Concert Review - Feist, Auckland New Zealand, 2017

Feist

25th November 2017
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Bridget Herlihy. Photography by Jordan Vickers.

It was pleasure by name and pleasure by nature courtesy of Ms Leslie Feist at the beloved Powerstation on Saturday evening in what was the Canadian singer/songwriter’s first, and only, headlining show of 2017 in New Zealand in support of her fourth studio album Pleasure. The ages-old cliché says that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and having last performed on our fair shores at 2012’s Laneway festival, Feist certainly made up for lost time with a set to remember. In a career spanning nearly two decades, the indie/folk pop goddess has garnered a strong following, not to mention collaborating with the likes of the tour de force that is Peaches, and Broken Social Scene, as well as one of the most watched appearances in the history of Sesame Street – which is no mean feat in itself.

An eclectic crowd gathered at the beloved Powerstation, and as the venue neared capacity the scent of anticipation in the air was almost palpable as the crowd patiently waited for the woman of the hour to emerge. Accompanied by her band, Feist walked on stage in a resplendent retro-inspired paisley frock and electric blue suede ankle boots, pausing for a moment to take it all in. With a smile from ear to ear, and a regal wave to the audience, she played the opening bars to title track Pleasure. Beginning quietly, the track packed an aural punch once the chorus and band kicked in. The second track of the album, the hauntingly sweet and melancholic Wish I Didn’t Miss You, which was nothing short of spellbinding. In fact, every track was mesmerizing, as the entirety of the album translates beautifully and seemingly effortlessly to live performance. Taking a moment to welcome the audience, Feist commented that “Its been quite a spell Auckland, a long overdue reunion”, before promising to play the Pleasure album in its entirety before “setting the clock and going back in time”.

Having arrived from Japan just two days ago, she mused that talking between songs is irrelevant, and she had subsequently forgotten how to be funny and charming, informing the audience that she was relying them to “charm the shit out of us”. Yet it appears the opposite was true, not only is Feist mind-blowingly talented, but she has a formidable and infectious sense of humour to boot. One of the sets highlights was undoubtedly an epic rendition of Lost Dreams, complete with Feist looping her vocals to create a multi-layered sensuous vocal soundscape ensued.

Century, complete with recorded vocals from Jarvis Cocker, quite literally had the walls pulsating, while Baby Be Simple, saw Feist’s stunning vocals really soar and shine, equal parts sweet, angelic, raw, honest, and always enchanting. Concluding the performance of the album was the old fashioned slow dancing song Young Up, she traded her guitar for a tambourine. It is all to rare to see an artist perform an album in its entirety from beginning to end, and to do it so exquisitely. Yet Feist brought well and truly brought Pleasure to life and made it soar.

The second part of the evening featured an assortment of tracks spanning Feist’s career, including an electrifying rendition of My Moon My Man from 2007 album The Reminder, A Commotion and Anti Pioneer from 2011’s Metals, as well as a rousing performance of Sea Lion Woman. Re-emerging after a brief break for an encore, she laughed that the crowd’s adoration made her feel like she was playing Wembley Stadium, playing solo acoustic renditions of Mushaboom and Gatekeeper, concluding what was an epic set with fan favorite 1,2,3,4.

Feist is the kind of artist who can send a shiver down the spine of everyone in the room, and she really is second to none. This will without a doubt go down as one of the most memorable performances of 2017.

Feist performing live in Auckland, 2017. Image by Jordan M Vickers.

Were you there at the Powerstation for this brilliant singer songwriter? Or have you seen Amy Shark perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!