Concert review: Seattle 'Slow Dances in the Dark' at WAMU for Joji's sold-out Smithereens tour

By Renee Diaz

On Sept. 6, thousands of fans swayed as one, waving their hands up high, and singing at the top of their lungs, as Japan-born singer and producer Joji gave the performance of a lifetime at Seattle’s WAMU Theater during the third stop of his sold-out Smithereens United States tour.

Joji, whose recent single “Glimpse of Us” has been topping the charts with over 441 million combined streams across all platforms, began his career on YouTube, before eventually switching industries to release music under New York-based label, 88rising. For those unfamiliar with his music, his sound is a mix of lo-fi and trip hop with haunting, soulful vocals that you simply can’t get enough of.

Before jumping into the main act of the night, two artists (of varying degrees), Savage Realm and rei brown, took the stage. First up was Savage Realm, who, through a rather unique musical comedy show, developed a strong relationship with the crowd, and eventually, earned their full trust by the end of his set. Despite lacking a strong musical component, it was a fun change of pace seeing a dance circle where people could show off their best moves in the venue and a crowd of dedicated fans singing "Gary’s Song" from SpongeBob SquarePants.

The tone shifted to a more warm, laid-back set when R&B singer rei brown took the stage. However, his stage presence was a bit underwhelming, as if he was still trying to find his footing in front of the crowd. This was fairly disappointing, and led many to tune out of what was otherwise a somewhat decent set.

After an hour of suspense, Joji arrived on stage with a thundering presence, screaming, "What’s up, Seattle?" while bouncing around in a “12th Man” Seattle Seahawks jersey. Not only was his arrival fun to participate in, but it also set an optimistic tone for the rest of the concert. After a brief introduction, he jumped straight into “Sanctuary” — one of my favorite songs — and the crowd immediately began to sing along.

Joji’s weighted sound carried throughout the venue, and the bedroom R&B pop sound, paired brilliantly with fluorescent visuals, was quite healing to experience live. You could see his silhouette juxtaposed against the radiant chromatic screens, which accompanied each song with select visuals and truly brought the stage to life. No matter where you were standing in the venue, you were guaranteed to see him, or some vibrant visuals of him.

In between sets, Joji had some quite comical interludes of dialogue. Savage Realm, now serving as Joji’s right-hand man, had some excellent comedic quips, but Joji held his ground well. For example, midway through the show, Joji ordered UberEats to deliver a McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish to Savage, who subsequently made fun of him for doing so.

The set list included a mix of Joji’s debut and sophomore albums, including “Pretty Boy,” “Gimme Love,” and “SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK.” He also performed his most recent single, “YUKON (INTERLUDE).”

“Seattle's heart is made of gold,” Joji yelled to the WAMU crowd after an exhilarating night.

For the encore, the crowd chanted in anticipation for the aforementioned mega-hit, “Glimpse of Us.” The critically acclaimed song, which debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 1 on the Spotify Global and U.S. charts, has quickly become a fan favorite. So, when Joji finally relinquished the song upon the eager crowd’s ears, they returned the favor by singing it at the top of their lungs.

From an outsider’s perspective, it may seem that Joji’s melodramatic show would leave the audience in a rather depressed mood. But the healing nature of the show did quite the opposite. Instead of bawling their way back home, people left the concert satisfied, with wide smiles on their faces, and a general aura of relief.

Joji’s third album, “SMITHEREENS,” is set to release Nov. 4, and can be purchased or streamed on his website.