Mike Hadreas walked to his keyboard on stage at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro like a shy schoolboy, sat down and began to play the first track from Put Your Back N 2 It, “AWOL Marine.” The lights were dimmed so low that his boyfriend and co-keyboardist Alan Wyffels faded into the red-tinted darkness, while Hadreas’ voice quivered ever so slightly. As the audience prepared for a cathartic release of emotion via music, it’s obvious that in that moment each person found his or her personal connection to the intimate space and time wonderfully established by Perfume Genius.
Perfume Genius, fronted by Hadreas, played many of its most stinging tracks from both of its releases such as “Normal Song” and “Dark Parts” to an audience of less than 50 on Saturday night. Between songs, he chatted lightly with the audience, never straying from the vulnerable, yet empowered demeanor that makes him and his minimalistic piano-driven music the most accessible. He wanted us to know that while these are his stories, somehow, they have been transformed into ours. On stage, this distinction was even more blurry, in the best way possible.
On “Floating Spit” and “All Waters,” Hadreas changed pace and stood up, but not without maintaining his gaze on Wyffels, as if looking for encouragement. A short time later, Hadreas called on Wyffels to join him at the same piano for “Learning,” the only song where the two performed side by side. And to cap it all off, Hadreas closed the main performance with a wrenching cover of Neil Young and CSNY’s “Helpless,” a song that was perfectly appropriate knowing the context of his own musical catalog. While Hadreas is no longer helpless, it doesn’t mean his songs shouldn’t remind us that sometimes we all are.
One of the things that makes Perfume Genius’ performances so human are the emotions that are constantly at play, for all parties involved. Although Hadreas has learned to perform his songs without necessarily mentally replaying the events that serve as inspiration, he isn’t immune from the occasional catharsis. Halfway through the already endearing set, Hadreas made an even greater emotional connection as he wiped tears away from his eyes, having to pause mid-song to do so. “These songs are sad,” he said, reminding the audience, and maybe himself, that it’s okay to let these things come forth.
On the next song, Hadreas vowed to “get through it” and all the way until the final encore performance, which he performs beautifully without his band members, Hadreas manages to do just that, but also a little more. Again, Perfume Genius managed to reach out with the small of his voice to the very depths of those of us who needed it the most that night, whatever that might have meant.
To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.
