Portugal. The Man at The Opera House

There's something completely intoxicating about a band which can effortlessly deliver a perfect three part harmony.  Portugal. The Man is absolutely one of those bands.  Then of course you have the unbelievable musicianship of every single member of the band.  The transitions between songs were seamless and incredible.  Lead singer John Gourley stands out of course with his incredible talent on the guitar and a voice which matches any instant in their music whether it's with his spot on falsetto or his soothing regular register.  As I mentioned already the backup vocals delivered by Zachary on bass and Ryan on keys completes a three part harmony which just blows your mind when you see it live.  The drums from Jason were amazing, guitar parts from Noah were amazing, the percussion delivered by up to three members at once was amazing, what can I say? Everything was amazing.

I got into The Opera House a little bit late which is unfortunate because I missed most of the opener, Alberta Cross' set.  I've been really into this band for about a week and I'm just happy that I got to see their songs Rise From The Shadows and ATX live.  They lived up to every expectation I had and were just as good live, if not better than their great recordings.  The one thing that really stood out for me was the way Alberta Cross was able to jam out and add a huge element of hard rock to their indie/blues style.  You can already hear it on their album, but it's just so much more powerful when you see it live.  This is a band I will definitely be looking out for in the future.

Portugal. The Man hit the stage soon after, delivering So American, the first track from their newest album, In The Mountain, In The Cloud.  It was a perfect way to start the concert and got the energy going right away.  After a perfect transition they jumped right into Work All Day from their most successful album to date, The Satanic Satanist.  Throughout the night they played seven songs from In The Mountain, In The Cloud and eight tunes from The Satanic Satanist which worked perfectly and was met by the crowd with constant applause and singing along.  They also delivered a great cover of The Beatles' Helter Skelter mixed with their own song, The Devil.  The second great cover they delivered of the night was Bowie's All The Young Dudes. They played some of their older material which I didn't recognize, but filled the gaps between the songs I knew perfectly.  Overall, they delivered 22 songs which instilled in me pure awe, excitement and joy.

As you can see above the stage was filled with glowing orbs changing colours throughout the night.  The setup was almost as artistic and creative as their music is.  Highlights of the night would have to include their three song opening of So American, Work All Day and The Devil/Helter Skelter.  When they started playing 1989/Our Way, it was the first time I had heard it, but it instantly hit a personal chord in me with the lyrics "I was born in 1989," because well, to put it simply I was actually born in 1989.

From the main set other highlights were: The Woods, Floating (Time Isn't Working My Side), All Your Light (Times Like These), Everyone Is Golden, Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now), The Sun, and Sleep Forever.  Well obviously there were a hell of a lot of highlights.  They started their three song encore off with what was possibly the most exciting song if the night which was People Say.  Almost every person in the crowd I could see was singing along with the clever and addictive lyrics.  The last two songs of the night were Guns And Dogs and Chicago which ended on such a powerful, positive note that I was just left wanting more and more.

I left the concert with a copy of Alberta Cross' The Rolling Thunder EP and a copy of Censored Colors by Portugal. The Man.  To say the least I'll be listening to both of these great CDs for many years to come.  The thing I left with which I'll treasure the most is the amazing memory of such an incredible concert.  Portugal. The Man really knows how to jam out and bring a perfect element of rock to what many can consider indie music.  They harmonize perfectly with each other, they transition seamlessly from song to song and they deliver musicianship that most people can only dream of ever attaining.  If you haven't heard them yet, check them out now and most definitely catch them at a live show if they're ever playing in your neck of the woods.