Concert Review: alt-J and Portugal. The Man at State Farm Arena

Two of the biggest names in modern alternative rock came together for a wild night of music. Special guest Sir Chloe was originally set to open the show, but was unable to make it after and injury the night before. 

Portugal. The Man hit the stage first. The psych-pop outfit came loaded with scuzzy guitars, tight drumming, synths, and some blown-out bass guitar. The band came out swinging with a blend of Metallica, Slayer, and Pantera covers. Ahead of their performance they brought Laura from the Atlanta Indigenous People's Association on stage to advocate for Native Americans in the area, a cause close to PTM and something they do at every stop with local tribes and organizations. 

alt-J (∆) were up next. While a co-headlining tour, alt-j's been taking the top billing so far and for good reason. The English experimentalists know how to put on a show. Their fusion of indie, rock, pop, folk, and just about every umbrella genre is undeniably unique. The trio sounded cohesive throughout the entire night, their percussion and synth heavy set offset the guitar and vocals masterfully.

Portugal The. Man were as rowdy and rambunctious as you'd hope. Guitar solos and moments of pure shredding filled their energetic set. They captivated the audience as they jammed and played off one another with ease. The band rarely let off the gas, instead opting to blend each song into the next with the occasional acknowledgement of the crowd (much to the audience's delight, more time for music!).

alt-j almost seemed mellow after Portugal's set, but so would most acts. The trio stayed largely stationary as they played, but their surrounding stage production more than made up for it. Similar to their predecessors, alt-J mostly stuck to their tunes. They did have a bit more audience interaction, but it was hard break the fixation on their music. As someone who has seen many bands in my lifetime, alt-J might is one of the best I've ever seen.

Backed by a giant LED wall and flanked by laser lights, Portugal. The Man's show had a ton of bombast. Seeing an arena as their chance to show off, the band pulled out the big guns for their show. Trippy visuals varied from a demonic "Thank You, Satan!" to heavily filtered live video of the band. Jagged lights scattered the stage while the band played amongst them.

The production surrounding alt-J was something to behold. Not only did the band keep much of the lighting and video wall from PTM's set, they also added a three sided transparent LED screen that surrounded them on stage. Elevated on rolling stage decks, alt-J was surrounded on all sides with video panels that projected visualizers throughout the show. From underwater bubbles to shape shifting mountains, this added a lot of excitement to their set. Ahead of the encore, the band projected the Ukrainian flag in support of the embattled nation. They returned to the stage exclaiming "F*** Putin" to thunderous applause. 

Portugal. The Man's setlist is deceptively short, the six piece jammed and melodied many songs throughout the night. A long-time favorite of mine is their melody of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2" and their own "Purple Yellow Red and Blue," two songs the end up blending seamlessly together for a cathartic experience. The band also played their Grammy Award winning song "Feel It Still," declaring it their popular one.

          1. For Whom the Bell Tolls (Metallica cover) / South of Heaven (Slayer cover) / Cowboys from Hell (Pantera cover)

          2. Live in the Moment

          3. Creep in a T-Shirt

          4. In Bloom (Nirvana cover)

          5. Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now)

          6. What, Me Worry?

           7. Evil Friends

          8. Day Man (Charlie Day cover)

          9. Senseless

          10. Waves

          11. And I

          12. Feel It Still

          13. Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2 (Pink Floyd cover) -> Purple Yellow Red and Blue)

alt-J had a slightly longer setlist, coming back on stage for a trio of songs as an encore. Hits "Left Hand Free" and "Bleezeblocks" were saved for last, while their latest single from The Dream, "U&ME," was played earlier. 

          1. Bane

          2. Every Other Freckle

          3. The Actor

          4. In Cold Blood

          5. Deadcrush

          6. ❦ (Ripe & Ruin)

          7. Tessellate

          8. U&ME

          9. Matlida

          10. Chicago

          11. Something Good

          12. Nara

          13. The Gospel of John Hurt

          14. Philadelphia

          15. Taro

          16. Dissolve Me

          -

          17.  Left Hand Free

          18. Hard Drive Gold

          19. Breezeblocks

The two band's tour is just getting started in swing. With over two dozen shows left together, there's still plenty of time to catch this crazy lineup. Sir Chloe is still listed to perform the first half, but that is currently up in the air. Cherry Glazer willl join the show starting March 23rd.

          3/04 Tampa, FL — Yuengling Center+

          3/05 Hollywood, FL — Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood+

          3/06 Orlando, FL — Orlando Amphitheater+

          3/09 Dallas, TX — The Factory in Deep Ellum+

          3/10 Dallas, TX — The Factory in Deep Ellum+

          3/12 Austin, TX — Germania Insurance Amphitheater+

          3/13 Houston, TX — White Oak Music Hall+

          3/15 St. Louis, MO — Chaifetz Arena+

          3/16 Detroit, MI — Masonic Temple+

         3/17 Milwaukee, WI — UWM Panther Arena+

          3/19 Chicago, IL — Credit Union 1 Arena+

          3/20 Minneapolis, MN — The Armory+

          3/21 Omaha, NE — Baxter Arena+*

          3/23 Denver, CO — 1STBANK Center#

          3/25 San Diego, CA — Pechanga Arena#

          3/26 Santa Barbra, CA — Santa Barbra Bowl# (SOLD OUT)

          3/27 Los Angelos, CA — Crypto.com Arena#

          3/29 Seattle, WA — WAMU Theater#

          3/30 Vancouver, BC — Pacific Coliseum#

          4/01 San Francisco, CA — Bill Graham Civic Auditorium#

          4/02 Santa Barbra — Santa Barbra Bowl#

          4/03 Las Vegas, NV — The Theater at Virgin Hotels#

          4/05 Salt Lake City, UT — UCCU Center#

          4/07 Kansas City, MO — Cable Dahmer Arena#

          4/08 Cincinnati, OH — PromoWest Pavilion at OVATION#

          4/09 Columbus, OH — Schottenstein Center#

          4/11 New York, NY — Madison Square Garden#

          4/13 Philadelphia, PA — TD Pavilion at the Mann#

          4/14 Boston, MA — Agganis Arena#

          4/15 Montréal, QC — Place Bell#

          4/17 Toronto, ON — Coco-Cola Coliseum#

          * no Portugal. The Man

          + with Sir Chloe

          # with Cherry Glazer

An unforgettable night. Truly one of the best tours I've ever witnessed. alt-J and Portugal. The Man were a perfect pairing, their experimental and psychedelic tunes came together perfectly while still allowing enough differential to keep the night interesting. Between their incredible performances and quite frankly insane production, I'm giving this show a 10/10.