It’s a strange sight to see in the heart of Koreatown when an entire block of it are patrons dressing in pink and blue neon colors and sporting short bobcuts and ponytails. Some onlookers bothered to asked what was going on. The reality is that one of Japan’s biggest musical acts would be performing that night in the humble Wiltern theater. I’m talking about Perfume.
Even if you don’t know Perfume, chances are you may have unknowingly been exposed to their infectious tunes through Cars 2 and American Dad. Not stopping there, Perfume recently finished their American tour of their new album “COSMIC EXPLORER” that hits up major cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and New York. We were able to attend the Los Angeles, their first stop in the States.
As the doors open and the fans pour in to fill the concert hall, the first thing I noticed were the age range of attendees. Some looking as young as 10 to senior citizens sporting Perfume T-shirts. It’s a wonder to see the limitless boundary in their audience. I noticed even some of the fans in the lines came straight from Japan to attend the concert. Talk about dedication!
Walking into the theater, you’re greeted with an elaborate setup of multi-later platforms and steps and a large projection screen flashing Perfume’s logo and Cosmic Explorer tour title. As quickly as people settled in, the lights dimmed and the space-like instrumental intro track Navigate reverb throughout the room. Accompanied by a spectacular laser spectacle, the trio appears in a futuristic video intro that mimics a launching rocket. Synchronizing with the video, Perfume lands on stage with an electrifying crowd cheering and screaming so loud, the room felt like an earthquake.
From left to right: Kashiyuka, A-chan, Nocchi
For a group that routinely sells out in Japan’s largest Event domes, their US tour was very intimate. The three members: A-chan, Kashiyuka, and Nocchi break in between songs, spending time speaking directly to the audience. As a traditional started since their first Overseas tour, Perfume selects one audience member to act as the group’s translator for the night. Topics ranged from their sightseeing adventures and sharing their love for American food.
The girls strike a ferocious pose for their song “FLASH”
They even talked a little about Pokemon GO and trying to catch the USA-exclusive Pokemon. It wasn’t a little bit after that Perfume joined in on the phemomenon with their own little Pokemon GO encounter. Channeling the audience’s energy, Perfume directed everyone towards the screen where a shot of the crowd turns into a game of Pokemon GO featuring the girls as little chibi icons. It took the crowd a few tries, but we managed to capture the girls! (Even if it was just planned the whole time.)
Their second time in Los Angeles was a much-welcomed return to the fans and most definitely outdid their memorable first show back in 2014. Going to a Perfume concert is whole other experience than a typical show. It’s living in the moment with the other Perfume fans and cheering on as they dazzled us with an full package of laser show, electropop dance and otherworldly projection maps. (They faithfully recreated their SXSW experience for us). It was definitely one of the best concerts I’ve seen in my life and to see them continue to defy already high expectations is a feat in itself. It’s hard to deny the amount of hard work and energy put into their shows.
Now I countdown the days until their next concert.
from Nerd Reactor
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