Wunderhorse Delivers Raw Emotion and Energy to Brooklyn’s Warsaw
Few bands give performances that stay with you long after the show is over, the kind that almost feel capable of altering your brain chemistry. Wunderhorse is one of those bands. Their live performance is so raw and emotionally charged that rather than just watch, you feel it right along with them.
Hailing from the UK, the four-piece is fronted by Jacob Slater, whose hauntingly beautiful vocals and grungy guitar riffs have helped Wunderhorse build a devoted following since the band’s formation in 2020. That devotion was evident before the band even took the stage at Brooklyn’s Warsaw on Monday night, as a line of fans wrapped around the building.
Then the rain came.
A heavy downpour soaked the crowd as they waited outside, prompting one person in line to laugh and say, “Can you feel the rain?”—a reference to “Rain,” one of Wunderhorse’s most popular songs from their 2024 album Midas. Yes, the crowd could definitely feel the rain!
BEEN STELLAR
Inside, the night began with Been Stellar. Their moody indie-rock sound filled the nearly packed room beneath a stage lit almost entirely in deep greens and blues, creating an atmospheric introduction to the night. Many fans had clearly come as much for Been Stellar as they had for Wunderhorse. Up front, fans held signs for drummer Gigi, declaring their love and asking for her drumsticks, while frontman Sam Slocum’s dreamy vocals carried through the room as he clung to his microphone, a tambourine slung around his arm.
WUNDERHORSE
By the time Wunderhorse took the stage, Warsaw was packed wall to wall. Moving through the crowd was nearly impossible, and you could feel the crowd’s anticipation. They opened with “Midas,” immediately establishing the dark, brooding atmosphere that would define much of the set. The crowd was enthusiastic but initially restrained, with a surprisingly wide range of ages represented in the room including young children standing alongside their parents. It was a fitting reminder of just how broadly Wunderhorse’s music resonates.
The band played for a little over an hour, drawing from both of their albums while also introducing two unreleased songs, “Kerosene” and “Promises.” Extended introductions to “Superman” and other crowd favorites gave the songs room to breathe and build, but one of the night’s biggest surprises came midway through the set when the band veered from the setlist for a cover of “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory” by New York punk legend Johnny Thunders.
Slater’s voice was particularly well suited to the song, bringing a rawness and vulnerability that made the cover feel completely natural. Hearing Wunderhorse take on a song by one of New York’s most legendary rock figures, right in the heart of Brooklyn, was a fitting nod to the city’s rich musical history. It was also one of those unexpected moments that made the set feel uniquely personal to the city they were playing in.
As the set progressed, the energy in the room steadily intensified. Small mosh pits began forming throughout the crowd, growing larger and more frequent as the band pushed toward the end of the set. Then came “Rain.”
If the crowd had been holding anything back, it was gone.
The entire room erupted. A circle pit consumed much of the venue before eventually collapsing back into one enormous sea of people, all jumping together as the band tore through the final song. It was chaotic, sweaty and the kind of moment that makes a live show feel like something more than simply a band playing songs for an audience.
After the show, I happened to catch a glimpse of Slater as he was led through the merch room and into another part of the venue. His expression said everything. He looked completely depleted, as though he had given every last ounce of himself to the performance and had nothing left to spare.
And perhaps that is exactly what makes Wunderhorse so compelling live.
For a little over an hour, Slater poured everything into the music, delivering each song with an intensity that felt completely authentic. There was no unnecessary banter between songs. Instead, Wunderhorse gave the audience an hour of straight-ahead, emotionally charged rock music, with extended intros and outros that allowed the songs to evolve in real time.
Nothing felt rehearsed for the sake of spectacle. Nothing felt like a performance being held at arm’s length. Slater seemed to inhabit every song, giving each one something slightly different and leaving nothing behind when the final note was played.
By the time he disappeared backstage, he looked like someone who had just given his entire body and soul to the stage.
He probably had.