From Boston Calling 2018: How Perfume Genius 'Utilizes the Space'

Dressed in a white flowing shirt and satin lavender pants, Perfume Genius took the stage at Boston Calling looking like something out of a pastel vision. Before the Seattle-based, indie pop artist could catch his breath, the opening piano notes to “Otherside,” a dreamy track from his most recent album “No Shape,” flooded the stage. The start of his otherworldly crooning called the buzzing, afternoon crowd to attention, entranced by what promised to be an ethereal experience.

When he introduced himself, the softness of his simple “Hi” came as a surprise after the strong vocals of his opening number, so unexpected as to prompt cheers of encouragement in response, perhaps assuming he felt nervous. As his soft speaking voice might lead one to believe, Perfume Genius is not prone to much banter, but each word he chose to offer in his delicate whisper felt precious. “I feel like I need to utilize that space,” he said, gesturing shyly to the center divide in the crowd. When he finally made his way down the steps of the stage and into the space he previously pointed out as “un-utilized” the energy exploded, his off-hand remark fresh and important in everyone’s minds.

“Let’s just keep going with the music,” he said at one point, just as he was about to pause. Perfume Genius is not one for filling silence with chatter unnecessarily—he’d much rather fill it with music. His softness, it becomes clear as the performance goes on, is not a symptom of nervousness, but rather a quality that radiates from the artist even at his most upbeat level. He hit his stride a few songs in, during the chorus of “Wreath,” another tune from “No Shape.” Singing the words, “I see the sun go down / I see the sun come up,” the swaying audience finally matched his unique energy.

Watching Perfume Genius perform is a visual spectacle just as much as it is a musical one. In his hands, the microphone is less of a tool and more of a natural extension of his limbs. He twisted the cord between his fingers and laid it across his body like a snake. Perfume Genius does not walk around the stage so much as he wanders. He is constantly dancing and yet appears somehow unchoreographed, shifting and gliding through space while twisting his back and arms as though he is moving through water as he sings. His shirt came untucked during his second or third number and just when it seemed like he would ignore this small, unplanned change in appearance, the song ended and he diligently tucked it back in—a brief moment showing the close attention Perfume Genius pays to each and every detail of his performance despite how effortless it may appear.

In more synth-heavy pieces, his vocals take a backseat to the instrumentals, but this should not be mistaken for lack of talent because for every moment Perfume Genius lets the music take over there are ten more in which his voice rings loud and clear over every sound beneath it. If you listen closely beyond the vocals, dancing, and the synths, the lyrics to his songs are beautiful, and at times even haunting. “How long must we live right / Before we don’t even have to try,” he sings on “Valley.” In the moment it feels like the question is not rhetorical, but rather very real. He is asking for the answer.

Perfume Genius is something of a dream-pop David Bowie in the flesh. This became most apparent at the end of his set, where he shifted from the soft pop of his album “No Shape” to the indie-rock style tracks from previous albums “Too Bright” and “Put Your Back N 2 It.” He ventured into new territory with haunting tracks like “My Body,” showing a completely different side of his vocals than had previously been on display. As captivating as his dancing is, Perfume Genius’s greatest asset is his voice. Whether it be in quiet musings or booming vocal riffs, his voice reaches out from the stage, between each person in the audience, to fill the space before it.

—Staff Writer Allison J. Scharmann can be reached at allison.scharmann@thecrimson.com.