Haitus Kaiyote Review by Jessie Branch

HIATUS KAIYOTE

            The first moment that I heard Hiatus Kaiyote I was in love. A friend played their song, "Jekyll" for me on the floor of my living room. I remember I had to lie down because the sweet complexity of the lead singer, Nai Palm, combined with the incredible jazz-infused stylings of the pianist and impeccably elaborate rhythm section melted my bones. The voice of the lead singer is filled with so much emotion, clearly so much love; she becomes the music as she lets it escape her. When I found out Hiatus Kaiyote's world tour would bring them to New York City while I was in town, I immediately bought my ticket.

            Upon arriving at Gramercy Theatre 30 minutes prior to doors opening, I realized I was not alone in my hope to stand up front. The line already wrapped around the building and consisted mostly of younger people, between the ages of 15-35. The inside of the theatre has seating for roughly 150 people and standing room for about another 350 more, and the show was sold out so every space was taken. The opening band wound up being an amazing group from Brooklyn called Phony Ppl, a collective of musicians who played keys, bass, drums, and guitar, with both rap and song laid over the top. All of the musicians were incredibly talented and the songs were catchy. My only complaint is that the lead singers' vocals should have been turned up a little louder.

            As soon as Nai Palm and Hiatus Kaiyote took the stage, the crowd's intensity skyrocketed. We felt the energy of the performance; we felt the excitement to see such a great band. They played mostly songs off of their upcoming album, Choose Your Weapon, including "Breathing Underwater", "Molasses", "Laputa", "Swamp Thing", and "By Fire". They also played their biggest hit from their previous album, "Nakamarra". After the very first song, an interlude with which I was unfamiliar, Palm's guitar began experiencing some technical difficulties (no sound was coming from the guitar). Being the multi-instrumentalist that she is, Palm improvised and decided to play "Jekyll" on keys. I was blown away--the song begins with just her voice and the piano and gradually the other instruments join in. Those first moments with just voice and piano were absolutely stunning.

            After her guitar began functioning again, I noticed the deep connection between herself and the pianist for the band, Simon. They were in constant communication, and I could see the awe they had for each other's musical talents. At one point during an especially brilliant solo by Simon, Nai Palm took a seat on top of her amplifier and enjoyed the music with the crowd. It was amazing to see her so blatantly give up the spotlight--she is unlike any lead vocalist I have seen. She is making music for the love of the craft, and sharing it openly with the members of her band and the audience. I was so grateful to be able to experience this live, it is a concert that I will never forget.