Square Park but postponed due to rain. 

Bands yesterday included Frida Kill (below)...

The band told us this after the show: 

Getting asked to play Tompkins is a huge honor for the band. Half our band grew up going to the free shows in Tompkins — and being asked to come and play feels very full circle. The Tompkins Square punk community is such an important part of the East Village’s history and continuing to have excellent shows that are free and accessible to everyone is crucial — especially right now.

The afternoon concluded with headliners Rebelmatic...

... and in the crowd...

Day 1 of the Tompkins Square Park riot reunion shows

Photos by Stacie Joy

Day 1 of the free shows commemorating the 37th anniversary of the Tompkins Square Park police riot of Aug. 6, 1988,  got off to an epic start yesterday with an — shall we say? — energetic crowd.

Let's take a look ... in the crowd and from the stage...

The set from Dollhouse was a highlight of the afternoon ...

Day 2 starts this afternoon with music expected at 2 p.m.