If Sade ever needs to start dipping into J-Pop, she ought to call Noriko Sekiguchi. Born in Yokohama and radicalized while clubhopping in the U.K. in the late-80s, the pop songwriter and producer better known as Poison Girl Friend is an underground legend who’s having something of a resurgence as of late.
And she’s bringing the revival to Tampa Bay this fall with an intimate club gig.
Sekiguchi’s 1992 outing Melting Moment earned a 9.2 rating on Pitchfork the first time critics assessed it (no re-do required!), with E.R. Pulgar lauding the record’s “intoxicating blend of trip-hop, UK club, yé-yé, and dream pop.”
The songcraft is evident in Melting Moment (she was initially signed to Polydor to do a singer-songwriter record), but what’s made her a beat-nerd icon is production that brings strings, vulnerable vocals, field recordings and texture into pop built to withstand the test of trends and time.
Poison Girl Friend did its first U.S. tour last year and will spend the next few weeks playing Europe before coming to North America for a run that includes just 10 U.S. dates (and two in Florida).
Tickets to see Poison Girl Friend play Crowbar in Ybor City on Sunday, Oct. 26 are still available and start at $35. Minneapolis producer and songwriter Annie Tammearuis (aka Mother Soki) opens.
See Josh Bradley’s weekly roundup of more newly announced concerts coming to Tampa Bay below.
AltTaku Fest: Raspberry Pie w/Miroux/Discord Theory/Buko Boys/NowInColor/He Kindly/Spanish Bombs Saturday, Sept. 6. 5 p.m. $17.67. Crowbar, Ybor City
National Bourbon Heritage Month Kickoff feat. Nick Ewing & Friends Saturday, Sept. 6. Event at 4 p.m., music at 7 p.m. $10 suggested donation. Shuffle, Tampa
Dylan Cotrone w/Treis & Friends/Roc Helton Saturday, Sept. 20. 8:30 p.m. $19.84. Crowbar, Ybor City
Maris & Caroline Kingsbury Sunday, Sept. 21. 8 p.m. $27.19 & up. Crowbar, Ybor City
Madison Ryann Ward Wednesday, Oct. 1. 8 p.m. $44.25. The Ritz, Ybor City
Freddie Gibbs w/Mavi Friday, Oct. 3. 6 p.m. $50.25. The Ritz, Ybor City
Nghtmre Saturday, Oct. 4. 10 p.m. $31.15. The Ritz, Ybor City
Daft Punk Night Saturday, Oct. 11. 8 p.m. $5. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg
Psycho Sideshow: Green Jelly w/96 BB/The Bunny The Bear/The Convalescence/Ignominious Tuesday, Oct. 21. 5 p.m. $20. Brass Mug, Tampa
Bends (opening for Sun Room) Tuesday, Nov. 4. 7 p.m. $28.25. Crowbar, Ybor City
Live Dead & Brothers Wednesday, Nov. 5. 8 p.m. $44.50 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Pool Kids w/Woolbright/Glazed Wednesday, Nov. 5. 7 p.m. $15. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa
Emo Nite Saturday, Nov. 8. 9 p.m. $24.40 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City
Shwayze w/The Quasi Kings/Twin Fin Sunday, Nov. 9. 8 p.m. $20. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg
Thomas Dolby Sunday, Nov. 9. 8 p.m. $44.50 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Kings Of The South: Paul Wall w/Ying Yang Twins/Trick Daddy Sunday, Nov. 23. 8 p.m. $57.41. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Flying High Forever – Celebrating The Legacy of Ozzy Osbourne: TBA Saturday, Nov. 29. 7 p.m. $22.24. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Ghengar w/Hvdes Friday, Dec. 5. 10 p.m. $20.77 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City
Juvenile Sunday, Dec. 7. 7 p.m. $63.15. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Chucho Valdés Royal Quartet Sunday, March 22. 5 p.m. $54 & up. Ferguson Hall at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa
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Related events
Poison Girl Friend w/Mother Soki
Sun., Oct. 26, 7 p.m.
Location: Multiple Locations
This article appears in Aug 21-27, 2025.