For many years, Peter McPoland was known as an up-and-coming internet indie rocker. He first came into the conversation by posting acoustic originals. His unique vocals and raw songwriting slowly built momentum. One early standout was “Romeo and Juliet,” which he initially uploaded to his ‘finsta’ at what he later joked during his Tennessee show was a tempo that was way too fast. Someone called him out on it in the comments, and now that same person is a member of his band on the Big Lucky Tour. For a while, he had a small but dedicated group of fans, until an indie flip of Dua Lipa’s pop classic, “Levitating,” blew him into internet stardom. In recent years, while other indie internet sensations have ventured into poppier sounds, McPoland has been dabbling in more rock-leaning and experimental territories. His latest release comes in the form of newfound independence after leaving his major label record deal last year. He is currently on tour in the U.S. in support of this new record, and the fifth stop brought him to Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville on February 22nd.
Peter opened the set, sharing a mic with his band members to sing an acoustic version of “Dead Air.” After the first couple of songs, he took a moment to address the audience, noting that it felt good to be on the road again, as this is an early stop on the tour. He joked that things are getting off to a good start with the new band, but they are still working on getting past the pleasantries stage, when in fact this is a group that he’s known since high school. He thanked the audience for being with him through all the changes he’s undergone in a relatively young career. His words and setlist indicate he is deliberating his creative direction in some way. He spent some time talking about his love for John Prine and how he’s feeling drawn to folk music again, saying:
“If you ever see me making folk music again, I’ve made it back home.”
Much later in the set, he came back to this topic, saying that he stopped listening to Prine because he felt it wasn’t cool, but added, “I don’t wanna be cool if I can’t listen to John Prine” before playing “Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow).”
After the first couple of slow songs, the set took a sharp turn with the first high-energy rock song. Lights flashed, and Peter jumped around the stage, headbanging and playing guitar solos. A few more high-energy songs would follow before the band members would rejoin McPoland at the mic for a calming moment. Even during the B-side songs, fans sang along to every line. The set continued in a pattern of sharp turns that kept the audience hooked, including a cover of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” made popular by the Fisk Jubilee Singers. McPoland has found something many musicians spend their careers trying to create: an audience that is truly dedicated and willing to stay with the artist for the journey.
Just as the clock struck 10 pm, McPoland let the audience know they had one more for them, and he meant it. “Last Looks” was the final touch on the just over an hour-long set, ending just as it started, slow and stripped back. The crowd waited, chanting for an encore, but none came. Fans began filing out once his crew took the stage to hand out setlists and disassemble the gear. It seems McPoland is leading with intention on the Big Lucky Tour, choosing cohesion over new-age-norms and trusting that the music itself is enough.
GALLERY: Peter McPoland at Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee (February 22, 2026)
