Live Review: Hiatus Kaiyote at Brooklyn Paramount (2024-07-02)
The brilliant Aussie foursome stops by Brooklyn Paramount fresh off the release of their new album Love Heart Cheat Code
Event Details:
Date: July 2, 2024
Venue: Brooklyn Paramount (Brooklyn)
Ticket Price: $59
Artists: Hiatus Kaiyote
I don’t remember how I discovered Hiatus Kaiyote but they are one of those bands that you hear and think, “What is this? I need more!” The more I dove in, the more I was able to admire what they were creating and then I saw them perform live for the first time last year and it left me in awe for weeks. Lead singer and guitarist, Nai Palm, needs no introduction and her presence is felt as soon as she walks into the room. She just exudes cool and I think she is a generational talent that we should all witness while we can. The rest of the band are phenomenal too, with Simon Mavin on keys, Bender on bass and Perrin Moss on drums, who plays these incredible J Dilla-inspired beats and in my opinion is the driving force that everything builds from. Needless to say, there was no chance in hell I was missing the show at Brooklyn Paramount tonight.
I generally see them classified as a neo-soul group but one of the things that stands out the most to me when listening to their music is the wide range of musical influences they are able to mix together and produce something totally innovative. You might hear jazz, soul, hip-hop and psychedelia elements in the same song but it sounds so natural. I am not sure if any of them are classically trained; just a bunch of sick Aussies from Melbourne.
I’m also starting to appreciate having Brooklyn Paramount within 10-minutes walking distance from my apartment and I cut out of work a bit early to make my way to the venue so I could get in line to ensure myself a spot close to the stage. There is a weird childish joy about getting to a show early to wait in line so you can be close to your favorite bands. It was a toasty wait in the sun, with window AC units dripping on us from above but it was all worth it once I made my way inside and found a nice spot against the front barricade.
The opener ended up being Clever Austin, Perrin’s alias he produces music under, and played a cool little electronic set. The beats he played were very hip-hop centered and had some nice moments. I could definitely imagine someone rapping over them while he was playing them for us.
Thirty minutes between sets and the anticipation for Hiatus Kaiyote was building. Once the lights finally went down around 8:30 PM, and they pulled the curtains back to reveal the stage, the crowd went wild with piercing screams as they began the set with the first song off their new album, “Dreamboat”. It was a perfect song to open with and I was overcome with joy seeing everyone finally on stage once again. Nai Palm was flashing those contagious smiles of hers and her voice was immaculate, as she somehow takes it to a whole other level live.
The band was grooving until about five or six songs in when they stopped the show because two ladies in the front row were getting into a shoving match. Of all the shows I would expect a fight to break out, Hiatus Kaiyote was certainly one of the last. This band is nothing but good vibes and everyone around me was having a great time, so it befuddled me to think things got so tense they had to stop the show to deal with, and for much longer than it should have taken to squash the whole thing. Luckily, the band handled it well and got right back into the set without missing a beat. I think the crowd helped make up for it and gave the band some incredible energy for the rest of the show.
I enjoyed watching everyone in the band add their element to create an unbreakable connection and they were super tight. I purposely chose to stand center-left so I could watch Perrin chop it up on the drums and I am so glad I was able to see him do his thing up close. His beats are so tasty and he looks so effortless playing them. The two things that stood out to me were his use of the cymbals and how he utilizes his electronic drum kit to seamlessly weave in those digital sounds with the natural acoustics of his drum kit. I also had a great view of Simon on the keys and have a new admiration for the texture he adds. Usually the drums and bass hold the band together but I think it actually leans more on the drums and keys in Hiatus Kaiyote with the bass adding volume and a sense fullness to the music.
Of course, the star of the evening was Nai Palm and she was electric. She was put on this earth to make music and I am so glad I was able to see her put on a performance like she did tonight. As I said, her voice was even better than you could imagine and she plays with such great emotion that it spills out onto the crowd, or in some cases her backup singers. After “Building a Ladder” I noticed one of the backup singers having an emotional moment and one of her fellow singers consoling her. As they began the next song, Nai Palm went over to her, knelt down, kissed her cheek and embraced her. It was a very touching moment and shows you what kind of person she is. Full of love and appreciation for life!
They could have played any number of songs and I would have been perfectly content but they played many of their big hits and a good amount of new stuff. There were so many good moments from start to finish and I felt like I was smiling the entire time. They played about 19 or 20 songs altogether and close to two hours. Another epic show in the books and a truly spectacular evening with one of my favorite bands.
Cheers and keep rocking!