Mike Hadreas and choreographer Kate Wallich bring their new music and dance collaboration to the National Concert Hall on March 27th 2027.
Perfume Genius has shared new song ‘Natural High’, taken from The Lesson, a new evening-length music and dance work made with choreographer Kate Wallich, commissioned by Seattle Theatre Group that will show at the National Concert Hall, Dublin on Saturday March 27th 2027.
‘Natural High’ is Mike Hadreas’ first new music since his Grammy-nominated seventh album Glory, co-produced with Pascal Stevenson of Fashion Club. The six-minute track builds from moody ’80s keyboard notes through sustained organs into a full-on twinkling ravey outro.
The Lesson draws on The Piano Teacher, Elfriede Jelinek’s novel later adapted into Michael Haneke’s film, a touchstone Hadreas has cited before. The work moves through repression, longing, authority and submission, exploring what happens when desire has nowhere to go and what’s being rehearsed when we practice “good behaviour.” It’s a follow-up of sorts to Hadreas and Wallich’s acclaimed 2019 collaboration The Sun Still Burns Here, which later fed into Perfume Genius album Ugly Season.
“I’ve always thought of my albums as soundtracks to films that do not exist,” Hadreas says. “There is a freedom to inhabiting something imagined and purely sonic… That doesn’t change when creating a performance with Kate, all the mystery and thrill of going somewhere lawless and dreamlike stays intact, but I’m not alone in building the world and it literally fleshes out in real time.”
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Wallich added: “Mike and I learned during the last piece that we are interested in the same kinds of tensions and contradictions in the work we make. When we started searching for a framework for this new piece, we kept coming back to The Piano Teacher… it feels right to come back into a room together, ask new questions and create stakes together again.”
The Lesson is created and performed by Hadreas, Wallich, longtime collaborator Alan Wyffels and Tate Justus, with scenography by Amiya Brown. It premieres at REDCAT in Los Angeles from February 18th, following a work-in-progress showing at MASS MoCA on February 6th.
Perfume Genius also brings his ‘Duo Tour’ to Union Chapel, London for two shows on October 27th and 28th (sold out), featuring Hadreas and Wyffels performing songs from across the catalogue.
The Lesson: World premiere and 2027 tour dates:
- February 6th – MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA (work-in-progress showing)
- February 18th-20th & 25th-27th – REDCAT, Los Angeles, CA (world premiere)
- March 4th-6th – Baryshnikov Arts Center, New York, NY
- March 17th-18th – Philharmonie de Paris, Paris, France
- March 21st – Barbican Centre, London, UK
- March 24th – Birds of Paradise Festival, Utrecht, Netherlands
- March 27th – National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland
- April 1st – Liquid Music/Northrop, Minneapolis, MN
- April 9th – The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle, WA
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
