Peter McPoland at 9:30 Club

BY Anna Porcella

Though it was a chilly Friday evening in Washington, D.C., there was no shortage of heat in a packed, sold-out show at the 9:30 Club with indie rocker Peter McPoland. The 'Piggy Tour,' named after Peter’s debut album 'Piggy,' brings a lively performance and infectious energy. Along with him on this tour is singer-songwriter Stephen Dawes. In addition to his iconic cover of Katy Perry’s 'Teenage Dream,' Stephen opened the show with songs from his EP, including 'Lucy' and '19.'

Sporting the headphones he wears on the 'Piggy' album cover, Peter begins his set with the album opener 'Mold.' Immediately noticeable is his incredible energy, which he carries throughout the entire show. Perhaps most impressive was doing it all on one leg - he currently has a boot due to a foot injury. His sound ranges from folk-pop to punchy indie rock, with his vocals carrying the poignant lyrics in both soft melodies and intense belts. One song that stood out to me, in particular, is called 'Dog;' a slow build into a cacophonous final chorus raw with emotion.

In between songs, Peter would share anecdotes with the crowd, including how his first performance ever took place in DC (Songbyrd, just ten minutes away), some inspirations for his songs (including flooding the backroom of his former job), and the reason he was no longer allowed to get in the pit (management banned him after joining the pit, causing the aforementioned foot injury). My favorite bit of the night had to be when he put on a bald cap given to him by the audience and then proceeded to sing 'Sign of the Times' in an ode to Harry Styles’ new buzzcut.

Peter’s transparency in his music has fostered an adoring relationship with his audience, evident in moments where he welcomed a fan onstage to dance with him, and a fan project in which the crowd held up little pieces of colorful paper in front of their flashlights. The packed crowd never let up their energy, particularly excited when the opening act, Stephen, returned to the stage to jump the barricade and join the dancing in the pit.

Peter closed out the show with fan favorites 'Romeo & Juliet' and 'Digital Silence,' the latter of which is a personal favorite of mine, and had the whole crowd moving from the barricade to the balcony. Though there are only a few stops left on this tour, I am already looking forward to when he will return to DC.