Having just been to Toad’s just two weeks before for another dose of HANABIE., one of this spring’s most anticipated concerts had to be that of Poppy. Last year’s Negative Spaces was by far one of the year’s best releases, and seemed to carry a lot of that live energy in the tracks. Admittedly hearing some hit or miss things about Poppy in the live setting, I was a bit apprehensive about how it would turn out. But such worries were unfounded, as she performed an absolutely electrifying set that elicited the same sort of “wow, that was amazing” discussions as people left the venue that were heard with HANABIE. recently.
Arriving at Toad’s around 7:30 and assuming that I’d probably be able to walk right in since it was 30 minutes past doors, it was a bit of a surprise to see a line wrapped around the venue that stretched for about a block or so (it stretched down a walkway so it’s hard to guess further). Hearing rumblings about the show selling out, it make more sense that the line was still coming in regularly past 8pm, the official show start.
About 10 minutes later though, the duo of Kumo 99 took the stage. Only checking the group’s material out briefly before the show, it was an odd but fitting pairing to go with Poppy. The electronic-centered group was a hard one to pigeonhole. While the electronic dance elements sat at the forefront, the tracks maintained a high-energy feeling that blurred lines from everything from punk and hardcore to rave and drum n bass sounds. Vocalist Ami Komai sung and shouted Japanese lyrics atop Nate Donmoyer’s beats, with Komai frequently bouncing, twisting, and jumping around with frenetic energy. The pulsating energy worked it’s way through the crowd, and were fully into by the band’s last few tracks, “Gomi” and “Solitaire.”
With not many adjustments to make, it didn’t take long for the switch over to Poppy’s set. Audible excitement started to fill Toad’s as the two-minute video countdown began, with much of the crowd joining in to count it down the final 10 seconds. After a brief video blip (which would come to be a reoccurring theme of the evening), the band and finally Poppy hit the stage to kick off “have you had enough?” to an already pumped up crowd. She moved about and danced on the stage as she belted out the opener to Negative Spaces.
She had a mock ‘curtained bed’ that she would retreat to after each track. The normal banter that most groups do was mostly non-existent. Instead, the energy was kept high by quick cuts to new songs (they played 16 in just over an hour) and short video interludes, in which a doll version of her on video interacted with a small, in-person doll and discussed the crowd. It was peculiar, but it was a perfect match with her personality, and added a unique quirk to the evening that surprisingly didn’t outlast it’s welcome. Even the repeated ‘good bye, you can go home now’ after the set finished was oddly entertaining, as well as the quick back-and-forth about live shows ‘never happening the same twice’ and personal insecurities.
In fact, outside of calling the audience to do something, such as clapping hands, arm waves, a circle pit, or even a wall of death (which happened twice), there really wasn’t much of a direct interaction with the crowd. It was different for sure, but in all honesty, it felt right, and more genuine than the usual ‘how’s everybody doing tonight in [insert town here].’ Catching some smiles during the performance, from the ’emotionless android’ also made the evening feel more genuine. Point is, it was an unconventional performance, but one that was just as riveting as anything else.
The setlist mostly stuck to Negative Spaces and 2020’s I Disagree, her heaviest output, with her collaboration track with Bad Omens “V.A.N.” and older cut “Scary Mask” rounding out the set. Early in the set “Bloodmoney” was a highlight, with its pulsating industrial rhythms and buzzing riff energy making an excellent live feel with Poppy’s enigmatic delivery of the chorus. “the center’s falling out” was an absolute scorcher in the live setting, and with it should come a discussion of the overall show vibes. The lighting and fog effects were thrilling, to say the least. At the right moments, fog pillars would engulf the front of the stage for a few moments and added a visceral rush. For this track, the punishing breakdown section was a highlight, with blood red lighting, fog, and Poppy’s admittedly more caustic sounding live screams filling the venue in a stunning display that hit remarkable audio and visual cues. Add in a wall of death on top of that, and shouting/jumping fans, and you have the recipe for quite an intoxicating formula.
“Bite Your Teeth” also showcased how excellently her heavier cuts brought a unique energy to the live setting. The clashing of upbeat electronic components with moments of furious energy during it’s potent breakdown sequence makes for an exhilarating juxtaposition. On a similar note, “Concrete” took that energy one step further with it’s bombastic and dreamy melodies and tosses them against darker, heavier moments. The crowd, without being prompted, chanting “Poppy” repeatedly at the right moment make for a great example of how into it the crowd was, and how tailor-made some of these songs are to be enjoyed in the live setting.
But for all of the raging energy in some of these tracks, it was nicely counterbalanced by some more melodic cuts. “Crystallized” provided one of the first moments for the crowd to get into the electro-dance energy, while Poppy did the same at the mic. Cell phone lights waved everywhere in unison during “surviving on defiance” as it began it’s slow burn towards heavier territory at it’s end. While the soaring melodies of “what’s the cost of giving up” provided one of the evening’s finest sing-a-long moments.
All in all, Poppy provided a live performance that was electrifying, unique, and thoroughly engaging. The lighting and fog/smoke effects augmented the stage show instead of upending/overpowering it (an issue that has plagued other groups), and it allowed for all of Poppy’s quirks to take centerstage in a way that needs to be experienced by fans. From a personal perspective, the live show completely won me over. After this evening’s performance, any future dates in the nearby area will not be missed. In hearing other fans’ conversations on the way out of the venue, I don’t think I’ll be alone in that regard. Expect Poppy to become an even more powerful force within the scene as more talk of riveting performances like this one continue to come about.
Poppy official website
Poppy on Facebook
Poppy on Instagram
Kumo 99 on Instagram