Building a reputation for their explosive live shows, Low Cut Connie exceeded all expectations on Thursday, March 6, 2025, delivering an unforgettable night of raunchy rock ‘n’ roll at the legendary Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock. With a sweaty and electrifying mix of unrelenting energy, gritty sound, and an over-the-top theatrical performance, the Philadelphia-based band had the crowd captivated from the very start.
After taking their places on stage to the walk out tune of “Don’t Bogart That Joint,” Low Cut Connie quickly got things cooking with the title track of 2020’s Private Lives, followed up by “All These Kids Are Way Too High,” and then arguably the bands most well-known song “Rio,” which tops Spotify streams with nearly 8 million clicks. Dressed in a custom-airbrushed white blazer and his signature hot cockroach-killer shoes made by Toribia Choque, frontman Adam Weiner was an absolute force of nature that commanded your attention and performed as if his life depended on it.
Low Cut Connie, who got their name after being inspired by a waitress they met in southern New Jersey, is a band that thrives on the pure, unruly spirit of rock ‘n’ roll. Fusing elements of rhythm and blues, soul, punk, and classic rock, their sound draws heavily from the glories of the 1970s New York City music scene, influenced by the city’s gritty, no-holds-barred approach to song craft and performance. This isn’t just a band that plays—they throw themselves into their music, creating an all-consuming live experience that channels the chaotic energy of rocks sleazier days.
Described by some as “Seventies Stones (but dirtier), the New York Dolls (but tighter) and Jerry Lee Lewis (but Andy Frasco-ier), Low Cut Connie is clearly a student of the game. A melting pot of vintage influences that also include the likes of Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis, Prince, Iggy Pop and Bruce Springsteen, what truly sets Low Cut Connie apart is the electrifying energy of band mastermind Adam Weiner-a showman in the truest sense. Injecting charisma into every note, every gesture, and every moment, Weiner’s unrelenting stage antics was less about perfect technicality and more about the raw feeling—the kind of thing that connects you with the music on a visceral level. Every song was an invitation to lose oneself in the cathartic, joyous release of rock ‘n’ roll.
After working their way through provocative numbers like “Death & Destruction,” “Dirty Water,” “Sleaze Me On,” and “Big Boy,” the sweat really started to fly on “The Fuckin You Get For the Fuckin You Got,” and the emphatic “Revolution Rock n Roll.” True to form, Weiner spent much of the show dancing and sweating on top of his piano, a characteristic move that defined the evening’s high-octane performance. With all kink and no shame, Low Cut Connie continued on with outsider anthems like “Now You Know,” “Nobody Else Will Believe You,” and “Whips & Chains” from the bands most recent studio album, 2023’s ART DEALERS, before the band members would leave Adam on stage for the solo portion of set.
Speaking candidly to the crowd, Weiner told a humorous tale about one of the lovely Levon Helm staff members naming their pet cat Connie after him, before deciding to play something a little more appropriate for Woodstock, a piano cover of Bob Dylan’s “You Ain’t Going Nowhere”. Pausing to remove a piece of gum that was discovered on top of his piano, Weiner would then open up about a life changing New York Dolls concert he attended over twenty years ago. Having a profound impact and showing him how to be fearless on stage, Adam would dedicate “Heart of Gold” to the Dolls frontman David Johansen, calling him one of the greatest rock n’ roll performers who ever lived. Saying, “He wrote songs about misfits, but they were romantic songs. He had so much love in his heart. For the people on the fringes. The New York Dolls forever.”
Keeping things introspective, Adam would further reflect on the time he spent living in Queens, NY. Writing songs about the people he would meet in the “awful” neighborhood he lived in, he would say “Everyone I knew hated coming to visit me because the neighborhood was so bad, but I loved every second of it. I met so many crazy people, beautiful people, fucked up people. And I wrote this song and played it for the band I was in and they said it ‘was too dark’ so I put it in a closet for 20 years. Many years later I started a band called Low Cut Connie and I got to do all those songs that had been rejected. The weird songs, the fucked-up songs. This one is called “Charyse.”
After it’s haunting conclusion, the rest of the band would rejoin Adam to gradually pick up the pace on “Take Me to the Place.” Following “Beverly,“ Weiner would ditch the piano for some guitar playing on a powerful rendition of “If I Die” and a rocking ride through “Me n Annie.” Raising the energy level in the storied barn to uncharted heights, “I Don’t Understand You” and “Shake It Little Tina” perhaps served as the highpoint of the show. Featuring full body torqueing, back-breaking arches and jumping high kicks, how the band was able to find this much spunk so deep in the set was anyone’s guess.
Constantly blurring gender roles within the band, Weiner’s larger-than-life persona was never about adhering to traditional expectations; it was about dismantling them. The androgynous, performative aspects of glam rock serve as a foundation for Weiner’s stage persona, which is at once powerful, vulnerable, and explosive. The band’s ability to blend these influences with their own unique sound gives them a distinctly modern take on the old-school rock show. Completely drenched in sweat after giving it their all, Low Cut Connie would conclude the night with Adam ripping off his shirt in the irresistible black sheep anthem, “Big Thighs, NJ.”
An evening filled with unrestrained energy, electrifying musicianship, and a rawness that transported the audience to another time and place, Low Cut Connie’s performance at Levon Helm Studios was nothing short of an instant classic. The intimate venue, which holds deep cultural significance as a place for both musical innovation and celebration, was the perfect environment for a band that thrives on engaging their audience with this kind of relentless, heart-thumping energy. Successfully channeling the grittiness of the 70’s NYC punk and glam scenes while pushing the boundaries of modern rock, it’s easy to see why this band has emerged as one of the most thrilling and unpredictable acts in live music today.
For anyone who doubts that rock music still has the power to move people, Low Cut Connie will only need one hour of your time to change your frame of mind. Based on their ambitious upcoming touring schedule that sees dates booked all the through September, fans in New York won’t have to wait long to get their next fix. The band is set to play Buffalo’s Town Ballroom on May 21st, Daryl’s House in Pawling on June 15th, and The Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, NY on August 3rd. If you still can’t get enough of Connie, be sure to check out the new critically acclaimed roc-documentary Art Dealers for a deeper dive into the band’s history and context to the influences that shape their ever-evolving sound.
Low Cut Connie | March 6, 2025 | Levon Helm Studios | Woodstock, NY
Setlist: Private Lives, All These Kids Are Way Too High, Rio, Death & Destruction, Dirty Water, Help Me, Sleaze Me On, Big Boy, Fuckin You Get, Revolution Rock n Roll, Now You Know, Nobody Else Will Believe You, Whips & Chains,
Adam Solo: You Ain’t Going Nowhere (Bob Dylan cover), Heart of Gold (David Johansen/New York Dolls cover), Charyse,
Take Me To the Place, Beverly, If I Die, Me n Annie, I Don’t Understand You, Controversy, Shake It Little Tina, Big Thighs, NJ.
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