A Dynamic Night From Portugal the Man & Alt-J
English band Alt-J paired with American rock band Portugal the Man, went on a co-headline tour. Dead in the middle was their stop at the 1STBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. This venue has been known to host larger-than-life Indie Rock bands such as LCD Soundsystem, Jack White, and The XX. Comfortably, both bands stepped up to the plate with pure confidence.
Alt-J, is coming off a brand new album that blends melancholy and the sounds that got them nominated for a Grammy. “This Is All Yours“, had the perfect blend of roaring sounds with catchy vocals to complete each track. One may say that this is a return to those prominent sounds, and the hits never stop coming. Portugal The Man has had a major resurgence recently, as “Feel It Still” crushed radio waves across the country. Now we got a chance to see both bands firing on all cylinders.
The Production
We have to count our blessings with 1STBank Center as they give complete opportunity for the artists to do as they want with the stage. This is not even including how insane their sound system is for such a large-scale venue. Even on the outside of the venue, you can hear those guitar riffs echo through the stadium. Both headlining bands used the excess stage to highlight each member’s importance, which is something that brings a unique flair to any show. The cage was hanging above the stage, leaving everyone guessing what would come out of it.
Portugal the Man
Coming in hot after such major success as of recent, they carried that momentum straight to the stage. Everyone knew that they’d perform, but they did much more than that. We got blessed with new bangers that will run the Indie Rock music scene for the next few years. Most uniquely, they performed their own rendition of “Day Man” from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. This showcases the bands’ ability, and creativity to take any sound from the distance. They wrapped the evening up with rip-roaring guitar solos, and of course, their astronomical hit “Feel It Still“. This all set the evening up perfect for Alt-J to take the reins and top off a magical evening.
Alt-J In A Cage
Immediately, we were treated to Alt-J propping themselves up on bleachers through a cage. This was a stage design that is so methodical that it can give any seat in the whole house a phenomenal performance. Alt-J used this so uniquely that during “Something Good“, the cage filled up with water, setting the theme for the rest of their performance. Leading right into a crowd sing-along with “Matilda“, we were then treated to more songs off of the new album. These are sure not to disappoint any Alt-J fan, as they fit perfectly into their live performances, most notably “U&AME“. To end the evening, they closed out with fan-favorite “Breezeblocks“, which made everyone drop into dance.
1STBank Center provided such a great home for this co-headlining tour as it gave way for both bands to shine in their own unique creative aspects. This was only enhanced more and by the fantastic sound system, which helped Alt-J showcase their recent growth. After releasing their junior album with one less band member, they proved that they still have plenty of potential and talent. I’m sure that this is not gonna be the last time to see Alt-J in Colorado, and hopefully, we’ll see them make a return to Red Rocks.
Photos by Patrik Essy
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