Blogpost: Portugal. the Man - A Live Review

Posted by Edson • October 24, 2009

Posted by Edson • October 24, 2009

Portugal. the Man is a Portland, Oregon based experimental indie-rock band, fronted by native Alaskan John Gourley. If you haven’t heard the story about this up and coming group, Gourley’s unorthodox upbringing has shaped his musical, and artistic (he designs all of the artwork for the band) talents. Growing up in Wasilla, Alaska, Gourley was raised in a cabin with no telephone, and with the electricity powered by a generator. 

Now, I was fortunate to catch Portugal. the Man twice on October 23rd. The first one was at the SoHo Apple Store in lower Manhattan where they played a string of songs that were filmed and recorded for an exclusive iTunes EP (which you will soon be able to buy) to a small audience. Then, a few hours later, I caught them again at the Bowery Ballroom. Since you will be able to hear the first performance soon enough (and let me be the first to say it was stellar), I will focus more on the Bowery performance.

The insanely frustrating thing about trying to photograph Portugal. the Man is that they control their own lighting. Their mixture of strobes and neon colored lights flash and light up the stage in an almost unreal way. Its almost as if they’re trying to recreate Alaska’s natural phenomena - the Northern Lights - right in front of the audience.



With just a backlit stage, the band enters, and the crowd starts cheering. Some have come to expect, and are used to, Portugal the Man’s unique live performance, and others are about to experience it. The bands setup is quite unique - Gourley (keeping his side to the crowd) faces the keyboardist. The only member of the band that faces the crowd is the bassist, Zach, who seems to be in his own world. In fact, they all seem to be in their own world, jamming, and it shows by how immersed in the music they are.

For a relatively recent band (only formed in 2004) they already have an extensive catalog of songs to choose from. From the first song, the band doesn’t stop until the middle of the set, playing jams in between songs, linking them into one massive song.



Halfway through the set, they pause to say that this their last show of their US tour. As they play fan favorites from their albums such as “M80 the Wolf”, “Church Mouth”, and recent hits from their latest album The Satanic Satanist, “People Say”, “The Home”, “Do You” and more, devoted fans sing along to every word. When the song ends and the band dives straight into their jam, the crowd goes into their own world, moving, screaming, dancing, anticipating what song could be next.



As they announce their final song, they immediately rock into their first single, making it last, throwing two different jams into the midst of the song.
They exit the stage, but before they do, they pull a camera out on stage and take a picture of the crowd (a tradition, later added to their facebook page with the date and a caption - “Tag yourself!”).

The crowd starts chanting for one more song, and after a few minutes, they come back on stage to greet the audience once more. Crowd cheering, John proclaims: “This one is an old one.”


The familiar riff of their song Chicago is played and the crowd goes wild. During a break in the song, the crowd belts out “Please, please, speak up. I can’t hear with these clouds in my ears.”
Finishing Chicago, they jump into 1989, and has the crowd sing. Everyone gives it their heart, and upon finishing, everyone exits into the cold, rainy, New York City streets, to wrap up a long night.

Check out Portugal. the Man here and on myspace.

Edson • October 24, 2009

More recent blogposts

Coheed and Cambria, Taking Back Sunday and Foxing

Posted by Mirela Z. • August 27, 2025

Coheed and Cambria, Taking Back Sunday, Foxing Budweiser Stage Toronto, Canada August 24, 2025 What a treat catching two great bands Taking Back Sunday and Coheed and Cambria co-headlining on their 2025 North American tour. Special guest Foxing, from St. Louis, Missouri, opened the night with a 30 minute set, weaving delicate melodies into explosive waves of emotion that filled … Read more

Chevelle – Bright as Blasphemy tour 2025

Posted by Mirela Z. • August 23, 2025

Chevelle @ Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, Canada August 20, 2025 That feeling, when you’re having the best experience ever, and you don’t want it to end! Chevelle delivered a powerful headlining performance marking a high-energy stop on their 38-date North American Bright as Blasphemy tour, with supporting acts Dead Poet Society and Asking Alexandria setting the stage. A wall … Read more

Less Than Jake Summer Circus @ RMA 8/1/25

Posted by Aaron H • August 6, 2025

Less Than Jake - Credit: AMH The circus is in town. Less Than Jake are currently on their Summer Circus Tour promoting their latest EP, Uncharted. They've brought along ska and punk legends Fishbone and The Suicide Machines and ska newcomers, Catbite. Together, they've melded a perfect mish-mash of bands suitable for all ages. Riverside was in for a good … Read more

The Hives @ Enmore Theatre

Posted by T • July 26, 2025

The Hives Enmore Theatre Sydney, Australia July 23, 2025 Let’s be clear: The Hives didn’t play a show. They detonated one. On a cool Sydney night at the Enmore Theatre, the Swedish kings of garage rock stormed the stage like tuxedoed insurgents, staging a velvet-clad coup d’état against anything remotely resembling restraint. It wasn’t a concert. It was controlled chaos … Read more

Gob @ Peterborough Music Festival

Posted by Mirela Z. • July 22, 2025

Gob @ Peterborough Music Festival Peterborough, Ontario, Canada July 19, 2025 Gob nailed their set, energizing both die‑hard and casual fans alike. The band’s punchy hooks and raw performance had the crowd bouncing throughout the 90‑minute set, delivering both nostalgia and vitality. A perfect addition to a summer night in Peterborough! All photos by @front.row.fans Read more

Murder City Devils/Animal Self @ GHCH 7/12/25

Posted by Aaron H • July 17, 2025

Murder City Devils - Credit: AMH The Murder City Devils don't get out much anymore, so when the opportunity presented itself, I made my way down to Pomona to catch one of the 2 shows they had lined up in California. They brought along Animal Self, which features Kareem Karam and Coady Willis from Murder City Devils as well as … Read more

Daryl Gussin - A Year In Submission

Posted by Jiffy Marx • July 16, 2025

Can't say my review of it will be as well written or entertaining as this book of 50 poems by Daryl Gussin. Daryl is the managing editor of Razorcake. Daryl was in an awesome punk band called God Equals Genocide. Daryl is my friend but also possibly my spirit animal. Part of me wonders if the leather jacket that Daryl … Read more

Tripping Daisy North American Tour 2025

Posted by Mirela Z. • July 13, 2025

Tripping Daisy @ Lee's Palace Toronto, Canada July 11, 2025 Tripping Daisy brought us back to 1995 and sounded better than ever! When the crowd sings along 30 years later there’s no better feeling! All photos by @front.row.fans Read more

Death from Above 1979

Posted by Mirela Z. • July 6, 2025

Death from Above 1979 @ SummerStage New York, USA July 2, 2025 Death from Above 1979 tore through SummerStage with pure, unfiltered energy. The Toronto duo delivered a thunderous set packed with fuzzed-out bass, pounding drums, and raw vocals that had the crowd thrashing from the first note. From classics like “Romantic Rights” to newer bangers, the band was tight, … Read more

Sum 41 @ Scotiabank Arena

Posted by Mirela Z. • June 19, 2025

Sum 41 final shows - day 1 of 2 Scotiabank Arena Toronto Canada Jan. 28, 2025 All photos by @front.row.fans   Read more