Live concert photography of The New Colossus Festival's opening party at Piano's earlier this year.

Live Concert Photography: The New Colossus Festival 2025: Day 1: 3/5/25: Opening Party at Piano’s feat. Gewalt, Abby Jeanne and The Shadowband, Daydream Twins, Seafoam Walls, Big Fat Head and Hot Spit

Co-founded back in 2018 by three New York music industry vets and longtime friends, former Lorimer Beacon founder and head Mike Bell, Kanine Records‘ founder and label head Lio Kanine and Kepler Events ‘ and Dedstrange Records co-founder Steven Matrick, The New Colossus Festival has quickly established itself as the first stop in New York and/or the first stop in the States for a growing number of emerging and buzzworthy artists and bands, who make the pit stop in town before heading down to Austin for SXSW.

In previous editions of the festival JOVM mainstays GIFT, Penelope Isles, The Orielles, Thus Love, as well as acclaimed acts like Pom Poko, Pom Pom Squad, Sid Simons, Sobs, Water From Your Eyes, Peel Dream Magazine, Kiwi Jr., and a growing list of others have made a names for themselves playing New Colossus showcases across a handful of Lower East Side-based venues and clubs.

The New Colossus Festival’s sixth edition took place earlier this year — March 4, 2025 – March 9, 2025 — and it was the biggest edition in the festival’s young history to date: Some 180+ bands and artists from the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Wales Ireland, Italy, France, The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Australia and elsewhere played showcases and sets at festival stalwart locations like Berlin Under A, Arlene’s Grocery, The Bowery Electric, and Piano’s, as well as new participating spots like Sugar Mouse, DROM, Niagara, NUBLU and NUBLU Classic, and Parkside Lounge. The festival also welcomed the return of Baker Falls, which took over the beloved Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 space on Allen Street earlier this year.

For a variety of reasons, including a couple that I won’t get into on this space, as well as a desire to be a bit more efficient, this year’s New Colossus Festival coverage was very different than previously: I closed out March with much more detailed coverage of some standout, personal highlights that included thoughts and photos.

But there were other memorable sets and moments, which I caught with my trusty Canon R6 Mark II and Canon R6 throughout the festival. This year’s edition began with a bang, an opening party at Piano’s featuring Berlin-based New Wave/goth outfit Gewalt, hardworking local outfit Abby Jeanne and The Shadowband, Southern California shoegazers/dream pop outfit Daydream Twins, Miami-based art rockers and JOVM mainstays Seafoam Walls, Columbus, OH-based indie rockers Big Fat Head and Richmond, VA-based indie rockers Hot Spit. Check out photos below.