Lip Critic at Barboza
We were back at Barboza to catch one of our favorite live acts, Lip Critic. Last time we saw them at Madame Lou’s and it was unforgettable. Visiting our city once more for their Theft World tour the band was as impressive as ever. I didn’t think I could like them more but they were even better than the first time. Watching them in a small room is like witnessing a band in the middle of an evolutionary leap, sharpening their sound while refusing to tame their wildness.
Lip Critic have become one of the most electrifying forces in New York’s experimental punk scene, a band whose live shows feel less like concerts and more like controlled detonations. Consisting of Bret Kaser, Connor Kleitz, Michael Sauze, and Danny Pack, the quartet built their reputation on a feral blend of industrial electronics, dual‑drummer chaos, and a frontman who treats the stage like a springboard. Their 2024 debut Hex Dealer pushed them into the national spotlight, but it’s the live show that has turned them into a must‑see act.
Each member seems to feel every second of the show and the crowd followed hard from the start. The sweat was dripping, heads were bopping, multiple walls of death, crowdsurfing, and Kaser jumping into the crowd a few times. Barboza’s low ceiling and tight floor amplified everything, the drums hit harder, the synths snarled louder, and the crowd moved like a single organism responding to every shift in tempo.
The set pulled heavily from their recent tour staples, including “Jackpot,” “Yard Sale,” “Two Lucks,” “Spirit Bomber,” “Legs in a Snare,” and the newer material that’s been surfacing across their 2026 shows.
Each song landed like a jolt, the kind that makes you forget how small the room is because the energy feels too big to be contained. Everything was perfect but the real highlight for me came at the end when Kaser took over the drums as the Pack finished singing the song and jumped into the crowd and was carried by the fans. These are the moments that make the bands stand out doing their thing. This is the raw electricity of a live show that cannot be replicated by anything. We love to be a part of this as much as possible and to feel so alive.
Lip Critic left Barboza in ruins, the good kind, the kind where everyone walks out drenched, buzzing, and a little stunned by what just happened. Seeing them again only confirmed what we already knew: this band is built for the stage, and every show feels like a dare to go harder, sweat more, and lose yourself completely. Nights like this remind you why we chase live music in the first place, and why Lip Critic remain one of the most thrilling acts touring right now.
