Modern Mystery

Roughly 200 fans cramped into the Apple Soho store on Friday, October 23^rd to get a glimpse of the prolific, Portland-via-Alaska group, Portugal. The Man, as they skimmed the surface of their catalogue for pre-CMJers.

The band kept the mood mellow, employing strings that coupled nicely with John Gourley’s flailing voice, trembling during high notes, hissing like a crooner during low ones.

The set opened with “AKA M80 The Wolf” off of Waiter: “You Vultures!” The audience, which ranged in age, chanted along Gourley, “I am but a man / but a proud, proud man.” And everyone did their best clap during “The Sun”—a tune from the band’s 2009 LP The Satanic Satanist—while Gourley’s lyrics took flesh (“Fixing up to wallow my soul / Because we are all, we are all just lovers”).

But of course, being as prolific as they are, they can’t just have one full-length album a year. The band has already completed another studio recording, American Ghetto (release date TBA), and is currently on a two-month trek around Europe.
-Paola Capo-Garcia