Get tangled up this very Model/Actriz Chrismukkah
The debaucherous allure of Brooklyn’s industrial monolith
On December 5th, Brooklyn’s ever-sassy Model/Actriz played the second night of their annual Chrismukkah celebration, now a beloved tradition in its fourth year. Hosted by MCs “Santa” and “Beetlejuice,” the event took place at none other than Ridgewood’s modern funhaus, TV Eye.
As Christmas tunes filled the room, the stage curtains opened to reveal Cole Haden, the charismatic frontman of the industrial-rock powerhouse. True to form, he appeared in an extravagant crimson mesh dress, thick-framed shades, and a green headscarf—though the dim lighting made it hard to discern every detail.
The quartet was completed by Jack Wetmore on guitar, Aaron Shapiro on bass, and Ruben Radlauer on drums. Known for the invigorating energy they draw from their crowds—which I’ve witnessed at all four shows I’ve attended—they commanded the room once again. The moment they launched into their opening track, “Donkey Show,” the floor began bouncing in unison to its intoxicating clangs.
The madness escalated as “Donkey Show” gave way to “Crop,” a track first performed this October, and then to the hook-filled “Mosquito” from their striking debut album, Dogsbody, released last year. By that point, the entire pit had turned feral.
Admittedly, the audience wasn’t just mesmerised by Cole’s provocative vocal inflections—whimpering and pleading with his signature “uhs” and “yeses” over the brain-tingling instrumentals—but also by his bewitching physicality throughout the show. (Oh, those theatrical poses, dramatic dips, and serpentine body waves!) As he stepped into the crowd’s current, he greeted new faces like a wizard conjuring chaos, seducing everyone into the irresistible allure of their debaucherous songs.
I let myself collide with the exhilarating moshers, my sweater vest catching on the various pins, keychains, and carabiners of the girls and the theys around me. Perhaps that’s how Model/Actriz’s music is meant to be experienced. Their hypersexed sound built an intimate space where physical boundaries dissolved into visceral frenzies.
Towards the end of their set, the quartet debuted a dancey new track called “Red Fish” from their upcoming album. During the rattles of “Pure Mode,” Cole raised and pointed the mic stand into the crowd as he winced and sang the line, “I will tear you apart,” which felt both like a threat and a promise. “Sorry, I had to kill you all,” he uttered ironically.
I’m far from the first writer to praise Model/Actriz’s trance-like live performances. But it’s precisely their almost violent self-expressions that keep fans like me coming back for more.
Model/Actriz will DJ at Bowery Ballroom on January 25th as part of Ground Control Touring’s third annual Abortion Access Benefit Series.