Live Review: CBGB Festival - 9/27/25 Under The K Bridge Brooklyn, NY

CBGB Festival

9/27/25 Under The K Bridge Brooklyn, NY

"A screeching display of total aggression". 

Those are the only notes I took during the day long CBGB Festival on Saturday September 27th Under the K Bridge in Brooklyn, NY. That lack of notes prove what a good time the festival was. 

Set up under the K bridge was excellent as the three stages were easily walkable, but not right on top of each other. If there was a complaint to be had it would be lack of multiple food and merch vendors as lines for both were massive. Beer and bathroom lines were non-existent though, keeping the merriment flowing as the loud rock and roll boomed from everywhere. 

This will be far from a complete review and just some highlights of things that I caught and enjoyed. Rather than take in full sets (except one) We just strolled around catching a few tunes here and there. 

Lambrini Girls - We walked in as they were in the middle of their set and they had the crowd wrapped around their fingers. Shouting from the stage the band was tight and had an Amyl and the Sniffers vibe as they had their young fans screaming and smashing in the pit to "Craig David" and "Cuntology 101".  

Johnny Marr to the Cro-Mags to The Damned - One of the best parts was the ease of access getting around the show. We went from one end to the other in just a few minutes, passing the Young Punks stage in the process. Catching Marr, the Cro-Mags and then The Damned super easily, while having great sightlines and sound for all of them was really nice for a festival. While Marr and The Damned aren't really RtBE's cup of tea, it was fun to catch them live for a few songs. 

Jack White - As huge fans of White, we stayed for the full set, and he delivered. White's recent music is his hardest/most punk to date and he focused on his new No Name songs. The best reactions of course were for his old ones though as "Ball and Biscuit" and "Seven Nation Army" were the best received. 

Marky Ramone -I spent more time than I had planned over at Hilly's Stage catching Marky and crew, as of course all the Ramones songs just sounded right at home at the CBGB Festival. It was fun singing along at the smaller stage with an amped up crowd. 

Iggy Pop - If this show would have been last year, I probably would have skipped Iggy for a second helping of Gorilla Biscuits, but since reviewing his amazing live album this January, I have loved Iggy's newer live sound that is focused on horns and groove. This set was a lot like that album as Pop and company were excellent. Also, because this is a punk show and everything runs late, I managed to catch most of the Gorilla Biscuits, who were the last band playing at the festival.

Overall this Festival was a blast, getting to see some old favorites while also catching a few new acts. Who knows if this will become a yearly event, but the 2025 version of CBGB Festival should get all the props it deserves and to sum it all up:

"A screeching display of total aggression". 

Some video from the festival taken by LiveLensNYC: