Perfume Genius at The Truman, Kansas City MO (2025-06-19)

PERFUME GENIUS TOUR DATES

Glorious!

Pride Month in Kansas City might have just peaked, as Des Moines-born acclaimed singer-songwriter Perfume Genius (aka Mike Hadreas) returned to the heartland for an immersive show at The Truman downtown that ascended from being a concert, to elevating into complete performance (note we didn’t say “a performance” as this was more exceptional).

The evening got underway with a thirty-five-minute opening set from urika’s bedroom, an experimental, genre-blurring, somewhat mysterious project that is aka LA-based (Midwest-raised) Tchad Cousins and his band, out in support of the debut full-length, Big Smile, Black Mire, released last November via True Panther.

The sonically textured songs seem to purposely be partially deconstructed, and open to further interpretation in the live environment. Where beats, distortion, patchwork noise, sometimes slowed vocals, and jangly slowcore guitars all meld together to make for a composition, finished only in its current moment, but perhaps not forever so.

The soundscapes are sometimes hard to define but playing as previous support for the likes of Youth Lagoon and Nourished by Time, their experimentalism is gaining a much wider audience. Lyrical themes in the songs often mirror that of the album’s title- the ability to smile, despite any real anguish or darker circumstances, which is a very relatable paradox.

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The world has had Perfume Genius in their lives for fifteen years, and in that time, there’s been seven well-received studio albums, including the latest, Glory, which was released March 28th via Matador, and numerous accolades including a 2023 Grammy Award nomination.

Hadreas reunited with in-demand producer Blake Mills for what he considers his most lyrically confessional album to date, while the music remains an evolving blend of bedroom baroque indie art pop that can sooth, as well as challenge the listener.

The seventy-five-minute set began with three new songs from Glory, beginning with “In a Row” followed by the album’s opener and first single, “It’s a Mirror”, then “No Front Teeth”, a collaboration with New Zealand singer, Aldous Harding.

Hadreas dressed in a simple shirt and loose-waist jeans and the stage was composed of his band (including partner Alan Wyffels on keys, giving off some Pedro Pascal zaddy vibes with his dark moustache, and guitarist Meg Duffy aka Hand Habits, who we caught live in San Diego with The National), a step-ladder, a tipped over chair, and an exercise ball.

The lighting kit was impressive all night as well- not for its size or volume, but more for the dramatic silhouettes or portraits it could enhance, and a color palette that could embellish the mood of the songs, to become an active part of the performance.

Hadreas paused to mention Kansas City as being a special place; especially for the new album and tour as all of the location photography (including the album cover) and accompanying videos were shot and produced locally. This is a testament to the city being more of a creative hub for this work- distinct from either coast, likely cheaper, and able to be a destination rather than flyover for these A/V needs.

Apart from that, Hadreas didn’t speak much, letting the songs do the expressing- he swan-dived across the floor on to the exercise ball, entwined the folding stool about his figure until its lines and borders intersected with his own, and writhed and contorted on the chair, now atop a slowly spinning lazy susan, as dramatic lights accented the turning shapes.

A vulnerable “Me & Angel” from the new record, found Hadreas alone at the piano as the hushed audience listened intently, then both the beats and the band returned for “Clean Heart”, also from the new album.

The main set would end with two highlights– 2019’s “Eye in the Wall”, with Hadreas declaring lyrically on the chorus, “I’m full of feeling, I’m full of nothing but love”, and back to 2014 for “My Body” with its sinister bluesy guitar chords and rattlesnake maracas.

The encore began with a very sparse and atmospheric cover of the Mazzy Star hit, “Fade Into You” with Hadreas’ voice sounding as innocent, ethereal, and curious as Hope Sandoval’s on the original version.

The evening wrapped with biggest radio hit to date, 2014’s “Queen” with its dizzying, droning guitar work and harpsichord-like keyboards. It gave the crowd one last slow dance in place, to a song of defiant jubilation meant to self-empower to be more confident in one’s own identity. If that’s not an ideal Pride Month ending musical statement from Perfume Genius, we don’t know what is.

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