Dimly lit tables lined with friendship bracelets, spunky tank tops and pink Hershey’s Kisses are emblematic of the love and joy showcased at Girl Noise on Sunday. The event dedicated to empowering women brought together artists and concertgoers to revel in their shared passion for performance and advocacy.
Girl Noise, “a music festival for girls by girls,” hosted its second concert event at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn. The sold-out show was broadcast live on Radio Free Brooklyn and featured a DJ set by ABBIIZA and a seven-artist lineup — Buffchick, Caitlin Starr, Father Koi, For Opal, Leyla Ebrahimi, Simone and Speedrun — spanning genres from electropop to indie rock. The festival was founded by the artist Simone, whose real name is Simone Lipkin.
“The idea for Girl Noise first came to me at the end of 2024 at a time in my life where I was going through a lot of change and self-discovery,” Lipkin said during her opening remarks at the event. “After years of working in the music industry, I finally summoned the courage and confidence to put my foot down and decide that I would no longer work with anyone who didn’t want me to be exactly who I am.”
Lipkin told WSN that she was inspired by Lilith Fair, an all-female traveling music festival founded in 1997, and the punk-feminist Riot Grrrl movement of the early ’90s. While developing the festival, she talked to friends to gauge interest and receive organizational guidance, culminating in an inaugural concert last June.
“We don’t have huge corporate machines funding this,” Lipkin told WSN. “We’re super committed to making it DIY and from the ground up.”
The Sultan Room’s open concept helped the show feel casual and intimate, ensuring attendees felt comfortable starting conversations and forming friendships. The colorfully lit space also featured photobooths, merch stands, temporary tattoos and local business vendors, including a vintage clothing pop-up by the woman-owned Tired Thrift from Greenpoint.
Opening act and indie singer-songwriter Buffchick’s 25-minute set grounded the night in defiance. Her performance centered on themes of self-worth, with soft and diary-like song “Walk Away” unpacking the experience of leaving a relationship with a male manipulator. Lyrics like “I walk away so you know I deserve more” explore heartbreak and self-respect, encouraging listeners to never settle.
“Girls need to be lifted up more than anybody, especially young girls in the arts,” Buffchick said. “This event is literally going above and beyond.”
Alternative singer and producer Father Koi took the stage shortly after, with a short performance full of energy and electronic production. During her set, she highlighted that fewer than 5% of producers on the Hot 100 were women, a gap that continues to shape whose voices actually get heard.
As the night continued, Girl Noise’s fusion of music and politics became even more pronounced. One of the evening’s most profound performances was a set from emerging indie artist Leyla Ebrahimi, whose work engages with questions of identity. She intensely yelled and jumped up and down throughout her half hour, giving frustration a cathartic energy.
“My project’s inherently political because I’m Iranian, and all the art on my record covers has Farsi on it,” Ebrahimi told WSN. “I try to showcase as much as possible who I am and where I’m from.”
The night also featured a performance by Lipkin herself, whose 30-minute set embodied girlhood through twirls and clap-alongs. Alongside original songs, Lipkin performed a cover of “Who Says” by Selena Gomez, inviting the audience to sing along and transform the performance into a moment of collective nostalgia.
Girl Noise positions the intersection of music and civic engagement as the crux of its mission. To that end, organizations like Headcount — a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to registering voters at music events — encouraged attendees to vote in the November midterm elections. The event also partnered with Tone Shift Collective, a New York-based music organization focused on uplifting gender diversity within the music industry.
All proceeds from the festival directly benefited the Lower East Side Girls Club, a nonprofit that offers free year-round programming and mentoring to girls and gender expansive youth, ensuring the night’s energy followed through with tangible impact. For Lipkin, it was important to channel Girl Noise’s momentum back into the communities it sought to uplift.
“What I hoped to create with Girl Noise was a space for women to be their most unapologetic selves,” Lipkin said. “A space where we could know that we were safe and supported, where everyone, regardless of gender, race or sexuality, could come together in solidarity.”
Contact the Arts desk at [email protected].