Goths Gather for the 10th Anniversary of A Murder of Crows

Vision Video at A Murder of Crows at the Bowery Ballroom on August 30

In 2007, a New York-born-and-based disc jockey, Sean Templar, launched what would become the city’s longest-lasting goth and post-punk parties. The Red Party, a monthly event held at Mercury Lounge, celebrates the most underground of underground music and culture. The parties host six continuous hours of gothic and post-punk music, but also feature related subgenres including darkwave, death-rock and cold-wave music, provided by live bands and djs. The Red Party still draws a full house on the second Saturday of each month.

In 2015, Templar took a more ambitious step and staged his first annual A Murder of Crows festival. The festival's goal was to bring even more live bands together at a larger venue. The festival would unite and introduce underground alternative artists, showcasing a mix of established and emerging talent from around the world.

The debut one-night event in 2015 featured three bands and four djs. The annual festival, held around Labor Day weekend, now runs across three nights at two clubs and features 12 live artists plus what was billed this year as “1,000 gothic djs.” The 10th anniversary celebration took place on August 28-30, 2025.

This year’s festivities started on a Thursday night with a pre-party at TV Eye featuring multiple djs and concert performances by the Long Losts and the Brickbats. The following night, the festival moved to the Bowery Ballroom, where Pink Turns Blue, Ritual Howls, Soft Vein, Astari Nite, and Hallowed Hearts performed on Friday night. Vision Video, Altar de Fey, Nox Novacula, Past Self, and Octavian Winters performed at the Bowery Ballroom on Saturday night. (Then Comes Silence and 45 Grave were originally scheduled to perform as well, but were replaced on the roster by other bands early on.) All the while, the djs played continuously in the downstairs bar and between live music artists in the main room.

"We are so deliriously happy and grateful for everyone and everything," Templar concluded after the festival. "This weekend is what it is all about."

Related Article

A Murder of Crows at Brooklyn Made (2024)

Pink Turns Blue (photograph by Kevin Vonesper)

Altar de Fey

Nox Novacula

Ritual Howls

Soft Vein

Astari Nite

Hallowed Hearts

Past Self

Octavian Winters

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The Manhattan Beat regularly lists the best live music events coming to the New York City area. The twice-weekly guide also celebrates via photographs some of the musicians who have performed locally in the past few days.

Everynight Charley recommends the following 40+ concerts in the New York City area this week. Consult the web site or social media of the venue for more information about a show, including location and directions, parking, ticket availability, show times, age restrictions, and COVID compliance.

For a more complete listing of upcoming performances in the New York City area, visit The Manhattan Beat's August and September calendars.