I was checking out some sounds for a Saturday night adventure when I encountered Gavin Turek’s personal blend of discoey beats and soulful high vox. The almighty algorithm had been feeding me pictures of her late 70’s glamour and magnificent afro coiffe in a vaseline filter, advertising her upcoming visit to Elsewhere. Clearly a fresh face with a mature spirit and some solid tunes, I pulled up into the graff and grunge of Bushwick to check her out.
I arrived at the tail end of opener Val Fleury’s set, just as she emerged from the DJ booth to flavor her fashion techno with some loving vocals. Bummed about missing the first opener, I ordered a vodka and scanned the crowd for the vibe: queer, eclectic, diverse, and progressive – very Elsewhere, and very ripe for inventive hip hop drag duo The Dragon Sisters. Their sis DJ Samuella spun the tracks and set the vibe until sisters Issa and Odessa stomped the stage with 40 inches of bronze hair and desert rave glamour. Give me a queen with a beard ANY DAY. This duo roused the crowd and then jumped off stage to perform among us. Bubbling with charisma, the sisters had us chanting how “A.I. Could Neva” and then throwing tips on the stage like a proper drag show. The Dragon Sisters were a feast for the eyes and ears, serving pointed tunes with sharp wordplay and choreo.
Finally, we landed on Gavin Turek. Val Fleury returned to the table to pave the way for Gavin, who emerged bejeweled in denim and mesh to a driving beat. This diva wiggled and kicked to every track she could like a glamorous disco queen. Turek’s fresh take on that kind of late 80s house and R&B gives you that kind of feeling that you’ve been listening to something forever even though it’s a fresh take. The tracks I’ve had on repeat lately like “Whitney,” “On The Line,” and “Don’t Fight It” had me at maximum wiggle. She has a genuine sweetness about her, which comes through in her absolutely lovely sky-high vocals and the sweet personal moments she shares with the adoring crowd. Surprise guest Cor.Ece helped her end the show with a sultry duet, before ending on her sensual hit “The Distance.” All in all, she puts on a delicious high energy performance that was even better in the intimate confines of Elsewhere’s Zone One room.
All in all, a solid Saturday night that ended with the right kind of sweaty.
Gavin Turek Website ★ The Dragon Sisters Website ★ Val Fleury Website
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