Show Review: Model/Actriz, LEYA at Warsaw, NYC.
Sep 12th, 2025.
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“Where did Julius go” -Anonymous
September 13th, 2025
One of the several highlights of NYC’s Warsaw in Greenpoint is that they serve food. Polish staples of pierogies with sour cream, kielbasa with mustard, sauerkraut, rye, the works. This isn’t an episode of Parts Unknown, though. This is a review of night one of Model/Actriz’s sold out two night show. With support from LEYA, here’s the story of how we left the experience dripping in sweat.
As we sat at a table in the bar area with our forks and polish platters, we heard the opening notes of a harp in the performance room. Hustling inside, we witnessed the meditative dou of LEYA. With harp, violin, operatic vocals, and a little backing help, they crafted a soundscape of lucid dreaming, of weightless levitation. We closed our eyes and saw vignettes of memories painted over with the sweetness of the strings. The first harp we’ve ever covered on RCR.
After a brief intermission, Model/Actriz appeared in a dramatic haze of fog, light, and rumbling feedback. They bloomed slowly, starting with Vespers from their recent album Piroutte. That didn’t last long though, they transitioned into the frantic Dogsbody standout Mosquito. All hell broke loose from here. We were front and center, third row, peak danger zone. Bodies thrashed and threw themselves around violently to the jarring, metallic, pounding sound. It wasn’t crowd-killing, it was crowd-convulsing.
We saw some friends across the other side of the pit, Long Island Ronkonkomites. We ricocheted through the tornado of bodies to flag them down and bring them to the front. From there we saw Model/Actriz’s lead, Cole Haden, leap off the stage, hop over the barrier, and immerse themselves into the crowd. Dozens of hands reached up to support the microphone cable over everyone's heads as it snaked around the room, following Cole around. The floor became the stage, we all became Model/Actriz.
It was unrelenting. Cole changed costumes several times. The crowd flailed and bounced unendingly. By the time they closed with Acid Rain, Cinderella, and New Face, the room was oven hot and the front crowd was dripping in sweat. There was no encore, but also no protest. Model/Actriz laid it all out there, their drummers fingers were taped up like a prize fighter. We also left it all on the floor. We were spent, having wrung out every possible drop of celebration from the moment. We wish you well, night two. Rrrock On, Rrrat Pack, see you around.
| Keywords: | New York City | Warsaw | Model/Actriz | LEYA |
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