reputation as an excellent live act helped sell out the Hi-Dive last August. On Friday night they returned to Denver and sold out the Bluebird Theater, the first of three Colorado shows (Vail and Aspen were the others) before heading back to Portland, where the Wasila, Alaska-based band now lives. Given that the band’s fan base grows with each successive release, coupled with the staggeringly quick succession of releases, fans should plan on buying tickets for their next Denver show early.
Portugal. The Man does about 250 dates a year and, in true workaholic fashion, somehow has still released six albums (and a few EP’s) since 2006. Their latest, the excellent “American Ghetto,” was released virtually unannounced in early March. As in their 2009 breakthrough album, “The Satanic Satanist,” the band’s earlier prog leanings are reined in. The draw now, and what sets Portugal. The Man apart from most of their indie peers, is the band’s increasing prowess at crafting superb pop songs sung unlike any indie act performing today. Based on the band’s increasing popularity, people prefer Portugal. The Man’s “Revolver”-era Beatles/’70s soul sound of their past two albums to the Led Zeppelin/Jane’s Addiction affectation of their earlier work.
Friday nightap show featured several extended instrumental moments. These are talented musicians, notably, the rhythm section who anchor the bands beat-heavy sound. Keyboardist/vocalist Ryan Neighbors adds to the lush, solid sound of the band. The instrumental portions of songs seemed to last as long as they needed to, never longer. Better still, they were structured, not aimless noodling. Still, with a now fairly sizeable catalog of songs to choose from, it‘s almost disappointing to not be able to hear more songs, even at the expense of hearing the band stretch their considerable chops.
Singer/guitarist, John Gourley remained hunched over his guitar and microphone, at a decidedly right angle, occasionally turning his back to the audience for the extended instrumental breaks. His frequent falsetto vocals that define the band’s sound were spot on, the band’s harmonies perfect. Portugal. The Man’s live shows are known for throwing in the occasional cover. Their “Moonage Daydream,” Bowie’s Ziggy-era classic, segued into MGMT‘s “Weekend Wars.” It fit in seamlessly with their set and was one of several highlights.
The 70-minute set rewarded longtime fans by featuring material from their entire career and was followed by a 20-minute encore. Port O‘Brien opened (along with New York City’s the Dig) joined the band for the finale. Throughout the show, Gourley repeatedly thanked the audience for coming out. Judging from the looks on the faces in the audience, the feeling was mutual. Portugal. The Man will certainly play a larger venue when they pass through Denver next time. Don’t be surprised when that show sells out, too.
Mike Long is a Longmont-based writer and comedian and a regular contributor to Reverb.
