It was Monday night and I won’t lie, I was not really in the mood for anything. It was cold, and I knew this show was about to take me on an emotional ride I didn’t feel all that prepared for. I was bringing a really good friend of mine, though, and despite them being on the same wavelength as I was, we made the absolute most of our time.
We sat on the second floor of Le National, glass of wine in hand, and made each other laugh as we waited for the show to begin.
Dan English
Right on schedule, Dan English and an accompanying musician took their places on the stage. Everyone in attendance thus far was seated in Le National’s theatre seats, listening to the start of English’s set with respect. Electric guitar, flute, and keys paired together with ease, adding a certain complexity to one another and amplifying the melancholic feelings that came from each composition.
Dan English sang with a calm voice, nice and smooth on the ears. My friend pointed out to me that he sounded pretty similar to Perfume Genius, which I have to agree with. His set mainly consisted of songs from his 2025-released album, Sky Record, and the live versions were more broken down. Listening to the album as I write this review is giving me quite a shift of perspective. The album is heavy-hearted, pulling me in with hopefulness and then tugging me into hopelessness.
His set was very nice, emotional, and open. English showed his charismatic charm to his audience, cracking a couple of jokes throughout his set, like stating that his management suggested he be “less crude” during his performances. So while he tuned his guitar, his pianist played some elevator music while the crowd shared a laugh.
His set felt easy to watch, he felt easy to listen to when he spoke and sang. I couldn’t think of a better opener for that night’s show right now. Everything about his set felt appropriate, just plain lovely. I enjoyed every moment and am enjoying every track off of Sky Record as well.
Perfume Genius
Soon enough, it was time for Perfume Genius to grace the audience of Le National. Two keyboards were set up in the middle of the stage. Mike Hadreas and his partner Alan Wyffels sat at each of them, backs facing each other.
The set was intimate, broken down to just keys and prerecorded backing percussion. Hadreas’ voice travelled through the venue, meeting the ears of everyone watching. The crowd was quiet, attentive to every sound. My friend and I, along with all the other people in attendance, allowed the sound of Perfume Genius to wash over us all. The only noises that could be heard from the crowd were the occasional sniffles coming from someone who became moved to tears. I’m guilty of some of those sniffles.
Although Perfume Genius has a recently released album, Glory (2026), the setlist for the night consisted mainly of songs from Set My Heart On Fire Immediately (2020). But it did healthily dip into various albums, with songs such as Perry, Die 4 You, and Hood.
Due to this tour being a simpler production, Hadreas had a lot more time to express himself. He easily flipped back and forth between crowd work and locking into performing. The crowd laughed with him when he joked, his presence was so warm and chill that it felt easy to interact with him. He genuinely made me cackle a good amount of times, it turned my mood around despite having shed a few tears throughout his set.
Quite suddenly and certainly unexpectedly, though, the performance of Jason was interrupted by the abrasive sound of Le National’s fire alarm. The sound and microphones were immediately cut off, and staff quickly directed everyone in attendance to the front exit. We all spilled out onto St Catherine Street, not sure how long this interruption would take or if we’d even be able to see the rest of the show.
My friend and I made a few detours as we waited. We got snacks from the dep and smoked cigarettes as we watched the firemen arrive in their trucks. At this point, our collective sour mood turned sweet. We were laughing together and unbothered by the sudden change of schedule. And before we could wonder if we’d be let back in or not, people started filing back into the venue and into their seats.
After Mike Hadreas thanked the crowd for sticking around and thanked the staff for handling the situation with professionalism, the set was picked back up on the next song, Without You.
From then on, the vibe in the room was even sweeter. Now everyone there had something in common, which was being fire evacuated at the Perfume Genius show. We were even given a special treat, which was a cover of Kangaroo by This Mortal Coil performed solo by Hadreas. An unexpected turn of events, but it’ll surely make Montreal a memorable stop on their tour.
We got a couple more songs before Hadreas and Wyffels removed themselves from the stage, waving goodbye. The crowd cheered loudly, tentatively waiting to see if we would get an encore despite the schedule delay. The cheering continued even when the house lights were turned on, it was clear that Montreal’s crowd wanted more. Luckily, Hadreas made his way back onto the stage, humbly receiving his audience’s grateful cheers.
He closed out the set with a beautiful performance of Me & Angel, which felt as satisfying and rewarding as the juicy olive found on a poutine from Patati Patata. This was an eventful night that I will be holding dear, especially whenever I listen back to the setlist. Thank you Perfume Genius!
Review – Jamie Siddall
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