Piggy North American Tour — House of Blues in San Diego, CA — November 4, 2023

Peter McPoland, an American singer-songwriter who’s been making the rounds since 2018 and has gained traction and a tight knit community on the internet over the last few years is finally up to bat. With his debut album, Piggy available to stream now, and an exhilarating North American tour to back it; McPoland is on his way to making the art he’s always dreamed about known for all who will witness.

Having made his way into the House of Blues in San Diego, California, this made my first trip into the city a memorable one. Piggy fuses online life and real life human interactions into one setting, it’s a noisy and bold album in the best way possible. McPoland started the night off with “Mold”, the first song off the record and a power move at that, but the fans were more than ready. Continuing the momentum he conjured up, next on the list was “I Need You”, a song of realization of how another being can truly provide love, stability, and happiness. A nice slow transition folded over the room, McPoland took on one of his popular ballads “String Lights” off of his LP, Slow Down and the room swayed in the arms of McPoland’s tender and raspy vocals.

Taking a brief moment to talk to the room, McPoland went on to explain his currently broken right foot and how it came to be while on tour – while passing on his wants and needs from the crowd to go as hard as they can for him. And the crowd did exactly that for the rest of the night, more hits came to light as “Dog”, “Blue”, “Ceiling Fan/Piggy”, a Dua Lipa cover of Levitating, and his 2021 single, “Shit Show” were all huge crowd pleasers and had fans losing their minds in honor of McPoland. He closed out the night with a heartfelt performance of “Romeo & Juliet” and a pulsating rendition of “Digital Silence”, the 23 year old artist is defying industry rules and playing the game his own way. By being himself, staying true to his music, and just simply creating what he wants to create – this makes McPoland the perfect candidate for this new generation of artists.

Words & Photography: Isaiah Pate