Peter McPoland has a genuine love for performing, and it’s obvious. Making a pit stop on his Big Lucky tour in Nashville, Tennessee, performing at Brooklyn Bowl, McPoland proved to his fans that being emo is indeed cool. Beginning his career by simply soft-launching his musical talents and quirky personality on TikTok, McPoland caught the attention of many fans after he posted a snippet of himself singing his 2020 single “Romeo & Juliet.” He quickly drew attention not just from fans but big headlining acts, including Twenty One Pilots and Imagine Dragons, eventually opening for them years later. With a sound that weaves indie, folk, and rock, and a bit of bedroom pop altogether, McPoland proved his range through a carefully curated setlist that won over the crowd. His raw vocals added a beautiful edge to his impressively introspective lyrics about love, life, and loss. After admittedly changing the entire setlist the day before their Nashville appearance, McPoland and his bandmates opened the show by gathering around a single microphone at center stage, with the singer holding one acoustic guitar. The group flawlessly harmonized together as they sang “Dead Air” off of McPoland’s debut album Slow Down (2022). The band’s tempo quickly rose as songs such as “Speed of the Sound (of you),” “Mary Anne,” and “Shit Show” played. Heavy drumbeats were accompanied by simple yet intense guitar riffs with the occasional appearance of keys, adding even more texture to the rhythmic foundation.
Throughout the night, McPoland made the effort to engage with his audience, emphasizing his already evident excitement to be with them. He explained that he “is crawling back to who [he] once was,” as an artist. McPoland is ditching the cool-guy persona and is returning to his roots by listening to the artists that originally inspired him to make music, more specifically, the folksy, Americana sound of John Prine. Stating, “I don’t wanna be cool if it means I can’t listen to John Prine.” This resurgence of finding himself led to the strong choice of including two covers within the setlist. The first was “Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow),” a John Prine cover off of his 1978 album of the same name. McPoland and his bassist, Landon Laney, shared the mic and took on the song as a duet, accompanied by subtle instrumentals from Josh Suarez (keyboardist/guitarist) and Joe Curtin (drums). The final cover of the night was a traditional rendition of the well-known hymn “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” attributed to Wallace Willis. If the audience wasn’t already captivated by McPoland and his band’s talent, this song ought to do it. The four members took center stage yet again, this time with no instruments. The harmonious vocals of the quartet silenced the crowd as their voices carried throughout the venue. As the night came to an end, McPoland had a few songs left to send off his fans. Singing the offbeat lyrics of “I Love The Animals” with a smile on his face, McPoland jumped in tandem with the crowd. And of course, the show can’t end without his angsty, political anthem, “Digital Silence,” a song about everything that is wrong with our world and online culture today. The lights strobed to the chaotic sound of the in-your-face soundscape. McPoland himself screamed the lyrics into the mic, leaving every ounce of his being on the Brooklyn Bowl stage.
- Emma Moore
Photos Courtesy of Emily Duncko (For Bell Music Magazine)
