A Musical Soirée with Perfume Genius in Portland
By Megan Bainbridge
Perfume Genius (project of singer/songwriter Mike Hadreas) performed this past weekend on Saturday, April 4th at First Parish Church in Portland, Maine. Presented by SPACE, the event featured composer Dan English as the opening act. English’s “Wedding Song” is comforting and reminiscent of a sweet lullaby. The performance incorporated electronic keyboard, Mellotron, and electric guitar. Notably, in a sweet gesture, English cradled his guitar close to his chest while he was not playing. Beyond his solo work, English is the guitarist for the American synth-pop project, Porches. While the preceeding Perfume Genius tour celebrating the release of Glory featured the full-band and made its way across North America, Europe, and the UK, the North American “Duo” Tour is intimate and stripped-down. Alan Wyffels, a longtime Perfume Genius collaborator, co-writer, and keyboardist, performs alongside Hadreas. The duo performs with a simple setup: two digital pianos, two voices, and a synthesizer. The setlist spans across the Perfume Genius discography, including pieces from both Glory and the earliest albums.
The 2025 Glory album cover received a Grammy Awards nomination this year for Best Album Cover. In 2026, Glory (Extended) was expanded to include four additional songs. From this expansion, “It’s Fine (No Front Teeth)” is included in the performance.
“On the Floor,” originally an upbeat and funky tune in its full form, transforms into a heartfelt hymn of gentle mourning when performed as a duo. “Hood,” notably, has an alternating mood shift between a lighthearted playfulness and a dramatic depth. In contrast to the sensual origins of “Die 4 You,” the stripped down version is remeniscent of a nostalgic and calming wind-up music box.
Hadreas engages with the crowd, referencing a Sylvia Brown book he saw, noting that he likes the church where the performance was held, and (to the amusement of the crowd) sharing that he enjoys Masterpiece-maxxing.
The “Duo” tour began on January 22nd in Chicago and ends this week on April 9th, 2026 in Homer, NY.
