PHOTOS: Joji – New York, NY – 10/27

Joji isn’t like your average Billboard Top 100 performer. He proved it at his “Pandemonium” Tour stop in Brooklyn by staying true to his comedic roots while delivering a surreal, entertaining and visually stimulating concert.

For fans who have followed Joji since his viral YouTube days as “TVFilthyFrank” and “Pink Guy”, it was a highly anticipated night. Some committed fans sporadically appeared in the audience while donning “Pink Guy” spandex bodysuits to stir up some audience laughs. It was also Halloween weekend; several fans showed up to the venue in their Halloween costumes, which seemed like a normal Joji concert phenomenon given the abundance of “Pink Guy” costumes. The Pandemonium tour lived up to its namesake and served many laughs and surreal moments, entertaining the most dedicated fans and casual listeners alike.

Opening with one of his many hits “Sanctuary,” Joji immediately had the crowd roaring all the lyrics. Drawing a strong cult following from his YouTube meme-god days to his experimental music career was a surprise success.

Joji’s stage presence isn’t like other artists artistically. While his performance itself was underwhelming in some ways (relying perhaps a bit too much on pacing the stage, air-humping and yelling the city’s name into the microphone), Joji’s interaction with the crowd was certainly no-frills and all fun— fitting for his style of hip-hip, lo-fi and R&B. It felt like he was cracking jokes, expressing his deepest feelings and throwing a rave for over 15,000 friends within the span of an hour-and-a-half. The singer weaved in the many personalities from his internet icon days, projecting memes and shocking images on the massive screen with a bit of dark humor and silliness. At one point between songs, he took a break to play Super Smash Bros with his handmade on the screen behind him.

The broad palette of Joji’s discography set the tone for both loud and quiet moments during the show. From the feelings of nostalgia and hurt in “ATTENTION” to the exhilaration of an EDM-infused “Glimpse of Us” remix, there was something for everyone to appreciate.

The show’s special effects and overall production were impressive and dramatic. The tremendous setup of visuals and lighting around Joji included five transforming cube platforms on the stage and five mirrored cubes levitating about 25 feet overhead, all with full LED screens on each face. The central cube was also decked out with LED lights from above, illuminating the artist with a full spectrum and lifting him up over the crowd. Behind the cubes was a massive screen backdrop that transported the audience into new dimensions.

Although the production did quite a bit of heavy lifting to elevate Joji’s decent performance, the full experience of being at a Joji concert included a unique blend of stunning visual effects, bass-boosted tracks and iconic ballads. As he progresses into the post-Pandemonium era in 2024, Joji and his team have once again raised the bar for new genre-bending music.