Peter McPoland and Girl Tones captivate with unforgettable night at Truman

1 hour ago

Haley Mullenix, Eleanor Leslie,

Peter McPoland. // photo by Haley Mullenix

Peter McPoland
with Girl Tones
The Truman
Tuesday, March 11

Touring in support of his newest album, Big Lucky, Peter McPoland brought his alternative folk energy to his devoted crowd on Tuesday, March 10, at The Truman to play through his most popular songs, as well as showcase his newer releases.

The show opened with a performance by Girl Tones, a crunchy indie rock duo from Kentucky, that mixed high energy performance with cathartic vocals. Both women being classically trained musicians, it wasn’t hard to see the melodic beauty even in their hardest pieces.

Girl Tones. // photo by Haley Mullenix

They started the set off with their song, “Got It,” a song about standing tall in the face of uncertainty, something particularly relevant with the blare of tornado sirens in the background of that particular performance.

The audience was instantly enamored with the punchy drums, played by Laila Crowe, who was dressed in head-to-toe red for the performance.

“We don’t have a lot of time up here. So, as we say, let the music speak for itself tonight,” lead singer, Kenzie Crowe, remarked during a short break in the set.

The performance reached its height of angst during their most popular song, “Again,” a perfect encapsulation of Girl Tone’s thunderous lyricism, and is considered a love letter to what Kenzie describes as, “all the baddies with OCD.”

After finishing an impressive setlist, which contained most of their discography, the stage was turned over to the star of the show–Peter McPoland.

Peter McPoland has had his fair share of success after gaining internet attention in 2021 with his album standout, “Romeo & Juliet,” as well as with his song, “Digital Silence,” in 2023, and was an opener for Imagine Dragons in 2024. With so much recent traction under his belt, it’s no shock that he was able to sell out The Truman, and play to a crowd of devoted fans.

McPoland waltzed onstage, casually dressed in black, with an acoustic guitar in his hands, and he started his set off with the song “Dead Air,” which filled the room with vivid imagery and twangy vocals. He carried this energy through the first quarter of his set. Tracks such as “Slow Down” filling the venue with a melancholic energy as he strummed on his guitar.

It wasn’t long, though, before the soft folk feel of the beginning was replaced by the raw emotion and hardhitting backtracks of some of his other albums. Piggy, an album about his feelings regarding his parents’ divorce, is where the song “Blue” came from, which was especially evocative of this piercing lyricism.

“You guys are a very receptive audience,” McPoland noted between songs. “Don’t let anyone take that from you.”

After a short break to sing “Happy Birthday” to one member of the audience (I hope you had a wonderful birthday, Brooklyn), McPoland brought us back into his world of unplugged musical excellence with an acapella rendition of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.”

The crowd for Peter McPoland. // photo by Haley Mullenix

With the help of his backing band–Joe Curtin on the drums, Landon Laney on the guitar, and Josh Suarez on the keys–Peter McPoland took the audience into his aforementioned lovesick single, “Romeo & Juliet.” My personal favorite from the set, with devastating vocals and subtle instrumental kicks, it was perfect to set off the final few songs.

Moving into one of his more popular tracks from his new album, and a slight tempo upbeat, we moved into “I Love The Animals,” a catchy tune with a noticeable amount of funk. The only thing that could dampen the mood that McPoland built in that room was the bittersweet overshadowing of the impending end of the show.

As if reading our minds, he said, “This is your encore, you’re in it,” before starting the last songs of the set. McPoland ended the show with the number, “A Place Like This,” a song about peaceful longing, a sentiment I found myself relating to as the crowd enjoyed their final moments with him.

McPoland left without a word after the song ended, letting us think about his lyrics in his absence. As the crowd started to disperse, I realized I, too, could live in a place like this.

All photos by Haley Mullenix

Peter McPoland

Peter McPoland setlist
Dead Air
Speed of the Sound (of you)
What Do You Do To Me?
Slow Down
Mary Anne
Blue
Shit Show
Revolver
Happy Birthday
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Romeo & Juliet
String Lights
I Love the Animals
Digital Silence
Come Around
A Place Like This