NGHTCRWLR: OZ, After Dark

For Kris Esfandiari, performance isn’t separate from environment - she builds worlds around it. On a cold night in New York, that world took shape as an Emerald City: part ritual, part concert, part gathering of chosen family. What unfolded was more than a show - it was a lived extension of NGHTCRWLRs latest album “OZ”: theatrical, intimate, and deliberately constructed outside the usual structures of nightlife.

Working largely on her own terms, Esfandiari moves between isolation and orchestration - producing her own events, pulling collaborators from her inner circle, and treating performance as a space for transformation rather than presentation.

In conversation ahead of the night - and in reflection after - Kris speaks on sovereignty, community, and the quiet discipline behind building something that feels, even briefly, like its own twisted reality.

PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO NATALIA MANTINI @nataliamantini
INTERVIEW JESPER GUDBERGSEN @yessirjesper
STYLING KRIS ESFANDIARI @nghtcrwlrtv
HAIR MARI @mari4l3jandra
MAKEUP JOHANNA NOMIEY @johannanomiey @homeagency using @submission.beauty
SPECIAL THANKS TO NASA HADIZADEH @nasa_nasa_nasa__ @party_girls_never_die_ YEAR0001 @year0001online

PART 1 - The Before 

When you’re preparing for something like this, where do you go mentally?
I can’t really go anywhere because I usually produce my own shows… I guess that is preparation - getting everything in place. But delegating can be more work than doing it yourself. I learned that the hard way.

What are you most excited about tonight?
My best friend slash wife, Hayden [aka Ethel Cain] is driving in for the night… We’ll be the Wizard and Dorothy making out on stage. Jae from Boy Harsher and Alex/Eartheater are coming as well. We’re all good friends, and I wanted them to be a part of this night.
I’m so happy we get to spend time together. Legendary ladies, this group.

I’ve had this vision for a long time, so I’m excited to see how the space comes to life… I don’t feel like this record is meant to just be a normal performance - it’s supposed to be a whole theatrical experience.

When and how did you start planning this event?
A few months ago. I was with Nasa [Hadizadeh] - she runs Party Girls Never Die and is doing this event with me - and we ended up having this really deep conversation while on acid. We were talking about my song “Oz,” and she was like, there’s something about it that feels really important.

I told her my idea of building an Emerald City, taking it around the world, doing something special for the record. I didn’t want it to be music as usual. Since we both do events, she was like, “I want to do this with you.”

Later, we were with David, a close friend, and that’s when it all came together. We were like, okay: let’s actually do this. We had a meeting, and I knew going into it that it would be a lot of work. I was trying to mentally prepare. But Nasa was like, “let’s just fucking do it.” So we did.

Now we’re here. I just hope nothing goes wrong and that people have fun. More than anything, I hope it inspires people to reach for the stars and do more interesting events in New York… not just shows as usual.

What do you think about nightlife in New York right now?
Well, truthfully, I’m a homebody and I don’t go out too much. So I can’t speak on the full scope,  I only see it through my own view. I’m either completely alone / with a few close friends - OR I’m throwing a huge party. Those are my modes.  But I will say that I try to create events that I would like to see.

On Valentine’s Day I did two back-to-back stripped-down sets with a live shibari performance in the middle of the room… It was incredible.

In general, I want things to feel more interactive… not just a show as usual. I want people to leave feeling like…”I can do anything that I think up in my mind.”

I want people to leave feeling like…”I can do anything that I think up in my mind.”

Who do you hope feels welcome tonight? Who do you hope is coming tonight?
Anybody. That’s what I love about my shows is I see all types of people. I see older people, I see younger people - I just see people from all walks of life and I never want people to feel excluded.

Unless they’re a creepy man. I want the creepy men to feel excluded, for sure.

I want everyone to feel safe and welcome at the events I throw - to just have a great time. I just love seeing people having a great time.

How do you think about the people you bring into your work?
They’re my best friends. Eartheater is one of my best friends. Ethel Cain is my wife. Jae from Boy Harsher is a close collaborator - we’ve worked together for years.

