Portugal. The Man and their openers certainly didn’t look like little boys at the Fox Theatre on Monday. Photos by .
I had heard that the look of the members of was a rough-hewn one and that on tour they often appear as if they’ve come down, Jeremiah Johnson-style, from months in mountain huts to play supercharged, cunning rock for their adoring fans. And itap true — they do resemble sketches of the Unabomber, scruffy and anonymous.
What I didn’t expect to see was this look and demeanor displayed across an entire lineup. Out of the 12 performers in three bands at the Monday night, only two lacked facial hair of degree (and one was a woman), and all had wild, tousled hair, which filled out many a rugged visage (again, besides the young woman). Their look matched their sound as Portugal. The Man, and came across with wild, churning abandon at times and quiet, aloof/clever poetry at others in front of an intensely engaged Boulder crowd.
Young Coyotes started the evening and quickly beat the small, early crowd into a frenzy. The band had a shrewd setup with Adam Halferty and Matt Wilcox pounding next to each other on two trap sets separated by a marching bass drum while guitarist and lead vocalist Zach Tipton passionately screamed out in a voice that recalled Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock. Between frantic drum beating Wilcox focused on a small set of vibraphones, adding a classic music box touch to the marching-style rhythms. All three then erupted in their bellows, reminiscent of call and response chants from arena shows featuring the Police. A fitting image for the name of the band.
The crowd had nearly doubled in size as Born in the Flood took the stage. Voted No. 1 in 2007’s Denver Post Underground Music Poll, they continue to build a strong local following with meaningful poetics atop smart, enthralling pop arrangements. Nathaniel Rateliff’s constantly disheveled, just-woke-up-a-few-minutes-ago look fit well with the rest of the nightap furry lineup but belied the intensity and mastery of his songwriting prowess.
As he jerked and popped with his guttural vocals and choppy, effects-laden guitar work, Rateliff was joined onstage by Joseph Pope III (bass), Matt Fox (lead guitar) and Jeff Linsenmyer (drums. Linsenmyer also currently acts as a drum tech for The Fray and itap unclear if he is a permanent fixture in Born). Their performance was steady and passionate, as always. Rateliff comes across as a young, rougher version of Billy Joel at times and the band’s music brings to mind Joel’s “Glass Houses” days, but with a clear emphasis on depth and intimacy.
Portugal. The Man took the stage next, scooping up the packed house and shoving us into a world of bluesy, psychedelic power-pop. Frontman John Gourley (guitars, lead vocals) was joined by Zach Carothers (bass, vocals), Ryan Neighbors (keyboards, vocals — and, incidentally, the only band member onstage all night, besides the female background singer, with no facial hair) and Jason Sechrist (drums). Awash in thick ink from fog machines working overtime, Gourley led an onslaught of ‘70s influenced stoner rock reminiscent of Edgar Winter and T. Rex, with a contemporary flavor that recalled Jack White’s Raconteurs.
At one point in the opening song they segued into a throbbing version of Three Dog Nightap “One is the Loneliest Number,” and then seamlessly back, causing a ripple of cheers from the audience. Gourley’s high-pitched, Geddy Lee-esque vocals seemed incongruous, coming from beneath the hood of his sweat jacket (he never removed it), accompanied by his skill with his beautiful, cream-and-gold hollow body guitar. Their hour-long set was a welcome climax to the lineup, rugged and hairy, and simultaneously sharp, intimate and satisfying.
Billy Thieme is a Denver-based writer, an old-school punk and a huge follower of Denver’s vibrant local music scene. Follow Billy’s giglist at
is a Boulder photographer and regular contributor to Reverb.
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