If you're wondering what Portugal. The Man has been doing these day's recently, well they have been rocking!
Portugal. The Man played their most recent set at the Boston Calling’s festival, at Cambridge Friday, May 25 during the first day of the three-day rock fest. The day was headlined by The Killers, with a variety of other rock bands such as Citizen, Perfume Genius, and Paramore. Although Portugal. The Man drew a lot of attention because the crowds were expecting the one perception and got another, rougher one.
Before they played, a short clip of Beavis and Butt-Head stated the case for why Portugal. The Man is the greatest band while putting them side-by-side with legends such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, setting a lossy goosy tone.
They then shredded out the songs that inspired them, blasting off with a cover of Metallica’s For Whom the Bell Tolls which melded into Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2. The audience responding singing along, “Teacher, leave those kids alone.”
Although the crowd who went thought Portugal. The Man’s set would be based on their recent pop-rock, electro mix album Woodstock with their huge hit Feel It Still.
But the recent album only reflects the entrance into a new stage of their music and any Portugal. The Man fan knows there is a wealth of work created well before this. What they got was weighty guitar riffs and drum beats bombarding the festival, with the band shouting, “rock critics can suck my whole a******... don’t worry, we are playing that song right after this," which was displayed on the screen behind the stage, like true rock and rollers.
Portugal. The Man rocked and rocked their set revising the songs and jamming reinterpreted recorded version of songs.
For example, the reinvented The Beatles's I Want You (She’s So Heavy) was reworked by a thrashing lead guitar, which followed their song All Your Light (Times Like These), from their album In the Mountain, In the Clouds, according to The Heights.
Songs also that were more intriguing in the show apparently was what they did before Feel It Still which was what they closed with (in the video above).
Their set focused on their roots which are based in prog, psych, metal and jam and employs a clash of old and new. Just listen to the albums In the Mountain In the Clouds or Evil Friends and you'll understand. Not only this it is surprising that they would riff out their beginnings and roots because their recent pop influenced work is their hit (which is what jammed packed crowds since then have expected). But they are so talented they pulled it off.
Purple Yellow Red and Blue and Modern Jesus, from the album Evil Friends, are two songs out of many which are mind-blowing great songs that were never recognized, hence rock critics can suck. To boot, they culmination of psychedelic effects and jamming is tied together by great songwriting, why they could be according to Beavis and Butthead, the best rock band ever. Maybe that's Hyperbole, maybe not.
Songs of their's included Live in the Moment (Woodstock), Hip Hop Kids (Evil Friends) and Modern Jesus produced just as much energy as Feel It Still, encapsulating the fact Portugal the Man is the man, and their success is no accident, according to The Brooklyn Vegan.
If you want to check them out, go to their website and you can get all their upcoming tour dates. The most recent one in coming is June 15 - 17 at the Mountain Jam Festival in Hunter, NY. They are a must see now, not only because of their most recent album but also due to most of their work beforehand and what they will probably do in the future which is rock.