Maybe I’m biased… well I know I’m biased, but Portugal. The Man could possibly be one of the coolest bands making music today. Something about the psychedelic/experimental combination of John Gourley’s pitchy vocals and hollow-body guitar paired with a keyboard and catchy beats… well it’s hard not to like.
My favorite thing about these guys though is their acoustic sessions. Scattered amongst quirky videos and time lapse drawings, the band has recorded several sans-amp tracks and posted them on their Vimeo account. In my humble opinion, any group of people that can make inarguably good music without the help/modification of technology are definitely worth noting as awesome. Plus, keyboardist Ryan Neighbors plays a ridiculously miniature toy piano with a funky twang to it that makes the sessions that much better.
Portugal. The Man will be performing Sunday, Oct. 2 at Rialto Theater. Doors open at 7 p.m., tickets will be $15 at the door (if there are any left).
This article appears in Sep 29 – Oct 5, 2011.
I checked out some songs on youtube…My opinion is it’s a little too much Sgt. Pepper era Beatles w/Lennon falsetto. Not a bad band, not very exciting either. I like Sgt. Pepper era Beatles…but, why not listen to the original rather than a copy.
If a concert was free, had good beer cheap or was for a good cause…I might go.
My headline would be Portugal. The Man=Mediocre.
To mondofenucki,
I can certainly see how one might come to that conclusion after a few listens.
One thing to know before making a decision: The CD versions of their songs are, indeed, more poppy sounding.
Please don’t let that turn you away from their live shows. They are out of this world good. Full of energy, extended jams, improvisation, etc. They are one of the best bands I have seen live.
Check out this video, then decide!
http://youtu.be/_9hzPkODmP0
Check out their album, Church Mouth, and you’ll be blown away…if you like kick @ss rock.