On Thursday, May 28, FIGHTMASTER played to a highly energetic New York City crowd at Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan. With their newest album, Tolerance, set for a June 5 release, New York fans were granted an early look into the new tracks live.
The night began with a short set from opener Gordi, who released her third album, Like Plasticine, in August 2025. The Australian folktronica singer-songwriter is a vision to watch perform live. Building beats by running distorted vocals through a loop pedal and multiple processors, Gordi turns the act of singing solo into a full-blown, multi-layered soundscape.
FIGHTMASTER is the musical project of nonbinary artist and actor E.R. Fightmaster. Most recognizable for their portrayal of Dr. Kai Bartley in Grey’s Anatomy, the multi-talented artist began their solo music project in 2023 with the release of their debut EP Violence. Combining vulnerable songwriting and personal experiences with indie-rock, FIGHTMASTER is a masterful musician that perfectly appeals to their queer-rooted audience.
The singer and their full band arrived onstage to “Violence.” The repetitive guitar riff at the song’s introduction had the crowd immediately locked in to the concert’s start. Their genre-bending tunes radiated a powerful energy that had fans swaying and bopping their heads along to each verse. After the first few songs, FIGHTMASTER introduced themself to the crowd, recalling that their tour manager told them that the New York crowd was “giving feral vibes” before they arrived onstage. Laughing, the artist told the audience, “that’s why I love New York City.”
Combining hard-hitting, personal lyrics with danceable melodies is a very hard thing to do, but it’s something that FIGHTMASTER’s perfected. Notably, “Quicksand” and “Emmett” had fans screaming back lyrics passionately to the singer, although they explore deeply personal moments in the artist’s life – like parental estrangement, transitioning, and self-doubt. These songs appeal to many who share similar experiences, particularly as a largely LGBTQ+ fanbase. It’s clear from the crowd’s reactions that the artist’s complex discography has helped many fans in Bowery Ballroom overcome their own personal battles.
FIGHTMASTER has built a community unlike most fanbases. Constantly mindful and respectful of other concertgoers, fans at Bowery Ballroom made a lasting impression on each other. Between sets, many in the general admission pit shared stories of past FIGHTMASTER shows with those around them. A key takeaway, however, was how the entire crowd enjoyed both Gordi and FIGHTMASTER’s sets as a collective. With only a few phones in the air at a time, rather than a sea, fans clearly prioritized living in the moment with their favorite artist over documenting the night through photos and recordings.
Interactions were naturally witty between the singer and the crowd. Between pointing out familiar faces from previous shows, recording a graduation video for guitarist Patrick Dean’s younger brother, and acting out leaving the stage for an encore as if it’s “roleplay,” the night’s festivities had the crowd smiling for FIGHTMASTER’s entire hour-long set. FIGHTMASTER continues on their All or Nothing Tour through mid-June, and their first full-length album, Tolerance, releases on June 5th.
Setlist: Violence, Nobody’s Baby, Wild One, Hot Shame, Quicksand, Cowboy Tumbleweed, Unreleased Song, Emmett, All or Nothing, Bloodshed Baby
Encore: Glide, Humble, Bad Man
