Portugal. The Man at Irving Plaza

The name of the band is three words with a mandatory punctuation. Portugal. The Man. Yes, there is a period after the word after the first word and a capital “T” in the word “The.” It is a rock band born in Portland, Oregon, in 2005, with a seventh album to its credit, Evil Friends, being released on June 4. The group is led by John Baldwin Gourley on vocals, guitar, organ and machines, and Zachary Carothers on bass and backing vocals. The two met and began playing music together in high school in Wasilla, Alaska, before relocating to Oregon to launch a professional career in music. The band also consists of Kyle O'Quin on keyboards and synthesizers, Noah Gersh on lead guitar, vocals and miscellaneous percussion, and Kane Ritchotte on drums and percussion.

At Irving Plaza tonight, Portugal. The Man’s music was challenging to grip. A wall-of-sound presentation was an ethereal and atmospheric wash at times, then a psychedelic jam experiment at other moments, and closed with several hard-thumping anthems. Gourley sang all the songs at a high pitch, and it is possible that the intention was for the vocals to be sound more than words, as the lyrics were often garbled or drowned out by the instrumentation. Among the evening’s highlights was an extended medley/jam that started with Gersh setting off a tribal beat by pounding on percussion, which led into a hard, bluesy funky song, “The Devil,” and wound its way into the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter.” Much like early pre-stadium Pink Floyd, the stage lighting was dim, and no spotlights were used, leaving the musicians in silhouettes throughout the show. Throughout the performance, colorful laser lights projected into the audience from beside and behind the band, and even when the stage brightened a bit, the fog machines were turned on, obscuring the stage activity once again. Even the fans in front could barely see the band members. All these innovations will win Portugal. The Man enthusiastic word of mouth, which in turn likely will build the band a larger and more curious fan base.