Portugal. The Man- Pabst Theater 6/20/13

The last time I saw Portugal. The Man was a $10 Turner Hall show in 2010.  The place was about half full and I recall being rather impressed with their musicianship and stage performance, although, I did find it a bit peculiar that the lead vocalist and guitarist, John Gourley, spent a fair amount of time facing his drummer rather than the audience when he sang.  Still, the psychedelic, poppy band from Oregon via Alaska delivered a memorable set, prompting me to continue following them and ultimately going to see them live for the second time this past Friday at the always beautiful Pabst Theater.

Fast forward four years, and three albums later, and you have a quite different act on the stage of the Pabst Theater, performing to a strong crowd (the floor and mezzanine sections were packed, leaving only the balcony empty).  Portugal. The Man, this time around consisted of six musicians.  Anchored by founders, John Gourley and bassist/vocalist, Zachary Carrothers, this incarnation of the band contained newer members keyboardist Kyle O'Quinn and drummer Kane Ritchotte, and a female vocalist (name not listed on their webpage) who handled a lot of the harmonies on tracks from the band's recent, Danger Mouse produced, 2013 release Evil Friends.  

Several things stood out in the 1:45 minute Portugal. The Man set.  First off, the band, while a six

piece, is really more of a seven piece outfit, as their stage lighting and visuals served as a key focus, just as much as the music itself.  In addition, the band, especially John Gourley, seemed much more confident on stage than last time I saw them.  Now armed with two mics- one facing the drummer and the other facing the front of the house, Gourley sang at least two-thirds of the numbers towards the crowd.  The band also exhibited more of a swagger on stage, seeming more comfortable with their roles as showmen and women.  The increased confidence is well-deserved, considering how much more polished Portugal. The Man was this time out.   This show seemed very well-rehearsed with slick transitions allowing numbers such as "Evil Friends," "So American," and "People Say" to flow seamlessly into one another, not unlike what one would expect from a jam band.

Their latest album, Evil Friends, utilizes Danger Mouse's knack for catchy tunes, and might be the band's most accessible release to date.  That said, it is darn good, and translates better live than I expected.  Numbers like "Modern Jesus," and "Creep in a T-Shirt," were quite well-done and stood up to any of the band's previous material even the set closing climatic "Sleep Forever."  In fact, seeing Portugal. The Man live has made me appreciate what a fantastic record Evil Friends is even more.

With its personality as an act continuing to evolve, I am curious to see what comes next for Portugal. The Man.  The unique lighting arrangements and visuals and more poppy and dancy tunes remind me of a throw back to the Flaming Lips circa Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots era.  Likewise, more jammy material fits more in line with acts like Tame Impala, and were also well-received by the audience which varied greatly in demographic from college students to couples on "date night" to folks in their fifties.  Clearly, Portugal. The Man is a band honing their sound and establishing themselves as one of indie rock's finest.

Grade: A

Second and third photographs used courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch.