Words and images by Marisa Whitaker
Here in New York City, a thriving and robust music scene grows each night by the power of music-loving kids. These regular concert-goers, often hungover and sleep-deprived from last night’s gig, have recently been indulging in a special gathering—one unlike a typical local rock show—that has taken shape on Tuesday nights at Baker Falls.
The space on Allen St., formally Rockwood Music Hall, described by its owner Nick Bodor as a “decrepit-manor in the woods fever-dream alt-rock concept,” feels as cozy a library or a cafe, yet without books and quiet. Especially on Tuesday nights. Every week since January 21, local singer-songwriter and best friend to many amongst the scene, Torture, a.k.a. Anna Kunz, of Torture and The Desert Spiders, helms her residency (which was quickly deemed Torture Tuesdays).
Drink a beer, coffee, tequila soda, or hibiscus tea. Eat a warm taco or giant chocolate chip cookie. Step outside for a cigarette or joint. Come back in, sit down next to friends. Hear a soft-spoken poet, see a drag queen dance to her new trap single, experience an intimate acoustic set by one of the scene’s biggest rock stars. With crowds big or small, you’ll see the camera flashes of six different photographers, hear friends heckling their friends performing, aware you’re watching and taking part in something memorable.
Calvin Rezen, the witty wordsmith frontman of indie rock band Thesaurus Rex, was one of last night’s (March 18) performers. Playfully talking to the crowd in between songs, he likened the gathering to “that movie A Complete Unknown” and “that guy Bob Dylan” who’d hang with his “musician friends like Joan Baez” at places like Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village. I’ve read books and fantasized about the likes of Joni Mitchell, Gram Parsons, and David Crosby late-night jamming at Joni’s in Laurel Canyon. Torture Tuesdays is akin to that for the 2025 NYC music scene—a no frills hub for expression, art, good music, and good people.
The East Coast born-and-bred Torture, who I’ve been calling one of the scene’s best vocalists, has an impressively large roster of friends. When you meet her, you’ll immediately understand why. The outwardly loud and hilarious, yet prolific and kind artist spent over seven years in England, where she also made lots of friends and music. She was a promoter and fell in love with bringing people together.
This residency is her first in the city. Her itch to connect others like she did overseas, and Bodor’s strive to make the bar “an indie space, a social club for weirdos,” made her agreement with Baker Falls mutually beneficial.
Last night was an especially good Torture Tuesday. The stacked bill included some local favorites—writer Christi Graff, various frontmen, including Ryan Wax of Dallas Wax, Rezen, Kenzo Repola of Nautics, Jackson Hamm of Telescreens, and, of course, Torture. All performed unique, stripped-back acoustic sets, a complete contrast for us local kids who regularly see these cats rockin’ with their full bands on stages at Nightclub 101, Baby’s All Right, and Irving Plaza. To see these kids so vulnerably expressing themselves through words and song was undeniably remarkable, and that happens at every Torture Tuesday.
The crowd each week is filled with fans, photographers, writers, band members, and other artists—all of whom are friends or are by the end of the night. The audience is just as much a part of the true essence of Torture Tuesdays as the artists.
Here’s what the performers had to say in the green room about Torture, Torture Tuesdays, the importance of community, and the beautiful night we shared.
Calvin Rezen (Thesaurus Rex): I started in the unplugged world, and it’s so rare to do an unplugged show that feels cool. I was saying this Kenzo and Torture, you really get to learn about people. Sometimes you forget how much expression you can fit into a song. When you see a rock show, you get to know the sound of the band, it’s an art project. When you get to see someone do it unplugged, you’re learning about them.
Torture (Torture and The Desert Spiders): Having my friends perform with me is my favorite thing in the whole world. It’s a total privilege.
Jackson Hamm (Telescreens): I kind of walked up with no plan. I’m happy to be able to play music. It’s the best thing in the world. I wanna produce Torture’s music. That’s what I was thinking tonight. She’s pretty much the only person that would make me go into a studio for something outside of my own band. Torture is a real generational genius that we’re witnessing. Everybody’s lucky to be here. I’m lucky to be here. I think we should play music acoustically every Tuesday night until we’re all dead. I was so inspired by her tonight. It makes me wanna go home right now and just fucking play.
Torture: It’s good to be around people playing music. It’s the best thing for us. It’s the closest thing to religion I’m ever gonna have, so I’m trying to stick with it.
Jackson Hamm: That’s why underground shows are so important. That’s why if you can put on a show, and people will come, if you can do that, then you should do that as much as possible.
Kenzo Repola (Nautics): It was nice to play in front of my friends. I like how much heckling there was tonight. I get more nervous in a small setting, but I can focus on my voice a lot more. Torture’s very popular, she’s got barrels full of charms, and I think that’s gonna take her to the end.
