Space Bacon returned to Brooklyn Bowl last Saturday, a common occurrence for the veteran jamtronica band formed 12 years ago in Brooklyn and bred in the scene surrounding the beloved Williamsburg venue/bowling alley.

But this night was different: After serving as a supporting act for [Br]eaking [Bi]scuits, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Spafford, Papadosio, and Perpetual Groove at the venue and spending countless other nights there as fans (drummer Sam Crespo even worked at the venue for a time as its Lead Bowling Technician), this marked Space Bacon’s Brooklyn Bowl headlining debut.

“Nine years ago, I was just beginning my tenure working at Brooklyn Bowl, having been a patron since early 2011,” Crespo said ahead of the show. “As I had the privilege of experiencing such immense talent and incredible moments, I dreamed of performing on that stage as a headliner. Space Bacon has received so much love and support from all of you over these years. We are so truly appreciative beyond words. Every ticket you’ve purchased; every article of merch; every stream of our shows. You’ve shown us, time and again, that there really is no limit to what this project can achieve.”

“Escape From New York” by John Carpenter filled the room as four members of Space Bacon—Crespo, Chris Gironda (keyboards), Kevin LeGall (bass), and Fred Rylands (guitar)—took their places on the Brooklyn Bowl stage. Big smiles filled the room as the large mass of family, friends, and fans the band has been gathering for years converged under the venue’s iconic disco ball for an evening of jamtronic exploration.

The performance kicked off with “Computervision”, setting the tone for the energy-packed evening. The segment evolved to a tech-house jam that eventually dissipated into “Faded” by Zhu, then morphed again into “Stare Into The Sun”, the vocoder-laced Space Bacon original inspired by a past improvisation in Lancaster, PA. A kosher Bacon classic, “Yiddish Spinach”, rounded out the opening segment.

Space Bacon – “Faded” (Zhu) > “Stare Into The Sun” [Pro-Shot] – Brooklyn Bowl – 9/20/25

The next stretch leaned into the strong connection Space Bacon has forged with its fans through the years—whether they flew in to catch the band, made long road trips, or casually took the L train to Bedford Avenue. While it started with tongue-in-cheek favorite “Bring Home the Bacon”, it soon shifted to another vocals-centric funk tune, “Teamwork”. Whichever chorus Fred Rylands happened to be singing at a given moment, the crowd was there to assist with the other.

Guest vocalist Elizabeth Murray—a modern-day warrior with a mean, mean stride—took the stage from there and commanded the crowd on a cover of Rush’s iconic “Tom Sawyer” which was elevated by Crespo’s impressive Neil Peart impression behind the kit.

Space Bacon w/ Elizabeth Murray – “Tom Sawyer” (Rush) [Pro-Shot] – 9/20/25 

No classic Space Bacon set is complete without an early-days jam vehicle like “Flamethrower”, which began the show’s final and most exploratory act. More digitized Gironda vocals followed on the dancefloor heater “LFOD” (Live Free or Die), another song whose origins date back to past spontaneous creations (this time, per the title, from New Hampshire).

Rather than closing the set on the proverbial dancefloor, however, Space Bacon opted for a head-banging finale, “ClownSlayer”, one of the newest, heaviest, and most invigorating songs in the band’s arsenal.

The set was over, but the crowd wanted more. After some deliberation behind the curtain, the band returned to the stage to encore with one of its earliest tunes, “Hollow Man”, before turning up the disco ball again and diving back into a reprise of “Flamethrower” to leave the audience dancing.

Years of motivation and weeks of planning paid off—an incredible evening in the books for a band that started in the city that never sleeps.

A soundboard audio recording of Space Bacon’s headlining debut at Brooklyn Bowl from 9/20/25 is now available to purchase or stream on nugs here. Stay tuned to the band’s YouTube channel for a full, high-definition video of the performance. Until then, view the setlist and a gallery of photos from the memorable night below via Ken Spielman.

Space Bacon has been having a particularly busy year in 2025. Highlights have included teaming up with The Disco Biscuits‘ Jon Barber in the Biscuits’ motherland of Philadelphia and laying down buzzed-about sets at Tennessee’s CaveJam, Washington’s Re/Evolution Festival, and Lotus’ Summerdance Festival at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Ohio.

Looking beyond the Brooklyn Bowl headlining hometown throw-down, Space Bacon will perform a number of other late-2025 dates including stops at Baltimore, MD’s The 8×10 (10/4), Bridgeport, CT’s Park City Music Hall (10/24), Asheville, NC’s Third Room (11/22), Chicago, IL’s Garcia’s Chicago‘s with Dizgo (12/5), and Indianapolis, IN’s The Mousetrap (12/6). Find a full list of upcoming Space Bacon tour dates here. Follow the band on social media here for more updates.

Setlist: Space Bacon | Brooklyn Bowl | Brooklyn, NY | 9/20/25
Set: Intro, Computervision > Stare Into the Sun > Yiddish Spinach, Bring Home The Bacon > Teamwork, Tom Sawyer (Rush), Flamethrower > LFOD > Clownslayer
Encore: Hollow Man, Flamethrower