A few weeks ago, I had the extreme pleasure of catching
Portugal. The Man live. PTM hails from Alaska and have been making it around the lower 48 exciting audiences at jam-packed clubs. I wasn't sure what to expect, but as I stepped in to the Middle East I was immediately blown away with the group's thick, full sound. Forgoing traditional lighting, the band used a system of flashing flood lights that caught the energy of their movements at all the right times. The only way I could describe them sonically is just imagine taking all the best parts of Cold War Kids, The Mars Volta, The Blood Brothers and Party of Helicopters and you get a vague notion of what these guys are capable of. There really isn't much to say except that they were utterly amazing, and the sold out crowd singing and swaying along must have agreed. They'll be on tour all fall with another fav of mine, Rocky Votolato, so make sure you check them both out when they roll up into your town.
