By Chris Mae
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NEW YORK CITY — the song abruptly ends and Joji announces a brief intermission to relieve himself. A pale yellow timer appears on the prestigious screen overlooking the sold-out arena, counting upwards. The mic is left on and you are left standing listening to a heavy stream. Silence. “WASH YOUR HANDS, WASH YOUR HANDS” the crowd chants in unison. (He did not)
Japanese singer-songwriter and rapper Joji launched his “Smithereens Oblivion” tour this week in NYC at Madison Square Garden. Crowds started filling in and two fans' outfits made the venue roar with laughter and cheers as they paid homage to Joji's 2011 character “Pink Guy” - donning pink spandex head to toe. The crowd went wild as they met and fist bumped. Rei Brown, Little Toe, and SavageRealm were openers, mirroring Joji's journey as an ever-evolving artist, their genres spanning from rap to low-fi R&B.
Known for his comedic presence on set, Joji opened the night by lying on the floor backstage and having the cameraman follow him to the stage, head banging and sporting a cozy black fit topped with a Yankees baseball cap. The stage production featured Joji and his band members standing on blue aura color-changing platforms.
Joji opened with his signature track “Sanctuary” from his 2020 Nectar album. The colors flashed from digital purples to forest greens to glitter pinks as he performed his tracks. “Like You Do” left the crowd in awe, and “Gimme Love”, one of his more upbeat tracks, had the crowd cheering on and jumping with him.
In classic Joji style, he had four brief intermissions took place during the show: the 75th annual “Jack Off” where he held a competition for Jack Sparrow impersonators, an EDM set with the openers alongside trippy memes and visuals on floating televisions, a bathroom break and a round of blackjack projected on the screen overhead.
With dreamy, indigo lighting bathing the venue, Joji ended the night with a hauntingly surreal, melancholic rendition of his track “SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK” followed by an encore of his first top 10 single “Glimpse of Us.” He sat on the edge of the stage singing as the crowd chanted along to every word.
Joji is a genius