Perfume at Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC

Japanese pop group Perfume kicked off the North America leg of their fourth world tour in promotion of their latest “Future Pop” album. Returning to New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom on March 30th, the trio of A-chan, Nocchi and Kashiyuka delivered futuristic vibes and unstoppable energy to an enthusiastic crowd that had been lined up for hours in advance.

If you’ve not had the chance to see a Perfume concert, you should know that besides the catchy hooks the music delivers their live show is surrounded by wild visuals that perfectly accompany the beats. Seeing a Perfume live show is always a visual experience. Through use of mesh screens that include depth projections, wire avatars of the girls acting out their movements behind them, to iPhones mounted on microphone stands and using the cameras to provide unique visuals, the full production brought to you by design team Rhizomatiks is remarkable.

For the current tour, the trio kicked delivered an energetic set clocking in at around an hour and 45 minutes, with 16 songs mostly pulled from “Future Pop.” Opening up with a visually-impressive intro, they started off with the “Future Pop” title track and continued into songs like the hard-hitting club ready “FUSION,” and upbeat tracks such as “Pick Me Up” and “TOKYO GIRL.” The setlist even featured some less-frequently played additions in the mix including “Butterfly” and “Secret Secret” from their “GAME” album. 

Perfume always have a dialogue with their fans at live performances, even despite language barriers, and this stop was no exception. With the help of a fan translator picked out of the crowd, New York’s show naturally included references to pizza, which the group said they love, as well as a story about visiting the new Hudson Yards’ Vessel landmark.

With return tour stops to North America and crowds that keep coming out to see them, Perfume’s momentum is not slowing down anytime soon. Few overseas artists have the ability to continue to draw large crowds in North America, and it seems like this futuristic and visually inspired trio are finally getting the recognition they deserve, including a debut at this year’s Coachella festival. Perfume’s 4th World Tour Future Pop continues through April in North America.