Portugal. The Man: El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, CA 10/30/10

A crisp autumn breeze swept the streets just outside the El Rey Theater where indie fans were beginning to gather. Anticipation growing along with the hum of riffs to come emanated from them. They had come prepared to dance their way into the early hours of Halloween. Some people took notice of this special occasion and dressed appropriately. A proven fact as a guy wearing a pig nose walked to the back of the line shortly followed by Minnie Mouse. But these people were not here to see silly costumes, little did they know they wouldn’t have a choice. No, they had come to see Portugal. The Man.

As the doors opened a stunning sight was revealed. Red velvet curtains lined the walls and elaborate chandeliers dripped from the ceiling. It was elegant but charming at the same time, due to the chairs casually filed along the perimeter of the theatre and the personal feel of the stage. The lights dimmed and a hush came over the audience who stared expectantly at the crimson curtains covering the stage. Immediately they were pulled away and the crowd was greeted by the first of the two opening acts.    

HoneyChild jumped into their first song and a wave of vintage sound with a modern twist poured out. Their vigor and talent was enthralling and gave them the illusion of having years under their belt, despite being a fairly recently formed group. They’re songs fused together a medley of folk, and a whole lot of classic rock. Erik Donley, the front man of the group, stated later that his influences growing up were The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and The Black Crowes, which clearly comes across in their music. They were no doubt enjoying themselves on stage, dancing around and even busting out some tambourine and harmonica for a few pieces. Only one dissatisfaction lingers, and it is that their thirty minute set was not longer.

The curtains closed but soon reopened to frame the dorky, but nonetheless, skilled members of White Denim. On their notes first impact upon ears a similarity to Yes and The Grateful Dead was drawn, but minimal lyrics made their jams a little hard to follow. They seemed comfortable on stage but not overly social. At one point the singers’ mike stopped working, which lead to an extra long improvisational session. The situation was eventually fixed and their set continued on to reveal just what a tight-knit group of capable musicians they were.

As a small celebration for the ever approaching Halloween, all people in costume were invited to the stage for a costume contest while instruments for Portugal. The Man were being set up. Outfits ranged from tribal warriors to the Blues Brothers, but the costume that is sure to stick in everyone’s mind, and the winner of the contest, was The Butt Pirate. It seemed to be ordinary pirate attire, that was until this vulgar sailor turned around, revealing bare skin where pieces of material ought to have been. The contest ended with the whole audience being sufficiently mooned.

The curtains opened once more with an eruption from the crowd who had been patiently waiting for this moment. Portugal. The Man started up with one of their more well-known songs, showcasing their diversity by adding a creative spin on it. Almost as soon as the band began to sing, the crowd turned into a choir and gently swayed to and fro; an experience no Portugal. The Man fan would want to miss. Many aspects of the night made for memorable moments. Besides Portugal. The Man’s better-than-album-sound, their light show captured the audience in an elated frenzy.  The band ended their encore with the nostalgic “1989,” a hauntingly beautiful, and perfectly fitting way to end the show and start the morning.

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