Lyrics that alternate between English, French and Japanese. The passionate sweep of a violin bow, propelled by the strum of guitar and a synth-pop beat. This is the globe-trotting electronic music of Japanese musical artist Poison Girl Friend, who is coming to Harlow’s on Sept. 30.
Noriko Sekiguchi, who launched Poison Girl Friend in the late 1980s, was born in Yokohama, Japan, but spent much of her childhood in Rio de Janeiro. As she got older, she gravitated towards European art, including work by French filmmakers Jean Luc Godard and Leo Carax. After moving to England, where she encountered the dance club scene, Sekiguchi started making music.
Her work began to gain traction three decades later, thanks to circulation on music streaming platforms such as Spotify.
“Probably because it wasn’t fake,” Sekiguchi told the Japan Times when asked why she thought her music had found a new audience. “It’s that pure art, maybe that’s what’s resonating.”
Sekiguchi does not often tour live, which makes her stop in Sacramento noteworthy.
“We like it when people see shows on our calendar and say ‘how cool!’” said Daniel Romandia, marketing director at Harlow’s. Romandia, who is a fan of Sekiguchi’s music, booked her for Harlow’s when he saw she was going on tour.
General admission tickets for Poison Girl Friend range from $38.78 to $44.96. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit Harlow’s website.
This story was originally published September 17, 2026 at 11:00 AM.
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