[ATTENDED: April 3, 2025] House of Protection
A few years ago Poppy was supposed to open for Deftones. The show was postponed and on the new dates, Poppy was no longer available. I wound up not going to the show anyhow. She has played Philly once before as a headliner in 2022, but I had plans that night. So I decided, why not check her out this time around, now that she has fully embraced her heavy metal persona.
I didn’t know who would be opening and when she announced it would be House of Protection, I assumed they would be a metal band that was super heavy.
I wasn’t expecting a duo. Aric Improta ran out and sat at the drumset which was sideways and sitting at the front of the stage. Seconds later Stephen Harrison also ran out. He sang and played guitar. But mostly he incited the crowd.
Improta sang the first song while drumming in a very elaborate (and yes, I’ll say it, a very California) style with lots of arms flailing around. He was exceptionally theatrical, standing on his drum stool and waving a cymbal around, and really trying to get the crowd into it.
Harrison was equally as theatrical. He literally ran all over the stage (his guitar was remote, so no cables held him in place). He spun around, he punched the air, he swung his guitar around his neck. He was exhausting to watch.
He also commanded the crowd in a way that an opening band very rarely does. But it turns out that both guys were in Fever 333 (who I don’t know, but who sound pretty cool) and are veterans of the stage. (more…)
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