Music

Inside Lip Critic’s Wild Electro-Punk Takeover of a Brooklyn Laundromat

Story by Anagricel Duran

Last Night (March 21) NYC’s very own Lip Critic took over an average Laundromat and transformed it into the hottest electro-punk rave. 

Ahead of the band’s forthcoming second album, ‘Theft World’, which is set for release on May 1, the quartet – comprised of frontman Bret Kaser, sampler Connor Kleitz and drummers Danny Eberle and Michael Sandvig – have announced a series of odd gigs titled “Theft Saga”. The first of the three shows saw the group make their way to Yong Xin Tan Laundromat in Brooklyn and transform the quaint launderette into one of the year’s most promising music moments. 

The night exploded into motion with a chaotic, high-voltage set from post-punk/no-wave outfit Pop Music Fever Dream (PMFD). From the moment they hit the stage, there was no easing in. They tore straight into a slinky cover of Link Wray’s ‘Rumble’ before jumping into tracks from their 2024 EP ‘Songs For Emotion’, setting up the high-bar energy for the night. 

PMFD didn’t just perform for the crowd; they pulled everyone into their orbit. Mid-set, guitarist Nicole Harwayne plunged into the audience, handing her guitar to punters and urging them to strum along. Meanwhile, frontperson Tim Seeberger turned the absurd into spectacle: weaving through the crowd while performing their track ‘The Internet (and Other Modern Observations) Vol. 1’ with a sack of clothes, they made their way to a washing machine and casually started a load of laundry without missing a lyric or beat.

 

It was unpredictable, loud, and completely unhinged, but in the best way. By the time they reclaimed the front of the stage, the energy had boiled over, and the crowd erupted into a swirling circle pit, fully under PMFD’s command.

@marvin_thebrand

Pop Music Fever Dream opens up for NYC’s @Lip Critic for a chaos-filled show at a Brooklyn laundromat. Text: Anagricel Duran Photography: Samantha Vogel Hit the link in bio to read up on what may be one of the best NYC gigs of 2026.

♬ original sound – MARVIN

Stepping onto the makeshift stage set up in front of a lovely yet disjointed fishtank in the laundrette, Lip Critc make their way up to what sounded like funky elevator Wii music. While the crowd cheered on their presence, Kaser announced that this show was for “groovy motherfuckers’ before sharing: “This song is called ‘Yard Sale’, and it’s off of our album ‘Theft World’ out May 1st.”

 

Two seconds in, and the crowd erupted into a frenzy of groove and madness. Lights strobing – impressively done the entire night manually by someone on the band’s team who spent the hour flicking the light switch on beat – and circle pit of laundry hell commenced as soon as Kaser screeched “Oh Yeah”. 

From industry figures perched atop massive metal washing machines to the die-hard fans packed shoulder-to-shoulder below, somehow enduring the sweltering heat of the cramped room, the entire night felt charged with something otherworldly. The air was thick, the walls seemed to pulse, and every moment shimmered with a strange, electric magic. 

 

 

Lip Critic treated the crowd to performances of unreleased tracks off of ‘Theft World’ as well as the LP’s two singles, ‘Legs In A Snare’ and ‘Jackpot’. They also tapped into their debut album, 2024’s ‘Hex Dealer’ by performing ‘The Heart’ and ‘Milky Max’, the latter of which saw Eberle ditch his drumkit and crowdsurf while screaming along to the track’s final chorus. 

As fragments of ceiling tile drifted down like dust and anxious neighbors knocked, rattled by the noise shaking the old building, the night finally spilled outward. One by one, fans poured out of the stifling, sweat-soaked room, clothes clinging, faces flushed, buzzing with adrenaline and disbelief, breathlessly declaring it one of the best nights of their lives.

 

Lip Critic are set to play two more gigs in NYC in support of ‘Theft World’. They will take over a basement bar on Saturday, March 26 and close out the saga with a gig at a boxing ring on Saturday, April 9. Tickets are sold out but you can catch the electro-punk quartet on the road across North America later this year here. ‘Theft World’ is set for release on May 1 via Partisan. You can pre-order/pre-save the LP here.

@marvin_thebrand

Last night, NYC’s very own @Lip Critic transformed an average Laundromat into this year’s hottest electro-punk rave. From a fishtank, washing machines, intense yet groovy circle pits, and a killer opening set by post-punk/no-wave outfit Pop Music Fever Dream, the night felt like a fever dream unfolding in real time. Every corner of the room buzzed with chaotic energy, blurring the line between performance and pure madness. The show was the first of three wonky gig’s in the band’s Theft Saga gig trilogy ahead of the release of their second LP ‘Theft World’ on May 1st via @Partisan Records Text: Anagricel Duran Photography: Samantha Vogel Hit the link in bio to read up on what may be one of the best NYC gigs of 2026.

♬ original sound – MARVIN