POPPY AT NASHVILLE'S BROOKLYN BOWL / REVIEW

Poppy performing in front of Nashville Brooklyn Bowl crowd - Credit Alana Lopez — **Poppy performing in front of Nashville Brooklyn Bowl crowd – Credit Alana Lopez**

Having listened to Poppy for some time now, and enjoying the multi-evolutional path that her music has taken, I was not sure exactly what to expect going in to see her live. What we got was more than just a concert. It was an experience that reflected who Poppy really is: an artist who thrives in flux and unafraid to redraw the map when exploring creativity. This last Wednesday, Brooklyn Bowl became a liminal space for one night—somewhere between digital dystopia, industrial chaos, and pop theater—and everyone inside knew they’d witnessed art in action.

House of Protection Sets the Tone

Opening the show was House of Protection, the explosive new project from Stephen Harrison and Aric Improta, known respectively for their work in The Chariot, Fever 333, and Night Verses. Their sound—a volatile collision of hardcore, punk, and electronica—hits with full force. Their stage presence captures your complete attention. All too soon, we were at the the closing combination of their latest song, “Fire,” and their debut single, “It’s Supposed To Hurt,” which together created a mood that felt both spontaneous and carefully unhinged. They did more than simply hype up the crowd for Poppy (which they did well). They put on a show that made you take notice and wish they had time for just a couple more.

Poppy Takes Command

There was minimal stage change needed, leading to a surprisingly short pause between sets. There was just enough time to grab a new drink when a timer appeared on the stage’s screen counting down to Poppy‘s headlining performance. When the counter hit zero, the lights dimmed and the crowd cheered in anticipation. The band quietly took the stage before exploding into the opener “Have You Had Enough?” Setting the tone for the rest of the evening, Poppy wasted no time jumping into hits “BLOODMONEY” and “Sit/Stay” as the second and third songs respectively. Both were delivered with experienced precision, making each feel like the recordings we know so well had come to life.

Poppy at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville - Credit Alana Lopez — **Poppy at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville – Credit Alana Lopez**

Drummer performing at Poppy concert in Nashville Tennessee - Credit Alana Lopez — **Poppy at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville – Credit Alana Lopez**

Those were followed by a cover of Bad Omens’ “V.A.N.” which was met with her loyal fans screaming every word back at her. The performance struck a perfect balance between control and catharsis—vocals cutting clean through the noise one moment, then disappearing into distortion the next.

Poppy’s music is known for embracing contradiction, and performing live was no different. Tracks like “the cost of giving up,” “vital,” and “crystallized” floated with icy elegance, only to be followed by the unrelenting “the center’s falling out” or the searing “Scary Mask.” There was no fixed point—only tension and release, softness and fury, often overlapping.

Instead of the use of heavy-handed visuals, Poppy went with a dramatic light show to accompany the music’s intense sonic impact. Pulsing in time with drum hits or blanketing the stage and crowd in a wash color, the lighting served as an extra performer in the room. Combined with brief skits and minimal, but stylized visuals, it created a futuristic, sometimes disorienting atmosphere—science fiction without the need for special effects.

Poppy in Nashville Tennessee - Credit Alana Lopez — **Poppy in Nashville Tennessee – Credit Alana Lopez**

The final stretch of the show was a sprint through fan favorites. “I Disagree” and “Bite Your Teeth” ignited the crowd, while “Concrete” reminded everyone why Poppy’s genre-hybrid experimentation hit so hard in the first place. A final trio of “surviving on defiance,” “they’re all around us,” and “new way out” closed the night on an emotional note—raw, vulnerable, powerful.

Every detail of the show—the choreography, the contrast of Poppy’s wardrobe vs. the band’s anonymous ski masks, the curated setlist—spoke for itself. What Poppy chose to play felt intentional. What she didn’t play perhaps even more so. It’s the kind of show where you remember what you felt as much as what you heard. And everyone at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl clearly savored both.