Concert Review: Larkin Poe @ 9:30 Club (5/9/25)

At a sold out 9:30 Club on May 9th, Larkin Poe returned in flowery fashion to deliver an epic night of roots rock and sick guitar riffs.

Rebecca and Megan Lovell are the sisters of Larkin Poe, and they are touring for their seventh album, Bloom (via Tricki-Woo Records). It was safe to say that they went all in on the theme of flowers and blooms. From the backdrop and stage platform with artistic flower patterns to both wearing jean jackets and jeans with flower embroidery to the lighted poinsettias strategically placed, they could joke about it but there was still a undercurrent of pride. Megan even had the word ‘Bloom’ embroidered on her pant legs, a fitting touch for the primary mastermind of the set design.

The subsequent events took place early to accommodate a second show at the 9:30 Club, but no one seemed to mind. In fact the crowd appeared to be older in general, drawing from generations that sincerely love their southern rock. Maybe some appreciated that the concert wouldn’t keep them up too late (presumably), but we would have stayed there all night if it was required.

The opener was Amythyst Kiah, a singer/songwriter from Tennessee with a powerful voice. She won over the crowd quickly (and thrilled those that already knew her work). Definitely check out her music.

As we waited for the spectacle of Larkin Poe to materialize on stage, snippets of old-timey flower related songs graced our ears. Just as we almost identified one, another overtook it, and in the end trying to identify all of them got us nowhere fast. Which, coincidentally or not, was how they kicked off the show. “Nowhere Fast” was the first of eight songs they performed from Bloom.

They also played liberally from their 2023 album, Blood Harmony, as they next ramped up the guitar for the excellent roots stomper “Summertime Sunset”. For anyone who could claim this as their first Larkin Poe concerts, any doubts about their bona fides were washed away.

Then they played a block of three new songs, the last being “Mockingbird”, one of the standouts from the new album. Rebecca shared that they usually write songs based on the riffs. But for “Mockingbird” the lyrics were the start, gleaned from a conversation that was personal and important. The song is a journey of self-discovery, finding one’s true self no matter how deep you have to go. It has one of my favorite lyrics from the album, and one of my least favorite. I like the mood and mental images evoked from the chorus, ‘Like a mockingbird, singing a thousand songs that don’t belong to me, just to see who’s listening’ but find that the last line of the chorus ‘my secret melody’ a little hokey. But that’s okay, the song is great.

Larkin Poe last performed in the DMV in 2023 and they’ve continued to polish their live set to near perfection. I was at both of those shows in 2023, at the 9:30 Club and at Wolf Trap (opening for Indigo Girls), and can see even two years has done them well. The album they toured on then (Blood Harmony) won the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Imagine what Bloom might do.

Rebecca came with a big revelation, that she was pregnant. She still had no problem dropping incredible guitar riffs, playing back-to-back with her sister or rocking her way across the stage multiple times. Megan’s infamous lap steel guitars were on full display as well. She either concentrated on getting each note perfect or channeled the energy of the crowd back with a smile.

Midway through the set they traded out their electric guitars for an acoustic rendition of “Southern Comfort”, to honor their 15 years as a band with a ‘quiet moment’. The three backing band members busted out some classic roots instruments, including a double bass and a banjo, and all five circled around the center stage.

They loved playing acoustic so much, we got a 4-song block of quiet moments. Next came “She’s a Self-Made Man”, where Rebecca appeared to forgot the lyrics. She claimed to have forgotten the lyrics to 5-6 songs at their last show in Philly, and joked that being pregnant was the reason.

They changed their acoustic instruments again for “Mad as a Hatter” to which Rebecca explained, ‘This is a really old song about mental health. We should be speaking out so we don’t feel so alone.’ They ended the acoustic block with John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” so everyone in the 9:30 Club sang along as loud as possible as is tradition.

After a raucous rendition of “Deep Stays Down” from Blood Harmony, they went back to three more new songs. “If God Was a Women” deserves a special mention because Megan and Rebecca stood together amidst red lights and smoke to deliver a tale of defying expectations and not staying in your lane. It also provides a worthy reason to highlight Rebecca’s rich and powerful voice. It’s like if velvet become a sound and launched into the sky, and then poured back down tinged with the blues. The song builds slowly with harmony and vibrant chords before cumulating into a vengeful breakdown of guitar riffs. The show could have ended there.

Thankfully it didn’t, it always must go on. So they played three more before the encore, which was also the last song of the night from Bloom. With“Bloom Again” their theme came full circle. It is a slow, wistful love song about hoping a relationship will grow again wrapped in an old timey veneer.

No one wanted to leave, but the next show must go on. The music never stops. If you haven’t listened to Bloom, I suggest you give it a listen. While you’re at it, put on Blood Harmony. No thanks required.

Setlist