Art Gray Noizz Quintet/Lydia Lunch's Murderous Again/Genre Is Death @ TV Eye, Queens, NY 12/26/25

A "family" show as Lunch put it on the day after Christmas. I got back a little early this year, so I was able to walk over through the snowstorm DESPITE my left foot having issues from trying to break in a new pair of sneakers last week. I was so happy it was time to break out the nice big Doc Martin's for the storm since my foot seemed to fit better and for the walk over and the first couple hours that was the case. Unfortunately, before AGN4 (Lunch was the 5th for the last few songs, sax player Nikki D'Agostino was out this one) my left foot started protesting standing on it for two hours with another hour to go. Dutifully, I did it anyway even as people came up to me throughout to say goodbye because they needed to get to wherever and were concerned about the snow. The snow wasn't that bad but given my sore foot it took double time to walk home and i didn't even get a holiday drinking session with Skeleton Boy who was DJ'ing after. No, the boot had to come off as soon as possible and it couldn't come fast enough. Somehow, I left stone cold sober this time despite a $36 bar tab. Shows you what $36 buys at the bar nowadays. A double cocktail and two beers over 3-4 hours for me = sober.

But enough about me, what about the show? It kicked off with new scene darlings Genre Is Death. I made sure I was on time for their early start which was supposed to be 8 but was more like 9. i was enjoying the lyrics this time particular the rant about the 64-year-old time waster that loves the Jets. Fuck him! She's got things to do!!! Anyway, I am closer to 64 than Tayler Lee's age and was happy to tell her of my apologizes for passing out before she played at 2am last month so I got a chuckle as did Stu Spasm and probably every other guy in the room even if they aren't Jets fans or prattling at the bar.

Lydia came out to duo with Genre Is Death's guitarist Ty Varesi for a couple songs before their set. Her new trio Murderous Again is a poetry ensemble with longtime bass player Tim Dahl at least since the prior band Retrovirus sparked a creative Lunch renaissance or at least increased visibility. Like all the time now. Lunch as poet is, well, poetic in eternal observant grump mode and yeah, she is one of a kind and nobody wants her any other way. To the man that would murder his girlfriend, then himself, she offers sage advice. Kill yourself and leave the girl alone! The whole world smiles because it is a punitive world after all. Except the world also frowns because it loves a martyr and more importantly someone to hate. Her self-described litany of cock includes bank robbers, killers, criminals, junkies and the like at least on paper. Why would she lie? I gotta have faith in Lydia Lunch. I want to count on something in this world.

I tried to not take any direct video of her while she was performing her main set because I know she hates it and I've transgressed plenty in this area over the years. She has voiced this opinion much in other performances, so I just took a clip of disco balls and the stage as part of the room to get a 30 second sound bite which could perhaps be even more offensive than my normal communist approach that everyone is a fair game subject which varies on alcohol intake and boredom level.

So StuART Gray's Noizz QUARTET (sans D'Agustino) rocked the house as they have consistently for over a decade now. My photo repression during Lunch exploded in a gluttonous McDonaldland gorging of phone snaps in rapid fire fashion giving newest member Grace Bergere the best split-second juxtaposition of stern to smile. Runner up was Lunch blocking her face with her own finger while Skeleton Boy looked on with seemingly great concern. Stu once again takes over this town at least for another night.

FOR FURTHER REVIEW:

Art Gray Noizz Quintet with Lydia Lunch @ The Sultan Room, Brooklyn, NY 2/26/25

Art Gray Noizz Quintet/Genre Is Death @ Madame X, New York, NY 5/18/25

Genre Is Death @ Berlin, New York, NY 11/7/24

Lord Friday The 13th @ TV Eye, Queens, NY 11/22/25

Vestments @ Mama Tried, Brooklyn, NY 8/29/24

The Unthinkable @ Bowery Electric, New York, NY 10/20/24

Lubricated Goat-Plays The Devil’s Music (1989)

Lubricated Goat-Schadenfreude (1989)

Lydia Lunch/13.13-13.13 (1982)

Lydia Lunch/Clint Ruin-Stinkfist (1988)

The Birth of Tragedy Magazine's Fear-Power-God (1987)