By Calli Ferguson | December 07, 2023
📸: shot by Nicole Guillen
As we walked into The Hall at Elsewhere on November 16th, we immediately noticed a foliage-coated stage at the front of the room. One that, as it turned out, would create the perfect canvas for LEISURE’S wonderful Brooklyn show, a stop on their Leisurevision tour. As our anticipation grew, jungle sounds began reverberating through the venue, and the musicians, who were decked out in turtle necks and bucket hats, took to the stage.
The group opened with “Always” – the first track on their latest release album, Leisurevision. A chorus of ooo’s echoed through the audience the moment Djeisan Suskov opened his mouth. The lead singer/guitarist’s voice was silky and soft with a firm power behind it. The band’s performance could almost have been a recording if it weren’t for the pulsating energy the six-piece band, who referred to themselves as “New Zealand’s best boyband,” brought to the Elsewhere space.
LEISURE’s percussion section leaned into the tropicalia of the Leisurevision aesthetic, with sounds of maracas, bongos, and tambourines throughout the set. When it all came together in front of the neon backdrop, LEISURE delivered psychedelia to a crowd bouncing in perfect rhythm. Their music rests at the intersection of indie/alt and electronic genres and creates the kind of sound that is at once chill but also begs to be moved to.
At the end of the set, they played their hit, “Slipping Away,” and again, the lively crowd added something beautiful to the live experience. When the chorus came, the sound of the room singing served as a special reminder of the intimacy of the live music experience. The crowd’s collective voice filled the space: “I keep on slippin’ away. I keep on keep on slippin’ away…”
The encore gifted us with three more tracks – “All over You,” “Above Me,” and “Flame,” for which the incredible saxophonist came back out – the perfect conclusion to an already incredible night. The crowd, now in the true groove spirit, left Elsewhere with the echoes of LEISURE’s transcendent performance lingering in the air.
Connect with LEISURE on Instagram, Spotify, and their website.
📸: shot by Nicole Guillen
