The former Sonic Youth legend delivered a towering performance with support from Sun Ra Arkestra
Last week, Sonic Youth legend Kim Gordon performed a terrific set at Central Park on the Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage. The show took place at Rumsey Playfield, the first location for the SummerStage series, and fans who took in the spectacle were blessed with ideal weather for an outdoor show.
Gordon, who performed in New York City just a few months ago in support of her latest album The Collective, was joined on stage by a stellar backing band: Talk Normal’s Sarah Register on guitar, Camila Charlesworth on bass, and Madi Vogt on drums. Their set began and concluded with The Collective‘s opening track “BYE BYE,” and featured tracks like the singalong-inducing “I’m A Man,” “Dream Dollar,” and an encore of “Air BnB,” “Paprika Pony,” “Cookie Butter,” “Hungry Baby,” “Grass Jeans,” and “BYE BYE.” While introducing “Grass Jeans,” Gordon said the song was “inspired by white men feeling powerful over women and making bad decisions.” Gordon and her band sounded great and performed in tight, surgical fashion, a perfect way to usher in a summer of great music.
Back in 1992, Sonic Youth and Sun Ra Arkestra also performed on the same bill together in Central Park. 32 years later, that moment came full circle, with Sun Ra Arkestra performing before Gordon earlier in the evening in spectacular fashion. The 1992 show featured Sun Ra leading the Arkestra, and in 2024, Marshall Allen now leads the group and recently celebrated his 100th birthday. Kim also mentioned and paid tribute to the 1992 show during her set. All in all, another fantastic day of music in NYC. You can scroll through below for some of the highlights.
All Photos By Edwina Hay
Kim Gordon
Sun Ra Arkestra