Van Cameron (Nautics): [Standing in the door of the green room] I KNOW YOU KENZO. I FUCKING LOVED YOU BEFORE THIS.
Kenzo Repola: That’s my bassist right there.
Van Cameron: I’M JUST YOUR BASSIST?
Marisa Whitaker: Summarize Torture Tuesdays in five words.
Kenzo Repola: Many friends expressing love together.
Marisa Whitaker: Who was your favorite performer tonight?
Kenzo Repola: If I don’t say Torture that’s kind of bad. … As a new person, Thesaurus Rex was new for me.
Marisa Whitaker: He’s right here. [Behind us]
Kenzo Repola: I’ve seen Calvin in a different context, and it was nice to see him in a small space. It made me focus more on his lyricism, presence, and voice.
Calvin Rezen: This was my first time seeing Kenzo do an acoustic set. I was struck by how truly beautiful his voice is. Things like that get lost in the sauce when you’re fully plugged in.
Marisa Whitaker: Any final words?
Kenzo Repola: You should start a band if you’re thinking about it. Make music and perform. Anybody who’s worried or anxious about it, just do an open mic or something. Perform for people because that’s how you get better. Do not make music alone in your room. That’s a waste of time. Make music with your friends and perform it for them. [Go see Nautics headline at Mercury Lounge on April 19.]
Christi Graff: I’ve been writing ever since I was born. I write every day. There’s such a beautiful mix of artists at Torture Tuesdays, and she’s just a really good person that you should support. If you give your money to anyone here, I feel like it should go to her. Being in such an intimate space is really special. I feel like we need more of that because we’re so preoccupied. Everything is so fast paced and faceless, and this is a time where you can actually look in the face of the person sitting next to you and talk to them.
Marisa Whitaker: If someone walked in here and didn’t know what was going on, how would you explain Torture Tuesdays to them?
Christi Graff: Alcohol, loud music, laughter, possible exposure if she’s wearing a skirt, and good people. [Stay tuned for Christi’s upcoming music, and check out her art exhibit on April 5 at Russell Janis Gallery.]
Ryan Wax (Dallas Wax): When I perform solo, I get to play stuff that I don’t really get to play with the band. I get to be a little more personal with myself. I like testing songs out on people.
I brought my brother out, who hadn’t seen a lot of these people play before, and he was like, “I just can’t believe how good everyone is. It’s a Tuesday night at a 100-cap venue.” I had a realization of that same thing about halfway through. If I was someone who just walked by this bar, walked in, and didn’t know anything, I’d be blown away. I am already blown away, and I know these people, and I’ve seen them play a bunch of times. You see how talented they are, and then they’re also some of the best people you know too.
I met Torture at TV Eye. It was one of those things where you meet a person, and you instantly are so comfortable around each other. I think Torture is like that with a lot of people. You meet her, and you love her instantly.
It’s good that we get to play these shows together because I think soon we’ll be spread out all over the world. Everyone who played tonight is gonna have such a bright future.
Torture: It’s different every week. I rotate through different ideas rather than just putting together a bill. I don’t put anyone on the bill who couldn’t be the headliner. This week was all lead singers of rock bands. That was cool for me to do because I’ve been doing a lot of folk and pop nights, and it just worked out that everyone wanted to play this week. I think it’s hitting people’s ears now that it’s happening, and I think people want to be a part of it, which is really cool. Your best bet to get booked is to come here, show me a song or whatever it is you do and are working on. It’s a very curated night, but very open to all things. I’d really like more hip hop, experimental, folk, and country. People want to play, and I want them to play.
Marisa Whitaker: How do you have so many friends?
Torture: I don’t. I play a lot. I love music and art. I go see people play. Because it’s not about me. It’s about them. It’s about us. It’s always been about us.
I think we get stuck in loops of certain things in our lives because they’re either comfortable or safe or they’re working. When something really doesn’t work, when we get something that works, we don’t wanna leave it. I want my friends who are married to come out to a proto-punk show. I want my friends who are viciously single to go out and sit with their married friends at a bar. I want all these different types of people from different cultures to come out and listen to music, whether you understand the language or not.
I’m lucky right now that people give a fuck enough about me that they’re willing to buy into the idea that it could be cool to spend your Tuesday night not ripped at a party or home alone, but somewhere in between. Come sober. Eat a bagel. Get ripped. Come enjoy artists and shut up when they’re performing.
Marisa Whitaker: If aliens walked in here, how would you explain Torture Tuesdays?
Torture: The aliens would fuck with it, the pilgrims would not.
******
Torture and the Desert Spiders headline Mercury Lounge next month on April “hump day” the 16th, playing with Long and Stars Revenge.
You know what to do…
