Forever Young

I was feeling down because of a minor surgery for a failing part scheduled for tomorrow. It seemed a harbinger of a future with more and more non-functional bits. So I decided to head to the Danforth Music Hall for an all-ages show with Internet star Poppy to surround myself with new shiny people.

Several hundred fans were there, which would have made a packed house at a smaller venue like The Horseshoe. Here they only filled up about a third of the space. But these were dedicated members of "The Cult of Poppy". From social media I knew some drove or flew for hours to get to Toronto for tonight. So I wasn't surprised by how loud the crowd was throughout the evening.

Poppy brought a weird, technological vibe to synth-pop. It was both in praise and ironic loathing of how pervasive technology has entered our mediated lives. With her new material that introduced elements of nu-metal, there was also a bubbling rage underneath, but still contained within a happy pop sound. Her fans drank it all up. Literally as well, when they eagerly downed the poppy juice being offered by their matriarch.

One of her conceit, especially in her videos, and as part of this Am I A Girl tour, is if Poppy is actually a synthetic being: lab-grown or built. I say bring on that future, as decrepitude and expiry dates are no fun.