If you haven’t heard of I’m Poppy—who is now That Poppy—it won’t be long before you do.
The YouTube sensation played the The Ready Room on Saturday to an overflowing room of curious music heads as well as fans who dub themselves “Poppy Seeds.” Just who, or what is Poppy? Lots of people have tried to answer that question, including Wired and New York Magazine art critic Jerry Saltz. (Maybe the answer only emerges after watching “I’m Poppy,” over and over again, as a lot of her most ardent fans have done.)
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The show opened with a 45-minute video sampler: From Rihanna to Delite to theme song from Chuck. B52s. Madonna, Cindy Lauper and more. It was the perfect dance mix, but people weren’t dancing—it was too crowded. Actually…..not just crowded. Packed.
The crowd (mostly under-21s, with a few older fans sprinkled in) was highly energetic and excitable. When Poppy mentioned St. Louis by name, the crowd almost lost it. Video played constantly in the background, and Poppy proved herself to be a sharp, polished performer; her persona never slipped, and the choreography was flawless. She asked for audience participation at every opportunity. When she queried, is this the best concert they’ve been to? Of course they roared back in the affirmative. One thing’s for sure—Poppy’s songs are easy, bright, and well, poppy. But she’s out-21st-centuried Lana Del Rey. She’s a trip. A new breed. A YouTube star that’s true to the alogorithmic weirdness of that platform. And yet unlike many digital stars, she shines in analog reality too. As we said: if you haven’t heard of her yet…
