The genre-bending, Grammy-nominated artist Poppy performed in New Haven Monday night on her “They’re All Around Us” tour, showcasing the versatility of her catalog.
The Toad’s Place show, which fell right in the middle of Poppy’s ongoing U.S. run, kicked-off with the electronic duo Kumo 99, performing hits from their 2023 album Headplate like “Dopamine Chaser” and “Gomi,” as well as tracks off their 2022 LP Body N. Will, including the fan-favorite “Four Point Steel Star.” The duo set the energy for the night as the standing-only venue began to fill to the brim for the sold-out gig.
Poppy’s AI doll — a creepy-yet-cute talking, animated version of herself — appeared on-screen to present the real-life Poppy. She arrived on stage in an innocent, white, puffy short-sleeved top, but when she opened her mouth to belt-out the screams of “have you had enough?” the cute energy faded, making room for a voice that demands to be heard.
Poppy’s set continued with “BLOODMONEY” and “Sit/Stay” from 2020’s I Disagree, showcasing industrial/metalcore vibes. While she didn’t perform Knocked Loose’s Grammy-nominated single “Suffocate,” she did showcase a rendition of Bad Omens’ 2024 single “V.A.N.”
Throughout the night, Poppy’s AI-speaking doll continued to make an appearance on-screen, asking at one point, “There’s so many people watching, what if I make a mistake?” before creepily laughing.
While Poppy remained pretty stationary throughout the night, her vocals made-up for it as she delved into tracks off her latest album, Negative Spaces, including the metalcore tracks “the cost of giving up” and “the center’s falling out,” as well as the groovy, nostalgia-feeling “crystallized.”
She proved her versatility, changing-up her vocals quickly on softer tracks to energy-driven, hardcore songs. “Scary Mask,” her track with FEVER 333, starts-off with her dreamy-pop vocals before diving head-first into guttural screams. The crowd sang along as an on-stage screen displayed the lyrics “M-A-S-K / Am I okay?”
Poppy playfully motioned her fingers into a circle and mosh pits began to form for the hard-hitting “Bite Your Teeth.” Following an emotional rendition of “surviving on defiance,” Poppy dipped-off stage and the crowd was met again with her AI doll, who questioned the crowd, “Do you want some more?”
She returned with Negative Spaces‘ “they’re all around us,” jumping across the stage as fog machines filled the air.
“For one more time tonight, can you tell me, ‘”Who am I?'” her doll questioned, and the crowd unanimously screamed out “POPPY” before she delved into the fan-favorite “new way out” off her new record. Not a single body in the crowd was still as she belted out the magnetic lyrics, “The silence screams so loud / I caught myself before the bottom / I need a new way, give me a new way out.”
“Bye,” her doll, cheerfully-yet-creepily said once more to the crowd. “See you later!”
Poppy is set to take the stage next in Brooklyn on April 1, followed by gigs in Boston, Nashville, Tampa, Houston, and San Antonio. Tickets are available via Poppy’s official website.
Find Poppy’s full list of upcoming tour dates below:
Poppy | They’re All Around Us Tour 2025
04/01 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount
04/03 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia
04/04 – Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues Boston
04/05 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
04/07 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
04/09 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
04/10 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
04/12 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues Orlando
04/13 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz Ybor
04/16 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues Houston
04/17 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Austin
04/19 – San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre
04/22 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
04/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
