Show Review: Kim Gordon, Voyeur at Warsaw NYC. September 15th, 2026.
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“We have indie sleaze at home”
September 17th, 2026
You bored? Take your paws out your pockets and make some music. Or keep reading to dive into our account of Kim Gordon’s takeover of NYC’s Warsaw theatre. We were there for night one of the sold out two-evening double feature. With opening support from Voyeur, we spent the vesper hours transfixed by all the hits from Gordon’s 2026 solo release, PLAY ME. We’re still digesting the avant-ness of the performance but here’s our notes from the moment.
We saw Voyeur open a Warsaw gig before, a jumping Fcukers show just a little over a year ago. It was noisy and complex, kind of the opposite of Fcukers simpler-than-thou dancefloor burners. We couldn’t wrap our tiny whiskered heads around it then, but this time we caught the vibe. Frantic drumming and chaotic guitar swells had songs feeling like the kinds of dissociative thoughts you get after two and a half iced coffees. Someone screamed “Love your outfit” to the lead singer. They were wearing a tight black shirt, black leather gloves with dangling wrist tassels, an oversized white Super Mario looking cap, no pants, black fishnets, pink panties, and a long green shawl tucked into the back of them to make a floor length tail. And four inch silver high heels.
During changeover we got the pierogi platter from the dining hall/merch room. Three potato pierogies, two pieces of kielbasa, polish rye, sauerkraut, and a slice of pickle. Then we tucked our tails outside for a smoke break, chatting it up with some guy in a Rainier beer shirt who loves to climb the tallest mountains on the west coast. We just want a place where we can find Rainier beer on the east coast. When we got back inside, nearly every inch of floorboard was covered, ready and waiting for Kim & company.
A quiet rapture fell over the crowd when Kim Gordon and her band finally stepped out on stage. A giant LED backscreen projected indistinguishable visuals but no stage lights turned on, the band was drenched in shadows and appeared only as silhouettes. Much of 2026’s PLAY ME was performed. They felt like fever dream monologues over what otherwise would be rap beats. Our favorite moments were when she picked up the guitar, adding a layer of droning screech machine, the kinds of sounds familiar from her time in Sonic Youth, to this new sound she has cultivated for herself. There was lots of phonetic repetition in the lyrics, like a stutter or some neurotic affliction of compulsiveness, delivered as if in a daze. As time went on we felt like we were circling the drain of normal consciousness towards this place of unfiltered experimentation that Kim was living in.
Another Rrrat Pack writer reviewed Kim Gordon’s intimate Night Club 101 performance from June. We were envious to not have been there ourselves so this felt a little like redemption. Since that time, Brooklynvegan, AltPress, Revolver, Goldmine, etc have all had their editorial staff gutted by Livenation. We’ve been thinking about that often, in this case because we might be the first press outlet to publish a review of this show. Which, if true, blows our minds. Music journalism as a desolate wasteland is not punk at all. On that note, though, we’re sniffing around looking for partnerships in order to expand coverage and publish more. If you’re part of an interested organization or know someone who is, please reach out. We do bite, but won’t in this situation. That’s all, Rrrat Pack, see you around.
| Keywords: | New York City | Warsaw | Kim Gordon | Voyeur |
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