Joji's Pandemonium tour is proof that he's still the same guy we all love

TORONTO, October 24th 2023

Almost immediately right after finishing his SMITHEREENS tour, George Miller, better known as Joji, embarked on a new round of shows across North America, delighting the fans with a show full of energy and fun, reminding long time fans of his days as Filthy Frank and Pink Guy.

As a YouTube girly myself, I fell in love with Joji before he was even Joji. I also forgot about him when I grew out of the content he was putting out, and disappointed myself when I realized (actually an ex told me but I like to pretend that’s not the case) that the guy going viral on TikTok was the same one I watched puke and walk around in a fucsia body suit. From what I learned at the barricade of the show and what I was able to see throughout the night, I believe a good portion of the current Joji fans went through a similar timeline, or maybe even just stuck with him from beginning to end. It was a bittersweet experience to reminisce with other fans about the old days, to see them dress up, and yell out references from his videos. And it was also interesting to see those who were deeply dumbfounded by Joji’s attitude on stage and, overall, unseriousness.

The show began with a shot of Joji getting ready to start his performance and, at the shock of some the less die hard fans, pretending like he was masturbating right before

coming out on stage. That one scene is almost enough to confirm that George is still very much the same silly dude that was making videos on YouTube for years. After all, he got his start as an internet personality thanks to his bizarre and funny antics, so it makes sense that he’s maintaining that approach when it comes to his incredibly successful music career.

He opened with “Sanctuary” from his 2020 album Nectar, and “YEAH RIGHT” from BALLADS 1. Considering the 31-year-old’s repertoire, both of these songs are some of his most upbeat ones, a great choice to get the night started and the crowd excited for an over 2 hours long concert. After that night went on pretty smoothly, with most songs being sung along by the huge audience at Scotiabank Arena, and with some fart jokes and hilarious remarks by his on-stage DJ and friend, SavageRealm. They even played Super Smash Bros at one point, projecting the game across the entire stage, something Joji assured was something he only did during special nights – he died about two seconds after the game started.

About two thirds into the show, the night turned into a slightly confusing party, with Joji throwing beach balls and t-shirts around the arena, and taking the time to sing vinyls and other merch from fans in the pit. Although it was absolute chaos and maybe way too long for the people further away from the stage, it was still a heartwarming moment, as it was just him taking the time to interact with as many people as possible, signing things and just having a good time. Again, it was another bit that just brought back the energy of a man who got famous because of his personality.

After revisiting tracks from all of his past projects, In Tongues, BALLADS 1, Nectar, and SMITHEREENS, the singer decided to close out the night with “Slow Dancing In The Dark,” a song that surprisingly he doesn’t perform every night, even though it’s the one that gave him his huge break. This sent the audience into a spiral as everyone screamed out the words like it was the only thing they were born to do. Finally for the encore, he sang “Glimpse Of Us,” his other huge single that blew up on the short-form app. Both of these songs are ridiculously sad and touching, but opposite to that, Joji was just growling out the words and dancing like a maniac while he performed them. It was amazing.

The entire night was exactly how you would picture it if you’ve seen pieces of it on TikTok. It is so much fun and such a contrasting performance compare the subject of his music, and it somehow makes it all even better. I’m sure George has no plans on changing this dynamic in upcoming tours, and I hope everyone can appreciate how fun it is to watch someone truly and purely enjoy being on stage, no matter what kind of music the make. If you get a chance to see Joji live at some point in your life, please make sure to do so!