Portugal. The Man livened up Austin’s Friday night with electronic hits and delivered an incredible show at Moody Theater’s ACL Live.
The Portland, Oregon-based band, Portugal. The Man was formed in 2004, but originated in Wasilla, Alaska. John Gourley (vocals/guitar) and Zoe Manville (vocals/percussion) are the only two original band members. These days, the duo is joined by touring musicians Nick Reinhart (guitar), Ryan Wiggans (trumpet), Liv Slingerland (guitar), Kane Ritchotte (drums), Dani Bell (bass), and David Marion (vocals). Their style is known for being experimental in the alternative rock genre. Most people would recognize them from their 2017 hit “Feel It Still,” from the album Woodstock. Their most recent release was their twelfth studio album, SHISH (2025).
Opening for Portugal. The Man is rock band La Luz. The band is made up of Shana Cleveland (vocals/guitar), Lee Paige (bass), Audrey Johnson (drums), and Maryam Qudus (keys/mixer). La Luz is known for being extremely lively and energetic, and Austin fans were not disappointed. Their most recent album, News of the Universe, was released in May of 2024. La Luz opened their set with “I Wanna Be Alone,” a song from their 2015 album Weirdo Shrine. They also performed other originals such as “Poppies” and “Floating Features.” Cleveland revealed to the audience that member Qudus had produced for Taylor Swift. They closed their set with “California Finally” from their album Floating Features.
Before the concert started, a guest speaker gave a speech in support of the protest group Artists Against Apartheid. Today, the organization is dedicated to using their practices to build the movement for the liberation of Palestine. The set began with a few-minute-long video narrated by Gourley. In the video, he spoke of us as humans needing to go back to our roots and how, in this digital age, we are losing community. When the band took to the stage, Portugal. The Man opened their set with “Denali,” the opening track from their latest album. Mid-set, the band performed the deep cut and, concluding from the crowd’s reaction, a fan favorite, “Got It All (This Can’t Be Living).” The song is unavailable on Apple Music in the U.S. They also performed a cover of NEIKED’s “Glide.”After performing a quick mashup of a few of their songs, they left the stage. They came back for a three-song encore and ultimately closed their set with “Father Gun,” the closing track from SHISH. Portugal. The Man will also be performing at Austin’s Brushy Street Commons in East Austin on December 13th, which will conclude their North American leg of their Denali Tour. The tour will continue in Europe through the beginning of 2026.
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