I see myself and my friends in these characters. And I want them involved - if we’re celebrating, we’re all artists, so I’d rather have them performing alongside me than bringing in random people. It’s not even just a community,  it’s deeper than that.
I don’t know if “sisterhood” is the right word, but…

Alex [Eartheater], for example - she’s like a wise serpent to me. When I need advice, I go to her. She has this depth, this almost ancient wisdom. She sees things I wouldn’t think of. I hear her voice in my head all the time when I’m dealing with music.
She’s one of the greatest artists of our time - a genius, truly.

And Hayden [Ethel Cain] - she’s my muse. She’s the only person I really want to impress. I’m usually competing with myself, but sometimes I’ll think, “Would Hayden think this is cool?” She’s just the coolest - completely herself, all heart.

Did you all come up together?
Not exactly. I’ve been doing this for a long time. There was a point where Hayden was opening for me at St. Vitus, and I told her, “You’re going to be playing stadiums.” I knew it.

I was in one of Jae’s first music videos. She messaged me on Facebook, I listened on the way back from tour, and I was like - wow. I went to her show, we became friends, and I ended up in her video for “Motion.”

We’ve all been collaborating for years. She’s an incredible writer and director. I’m really proud of her - proud of all of us.

We have a really special group. Everyone works hard, everyone supports each other, no one’s competitive. It’s rare.

It’s about becoming a sovereign person… a master of your own reality. Not outsourcing your power to anybody else.

Where does the theatricality in your work come from?

I grew up on musicals — Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, The King and I, Wizard of Oz. That definitely shaped me, probably more than I like to admit. It’s why everything I do leans theatrical, dramatic.

But my dad really taught me everything I know about music. He used to build his own sound systems and speakers. The older I get, the more I realize he was the coolest fucking guy - I get all my swag from him.

He introduced me to Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, The Doors - and then Iranian disco. At the same time, we were deep in church, listening to a lot of Christian music, and not really allowed to listen to what they called “secular” music. So I had to sneak it.

But my dad had his own music room where he’d listen to whatever he wanted. He’d put me in a pitch-black room and make me sit and listen to the speakers, asking, “what do you hear?” At the time I didn’t get it. Now I look back and I’m like — he really shaped me, in a massive way.

How does all of this connect to your performance?
It’s about becoming a sovereign person… a master of your own reality. Not outsourcing your power to anybody else.

Having that dichotomy growing up, how do you think that influenced your art?
I don’t know. I like who I am. I really appreciate everything that happened to me. I feel like it made me who I am — and I like who I am. Not an issue for me.

Do you still have a relationship with religion?
No, I’m not religious. I’m spiritual, but no - I definitely would not consider myself religious.I’m sorry, but a lot of these religions worship men. Why would I ever worship a man? I’m sorry, no.But spirituality - yeah. I have my practices, but it’s very private for me.

PART 2 - The After 

With some time and distance from the event - what has stayed with you the most?
Hayden driving from Virginia on a whim dressed in a damn Dorothy costume. I was super stressed before doors opened and when I saw her face it just melted away. I don’t feel it would have been a fraction as fun without her presence. We ended up improvising on the makeout at the end of “Emerald City” which is similar to a scene in the music video.

Was there a moment that felt different from what you imagined it?

In the best way: being behind the DJ booth with all of my close friends crammed together chain smoking until 3 AM. I didn’t think it would feel so connected. Everyone played an incredible set. I had tears in my eyes. It was such an amazing feeling having loved ones involved and celebrating with me.

Do you feel different now than you did before the show - if so, in what way?
I most def do. The performance was a pretty personal ritual for me. It was my first time playing the record live in the US, and was technically my record release show.

What part of the night felt the most real to you?
Performing with my dancer Christina Torres. We had some sound issues so we had to scrap our initial idea because I couldn’t really step out onto the floor without my vocals feeding back so crazy. We ended up improvising and it was even more raw and incredible than I could’ve imagined. 

What are you still thinking about?
How we managed to pull all of that off.

@NGHTCRWLRTV