Chanel Beads Plays Surprise Warmup Gig in Ridgewood

Chanel Beads Plays Surprise Warmup Gig in Ridgewood

By Tobias Hess
Oct 01, 2025

A lot has changed since PAPER last spoke to Chanel Beads (Shane Lavers) in April 2024.

Since his debut album, Your Day Will Come, came out via Jagjaguwar that spring, the Brooklyn-based musician has expanded his audience a few times over and traveled the world as both a headliner and an opener for a steadily heightening pantheon of artists (Mount Kimbie, Maria Sommerville, and select dates on Lorde’s landmark Virgin tour).

Tonight, Lavers, alongside bandmates Zachary Paul (violin), Maya McGrory (vocals/guitar) and Tchad Cousins (electronics/percussion), will have the rare experience of playing New York City’s own Madison Square Garden before Lorde takes the stage. But first, the band warmed up with a surprise show at Intercom in Ridgewood that was raising money for the Sameer Project in Gaza.

A dedicated throng of fans lined up well before doors opened for a chance at attending the intimate showcase. Car Culture opened with a DJ set, followed by Voyeur, who tore up the stage in a fit of distortion and percussive devolution.

When Chanel Beads came on, it became clear that the band’s live show too has developed in new and exciting ways. Their music, a dense mist of reverb-washed violin, guitar and cymbals, hits like a wave, sharp and totalizing. And their performance has become notably physical, with Lavers and Cousins coming into the crowd in moves that are half-mosh, half-stumble.

Lavers hit his mic against his head throughout the show, which resulted in a small amount of blood oozing from his forehead. The vibe of the move wasn’t so punk as it was dogged, a kid punching a slab of clay until it forms into shape.

Amidst the intensity, the crowd was leaned in, singing along to every word and enthralled, even as the room’s heat turned the experience into an almost medicinal shvitz.

In addition to playing scene hits like “Police Scanner” and “Ef,” Chanel Beads played a few select new songs, including “The Coward Forgets His Nightmare,” released last night.

The track is one of Lavers’ more uptempo tunes, and has a singsong quality that contrasts with his epic (at times, tragic) storytelling. “When you’re out there running with disease in your feet/ Thought the music would save you/ Like it saved me I pray the world will show you mercy,” he sings in his now signature tuned-up exaltation over a bed of squeaky guitars and simple organ thrums.

"I think I accidentally cursed myself at some point and I don’t know if I should ignore it or confront it,” Lavers shared in a statement connected to the song's release. “Written and recorded quickly, vaping too much ... exploring bad health. Brought to life with Maya [McGrory] and Zach [Schwartz] and stitched up with Mr. Carlson [Al Carlson]. Dedicated to the love we are given."

Lucky attendees of the MSG show tonight will get to feel that love on a grander scale, but the intimate energy of the warm-up show had its own unique power.

Photography: Caroline Safran

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