A Murder of Crows at Brooklyn Made

Kite

New York has a long-buzzing music scene so underground that most of the city’s rockers do not even know it exists. Only insiders in the “in-the-know” network find the parties dedicated to afficionados of goth, dark wave, post-punk and cold wave music. On these dedicated nights, the community puts on its black attire and gathers at the Red Party and Stimulate in Manhattan, QXT’s in Newark and, until recently, Eris in Brooklyn.

The March Violets

Frank the Baptist

The Bellwether Syndicate

Sean Templar, host

One of the anchors of the scene in Manhattan has been Sean Templar’s monthly Red Party at Mercury Lounge. Templar regularly books the bands and the djs that he likes, and then introduces them to his following. Then, every late summer, Templar brings his parties to a climax with his annual A Murder of Crows goth and post-punk music festival. The main event this year was at Brooklyn Made on August 30 and 31, with a pre-party at TV Eye on August 29.

1919

Bootblacks

Rosegarden Funeral Party

Templar founded A Murder of Crows (AMOC) in 2015 as a one-night event with three bands and four djs. Over the years, the festival has evolved, and in 2024, he featured 11 bands and numerous djs across two venues and three nights. The Hunt and 15 djs performed at the pre-party. Kite, Frank the Baptist, Bootblacks, Christ vs. Warhol, and the Neuro Farm performed on Friday night. The March Violets, the Bellwether Syndicate, 1919, Rosegarden Funeral Party, and Lathe of Heaven performed on Saturday night. The festival concluded on September 1 with a 12-hour livestream on Twitch, featuring djs from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m.

The Neuro Farm

Christ Vs. Warhol

Lathe of Heaven

The Hunt (photograph by Kevin Vonesper)

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The Manhattan Beat reports on New York City's live music circuit. All articles are written by Everynight Charley Crespo. All photographs are taken by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise.

For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right of the The Manhattan Beat home page and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music."

For a more complete listing of upcoming performances in the New York City area, visit The Manhattan Beat's September calendar.