POPPY BRINGS ‘NEGATIVE SPACES’ TO THE MAJESTIC VENTURA THEATER
MAJESTIC VENTURA THEATER — VENTURA, CA
PHOTO CREDIT: Ana Massard
September 28th was a big night for metal and rock fans as they filed into Ventura’s historic Majestic Ventura Theater for one of three SoCal stops on Poppy’s THEY’RE ALL AROUND US TOUR. Support for the night included MSPAINT and Dying Wish, who each amped up the crowd with high-octane, gritty performances that left the room on the edge of their seats for the main event.
Following a cyber-dystopian intro—Poppy’s disembodied voice delivering a dread and existential crisis-inducing monologue—she made her way to the stage in a white, Victorian-style blouse with a knee-length skort. Paired with her waist-length black hair, she looked like the Bella Baxter of rock as she kicked things off with “Have You Had Enough”, further establishing a dark and angst-riddled tone.
From there, the setlist unsurprisingly continued to lean heavily on tracks from Poppy’s most recent album, Negative Spaces, which dropped last November. Among the standouts were “the center’s falling out” and (one of my personal favorites) “surviving on defiance”, which served as two of the most memorable performances of the night. The former was relentless with an energetic sound that put the crowd into a frenzy, and the latter offered a more mellow and emotionally weighted moment.
PHOTO CREDIT: Ana Massard
These new tracks, along with older fan favorites like “BLOODMONEY” and “Bite Your Teeth” off of 2020’s I Disagree, and of course “Scary Mask” from 2019’s Choke EP, didn’t just showcase Poppy’s range as a musician, vocalist, and performer—they helped craft a setlist that blends elements of nu metal, pop, and rock more than ever before.
Poppy’s persona and creative direction are nothing if not intriguing. Full of contrast, tension, and social commentary, she’s made a name for herself by making genre-bending music that sometimes shifts from youthful pop sounds to rage-filled screamo in the matter of seconds, yet it’s nothing if not masterfully executed. One of the most unique and compelling acts of the last decade, Poppy goes beyond performance; she curates an experience—something that truly takes an artist above and beyond. If you’ve ever had the chance to see her live, you’ll understand how hard it is not to fall into the rabbit hole of Poppy’s world.
The THEY’RE ALL AROUND US TOUR continues through mid-October with several dates remaining in North America before she sets off as support on Linking Park’s FROM ZERO WORLD TOUR. Poppy’s newest album, Negative Spaces, is streaming now. Since its release, Poppy has followed up with the mindblowing single “End of You”, an unbelievable collaboration with genre icons Amy Lee (Evanescence) and Courtney LaPlante (Spiritbox), highlighting her rightful place as a modern leader in rock music.
