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Review & Setlist: Portugal. The Man bring a special set to Boston, ‘one of the most important places in the world’
After 20 years of playing the city, the group still feels the love.
Portugal. The Man at Roadrunner, Thursday, Feb. 22, with SNACKTIME
Shrouded in psychedelic hues, rock band Portugal. The Man returned to Boston on Thursday night to play Roadrunner in a trippy, art-house display of showmanship. Their extensive 2-hour, 26-song set provided longtime fans with material from their nine studio albums, but there was something for everyone in their night of gratitude and inclusivity.
After a high-energy set from opening band SNACKTIME — fronted by Berklee-alum Yesseh Furaha-Ali, who emphatically deemed Boston his second home — praise for the city was already a frequent sentiment. At the start of their headlining set, Portugal. The Man guitarist Eric Howk took the stage to reflect on what the city means to them, despite being raised in far-away Alaska.
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“It’s been way too long since we’ve been in Boston,” Howk stated. “Thanks for sticking with us. This is one of our favorite places in the world. The first time I played Boston was a little spot in Allston, like 22 years ago, and from the very beginning of this band being this band, Boston has been absolutely one of the most important places in the world. And we love you so much for it. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts. This place means the world. It’s a great rock and roll city.”
CONCERT REVIEWS:
Initiating the show with deep feelings of gratitude, Howk welcomed Alaskan native and close friend of the band, Lakota Harden, to the stage to share a powerful message about ancestry and acknowledgment of stolen land. Followed with a performance from The North American Indian Center of Boston, the venue was cast in a deep trance that instilled a sincere appreciation and sense of community — a sentiment that Portugal. The Man employed for the rest of the night.
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Opening their set with a psych-rock medley of tracks, the wash of smoke and shifting color that masked them presented a dystopian sensation that rivaled the celebration of life that started the show. Backdrops of various life forms flashed in quick succession, transporting fans into an alternate state of being that was fueled by their hypnotic music and light show.
Cast in their projections, the stage transformed into a captivating art show reminiscent of decades prior. Creating their own version of Andy Warhol’s famed Exploding Plastic Inevitable, even finding their own Nico in vocalist Zoe Manville, the group easily shapeshifted in and out of forms. Tracks like “Grim Generation,” “What, Me Worry?” and “Atomic Man” fueled this experimental endeavor and united the crowd in a mass of swaying bodies. Boston, a melting pot for cultures and creatives, heavily influenced the show’s dynamics, and as we later learned, the band’s music.
SNACKTIME remained on stage for the entirety of the show, filling out Portugal’s sound with an eclectic blend of horns, percussion, vocals and even rap bars. Both bands formed a tribe of their own, commanding the stage with 10+ bodies at a time and instilling the sense of shared community the band values so deeply, while creating a spectacle for the crowd to devour.
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Halfway through their set, the band welcomed Alaskan-born singer-songwriter Quinn Christopherson, who now resides in Boston. Together, they performed Christopherson’s powerful ballad “Erase Me,” which ignited the crowd in emotional revelry. Straying from the setlist, Portugal. The Man continued the night with Boston-exclusive tracks and crowd-influenced numbers.
As the career-encompassing set flowed quickly into each unfolding song, the night was punctuated with moments of Boston relics and plenty of informative quips from the band of past times traveled here. Reflecting on their meaningful years spent in Boston, lead singer John Gourley shared that two tracks on the night’s setlist were recorded in Boston: “People Say” and “Guns and Dogs” off their 2009 LP The Satanic Satanist.
Furthering their trip down memory lane, Howk recounted the local establishments that they played during formative years. “It’s been 20 years of this band coming to Boston. When we say we’re going on tour, Boston is in mind. We came out playing places like O’Briens in Allston and the Sinclair, Avalon and Axis, and House of Blues. All these incredible rock and roll places in Boston have formed this band and formed all of us as musicians.”
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While venues have come and gone over the years of Boston’s ever-shifting musical landscape, one thing remains the same: Portugal. The Man will continue to return. With a deep-rooted connection to the city that has seen them through various iterations of their band, two decades of visits have cemented the group as adopted Bostonians. Projecting as much love back to the city as they’ve received, Portugal. The Man ensure they feel it still.
Setlist for Portugal. The Man at Roadrunner, Feb. 22, 2024
- Heart of the Sunrise / Heavy Games / Bellies Are Full
- Grim Generation
- Marching With 6
- So Young
- Creep in a T-Shirt
- Modern Jesus
- What, Me Worry?
- Champ
- Atomic Man
- Thunderdome [W.T.A.]
- Dummy
- Summer of Luv
- Ghost Town
- Mr Lonely
- People Say
- The Sun
- So American
- Erase Me (ft. Quinn Christopherson)
- Evil Friends
- Live in the Moment
- Plastic Island
- Feel It Still
- Anxiety:Clarity
Encore:
- Chicago
- Guns & Dogs
- Sea of Air
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