Knockdown Center hosted the June edition of their quarterly show series Outline on Saturday (6/22), which, in collaboration with Saint Vitus, brought two stages of dark, experimental, and noisy sounds to the sprawling Queens art space. Lots of people showed up right on time to see Couch Slut kick off the night on the outdoor stage in The Ruins. Despite battling a hangover and the day’s oppressive heat, vocalist Megan Osztrosits was riveting, slamming her microphone against her forehead until blood dripped down her face, brandishing a razor blade during “CENSORED” (from their fantastic new album You Could Do It Tonight), and seething with menace. Outdoors in daylight isn’t the most ideal environment for Couch Slut’s noisy sludge, which calls for a dark club, but they made a big impression even outdoors.
Next were Ragana on the inside stage. The metal-meets-slowcore duo are touring off last year’s Desloation’s Flower (one of our favorite albums of the year), and filled the hall with waves of doom. They were followed by Indiana shoegazers Cloakroom, who brought a heavy, atmospheric set to The Ruins.
Chat Pile, up next indoors, opened their set with the iconic “Why” off of 2022’s fantastic God’s Country and instantly got the crowd going wild. They had a big pit going throughout their set, which they peppered with between-song commentary about movies, and played a couple of new songs between rippers off God’s Country and some older songs.
Storms in the area (which also caused BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival to evacuate and cancel their show Saturday night) meant that King Woman‘s set was moved from The Ruins stage inside, so there was a bit of a delay next while the stage was set. When they came out, they were worth the wait; Kris Esfandiari sang directly at fans against the barricade while her excellent band (which included Meghan O’Neil, formerly of Punch) of thrashed away onstage under red lights. Towards the end of the set, Kris directed the crowd to make a big circle, which she sang from the middle of.
The Armed injected a huge burst of energy into Knockdown Center as they closed out the night, fully ready to party. They’ve developed a reputation as a great live band which is definitely earned: the collective filled the stage with rock n’ roll theatrics under strobing lights, with members frequently stepping off stage to sing to the crowd at the barricade and crowd-surf. Meghan from King Woman joined them on “REAL FOLK BLUES” from 2021’s great ULTRAPOP; that album made up the bulk of their set, along with material from last year’s Perfect Saviors.
See pictures from the whole night by Amanda Hatfield below, along with Chat Pile and The Armed’s setlists, and some attendee-taken video clips.
SETLIST: THE ARMED @ KNOCKDOWN CENTER, 6/22/2024
THE MUSIC BECOMES A SKULL
ALL FUTURES
FT. FRANK TURNER
Clone
Sport of Form
AN ITERATION
Role Models
Modern Vanity
Burned Mind
Everything’s Glitter
Night City Aliens
Fortune’s Daughter
REAL FOLK BLUES
Liar
BIG SHELL
SETLIST: CHAT PILE @ KNOCKDOWN CENTER, 6/22/2024
Why
Slaughterhouse
new song (Everyone Bleeds)
Pamela
Rainbow Meat
Funny Man
Crawlspace
Dallas Beltway