I’ve had the immense pleasure of watching Hiatus Kaiyote perform twice in my life, both of which were legit transcendental experiences. At first, I’m upset with myself for not being able to follow the ever-changing time signatures. But then I surrender to the greatness that is Hiatus Kaiyote’s pure talent and precision that comes through in their sound.

Front woman, Nai Palm is truly a gift to watch live as she effortlessly incorporates jazz, funk, and rhythmic melodies that display her many vocal techniques. The entire band is comprised of extremely gifted and talented musicians, all of whom have made their jazz and funk-rock mastery apparent.

It is no surprise that “Breathing Under Water” is being nominated for a “Best R&B Performance” Grammy (although the category is questionable). It’s just a shame that the entire album, “Choose Your Weapon” is not up there as well. But as we all know, it’s Taylor Swift’s world and we’re all just living in it!

Haitus Kaiyote performed this past Tuesday at the Orange County Observatory. It’s a rare occasion to experience a live performance of this quality. From the opening song to the encore, a performance was delivered that’s difficult to put into words. The audience responded with gratitude at well thought out set list including a mix of fan favorites from Choose Your Weapon and Tawk Tomahawk.

Their music has a beautiful way of balancing complexity with ease, and heaviness with the ethereal, with everything coming into resolution with utter grace and ease. The closing performance of Nakamarra was really the icing on the cake. Bottom line is, no matter what music you’re into, Haitus Kaiyote flat out rocks, and does so while making it look so easy and effortless.