popwreckoning

Johnny Brenda’s in the Fishtown section of Philadelphia has gained a legendary reputation for hosting great live music and on October 22nd, 2009 the second floor of the venue delivered all that and more. Drug Rug, a lo-fi indie folk band from Cambridge, Massachusetts opened the show. Upon entering the stage, they were greeted with a respectful applause but it seemed obvious most people were not familiar with this band. During their set, the musicians showcased their talents by trading off instruments and proceeding to play some spectacular indie rock tunes. By the end of their set, they had won over the audience and proved to be worthy openers for the incredible performance that was to follow.

Portugal. The Man headlined the show in front of a sold out crowd of eager twentysomethings. While most shows these days seem to consist of more waiting than watching, Portugal. The Man were up on stage and playing without much delay, keeping the audience fresh and lively and ready for another intensely satisfying set. Front man, John Baldwin Gourley, entertained the sea of onlookers with his enthusiasm and relentless energy for almost an hour. They played a variety of songs in their set since their music has shifted over the years from progressive pop/rock to the epitome of an indie rock band. While they seemed to be widely categorized in this genre, they are far from your average band. These guys played with a laid back attitude but an intense vibe. Most of the songs played were in support of the latest record, The Satanic Satanist. However, the primary hits from previous albums were also covered like the crowd favorite “Church Mouth.” At one point Portugal. The Man covered David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream” followed by a well-greeted MGMT song.

The flashing lights and smoke on stage were a perfect blend to the band’s somewhat abstract and experimental sound. A constantly changing light show highlighted the bands enjoyable movements on stage while racking up points for the hip venue. Johnny Brenda’s was a perfect match for this lively band and equally fun crowd. In addition to the music, Gourley deserves some serious recognition for the mustache and long mane he was sporting. I’m betting this native Alaskan definitely had that style going long before it was hip.

After the set had finished, encore chants began and as sure as the day follows the night Portugal. The Man was back on stage for two more songs. It was an awesome night with some awesome tunes, and those of you that missed out on the sold out show, well, you better buy your tickets in advance next time this quartet comes around.

Set List:
And I
People Say
AKA M80 The Wolf
The Sun
Work All Day
Church Mouth
Do You
Everyone is Golden
Moonage Daydream- MGMT
Mornings
New Orleans
The Woods
My Mind

Portugal. The Man: website | myspace | Censored Colors review | @ bonnaroo 2009

Words: Steve Bistline and Victoria May
Photos: Victoria May

Alaska is a cold place that’s dark for half of the year and when you think of all that shadowed snow, it doesn’t sound very colorful and exciting. Fortunately, that doesn’t stop the creativity of Portugal. The Man who offer a bright palette of sounds on their third full-length album Censored Colors.

Censored Colors is divided in half by “Intermission,” but is still presented as a seamless album. The first half consists of individual, soulful tracks tied together by soaring string melodies and references to “colors.” The meaning of the word “color” is left to the listener to decide.

In “Colors,” vocalist John Baldwin Gourley sings in a voice you’ll either love or hate as he switches into a very high falsetto, “I’m not afraid to die cause all these colors will change.” On the bluesy song “And I,” Gourley sings “Some were colors that took to the streets” and on “Our And In And In And Out,” he says he’s “bleeding out the colors of the world.” This implies colors could be people, things or ideas. Whatever his reference, colors come in a variety of shades giving him the freedom to use the word in a variety of cases and allowing the listener to decide the meaning for themselves. These songs are meant to be interpreted as black and white. There are a lot of gray areas.

While it is an immediate love for the lyrics, I remained uncertain as to whether I liked Gourley’s vocals, but once I heard them paired with Zoe Manville‘s (Schoolboy Error) amazing voice, it was love. The harmonies the two have on “Salt” and “Created” are some of the best of the album.

The second half of the album replaces the strings with psychedelic trumpet and picks up more of a reggae sound. Each song seamlessly transitions into the next making it so you have no idea when one ends and the next begins. This half of the album is a harder rock. Lyrically it is a little less interesting than the first half as it gets a lot more repetitive. “All Mine” is the closest song to what was on the earlier half of the album as cello leads into it.

The band offers an interesting presentation and with a big difference between the first half and the second, you’re bound to either like one of the halves, if not the whole thing. Whatever the case, Portugal. The Man may be one of the coolest things to come from the icy state in quite awhile.

Portugal. The Man’s Censored Colors is released by their own Approaching AIRballoons with help from Equal Vision on Sept. 16, 2008.

Tracklisting:
01. Lay Me Back Down
02. Colors
03. And I
04. Salt
05. Created
06. Our And In And In And Out
07. Intermission
08. New Orleans
09. Never Pleased
10. Sit Back And Dream
11. Hard Times
12. Our Times
13. All Mine
14. 1989
15. Our Way

Portugal. The Man: website | myspace | download

Written by: Bethany