The indie-rock TikTok icon Peter McPoland took the stage by storm at the 9:30 Club on Friday. With his life-size pig and four-piece band, McPoland had fans dancing and screaming his lyrics right back at him.

Before I dive too far into the evening, I just want to express my gratitude to Peter McPoland for doing what he does. To me, McPoland exemplifies the beauty and versatility that is music, and music is food for the soul.

Tears instantly streamed down my face the moment I heard the beginning chords of “String Lights” from his first album Slow Down. I have a lot of emotions attached to that song. 

My grandfather passed away just over a year ago, and “String Lights” was the very first song that I listened to after I had heard the news. The song took on a different meaning, and now I always think of that moment when I hear it. But getting to hear it live and see McPoland perform it with such passion was therapeutic. That’s what good music does—it allows you to unapologetically feel raw emotions. This was truly one of the most emotionally fulfilling concerts I’ve ever seen.

With the support of opener Stephen Dawes, McPoland has been on his North American tour since the middle of October, with his third-to-last stop in Washington, D.C. This show on his Piggy album tour was an hour and a half of pure passion. He has been described by many as an “indie rock” artist, but he is an incredibly versatile artist with a repertoire that ranges from melodic, heartfelt ballads to high energy headbangers. 

McPoland set the tone for the rest of the show by opening with “Mold,” the first song on his new album Piggy. The song was like a constant stream of energy that coursed through the audiences’ bodies and ignited them for the entirety of the show.

McPoland gained fame by posting videos of his music on TikTok, releasing his first single, “Lady Bird,” in 2018. With his first album, Slow Down, released in 2022 and now 2023’s Piggy, McPoland has made a name for himself, especially among the Gen Z demographic. His music appeals to a wide variety of audiences due to its versatility and relatability. Most of the tour’s set list consisted of songs from Piggy, but he also sang some of his “hits” from Slow Down as well as his singles like “Shit Show”—a very self-aware song for a live concert—and “Romeo & Juliet”—the song that launched his career.

McPoland spent a good portion of his tour jumping into the crowd and moshing with his fans during his song “Turn Off The Noise,” but he broke his foot at his show at the House of Blues in Chicago and has been in a boot since then. Therefore, when he sang this song, Stephen Dawes came back onstage to sing the beginning of the song and mosh with the crowd in place of McPoland while he hopped around onstage on his good foot.

Thanks to his TikTok videos of his tour highlights and behind the scenes, fans knew that he had broken his foot, but many were surprised when Dawes came back out to mosh with them. Despite McPoland’s injury, he still danced a lot onstage, inspiring the crowd to do the same.

“Turn Off The Noise” was McPoland’s favorite song to perform, as stated in a TikTok video, but now it’s “Dog,” which is a heart-wrenching song about an abusive and controlling relationship. When talking about difficult topics such as this, Gen Z often copes with humor. McPoland would occasionally bark, causing the fans to bark back. There is no shortage of animal references on this tour.

A few adoring fans tossed some gifts onstage for him, including a few stuffed pigs, a poster with his lyrics “I need you, I miss you, I love you” from his song “I Need You,” and a bald cap, which he proceeded to put on his head before singing his next song.

McPoland connected with his fans at the 9:30 Club on Friday night. He frequently asked the crowd if they were “doing good” and wanted to make sure everyone was having fun. Towards the end of the show, he said, “We have a few songs left; it’s up to you to make this the best f***ing night of your life.”

The first ever show that McPoland played with his current four-piece band was in Washington, D.C., so he said it was really special for them to be back. McPoland also played his red electric guitar for a few songs. At one point while he was playing the guitar, his microphone stand fell over. Rather than picking it up, he laid on the ground with his guitar to finish singing the song. 

He also told a few anecdotes about some of his songs. Before he sang “Saint Peter,” which McPoland said on Twitter was not on the album for personal reasons, he described an experience he had while working at Domino's Pizza that inspired the song. He left the faucet on in the kitchen while he was out delivering a pizza, so when he came back the kitchen was covered in water. The seemingly silly story contrasted with the melancholy song about feeling incompetent.

Piggy is much more rock-oriented than his first album or even most of his singles, and it is even reminiscent of 1980s alternative or synth rock bands such as Depeche Mode. The setting matched the vibe of the album too, with a stage fit with a black curtain and multicolored bright lights. With its catchy, repetitive themes and quick-paced drum beats in each song, the album is like a shock to the nervous system that excites the senses and makes the listener feel so many emotions all at once. 

Overall, Piggy is a coming-of-age album that explores the angst and emotions of growing up in the digital age. Given that McPoland gained his following on TikTok, it is like an introspective look into his brain. His first single off the album, “Digital Silence,” which was released four months prior to the album, set that tone and became Piggy’s anthem. The song is about wanting to get everyone to love you and learning to accept that the world is not as perfect as you may have imagined it. Fans sang the words back to him throughout the concert, but they were especially loud during this one.

McPoland knows how to put on an entertaining show. He lit up the stage, danced around, sang his heart out, and shared his art across the country. Anyone in the audience could tell just how much his music means to his fans–not just to me. McPoland is really something special for this generation of music listeners.