Alt-J and Portugal. The Man delivered what will be one of the most visually-friendly tours to come through Nashville with their performance at Municipal Auditorium.
As the crowd trickled in, opener Sir Chloe took the stage. The indie rock band, formed by singer Dana Foote, performed a 30-minute set filled with songs from its 2020 album Party Favors. Sir Chloe did get to play one new track, and it was evident that they were excited to play as their latest single, “Mercy,” was released Tuesday.
Before Portugal. The Man took to the stage, the group gave Nashville a history lesson. Growing up in Alaska, the band was raised with respect for the state’s heritage and Native American tribes. “Everywhere we go, we like to recognize the land that we are on is not ours,” said Portugal. The Man bassist Zachary Carothers. “We like to ask a representative from every city and area where we make a tour stop at and share with us and you all about the land and the people.” Trenton Wheeler from the Native American Indian Association of Tennessee was the guest speaker for the evening. During his brief two-minute speech, Wheeler, a descendant of the Black Feet tribe, noted the tribes that once occupied Nashville but no longer possess that territory. Additionally, he encouraged those who wanted more information to visit the Native American Indian Association’s website before leaving the stage after performing a grass dance for the audience.Shortly after that speech, the lights went out, and heavy smoked poured the stage as Portugal. The Man performed the first of many covers during the set. At least eight instrumental covers were intertwined in the band’s set. There were times when Portugal. The Man’s set felt like nothing more than an extended jam session, but in the end, there was a method to the madness.
The performance started with a cover of Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” mixed with “South of Heaven” by Slayer and Pantera’s “Cowboys from Hell.” This run of cover tracks immediately bled into the band’s original tune “Live In The Moment.” During their entire set, Portugal. The Man featured that consistent fluidity that allowed the audience to enjoy the full showcase without interruption.
Additionally, the band uses visuals to their advantage. As the band members stood at the back of the stage, which was covered in smoke for most of their set, they utilized laser lights galore and a sequence of trippy videos to enhance the performance. To close things out, they performed a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall, Part II” before bleeding into the group’s hit song “Purple Yellow Red and Blue.”
While Portugal. The Man had a strong production performance, nothing topped Alt-J’s set. Before the English rockers took to the stage, a large casing was lowered that the band would perform from behind the entire night. Some might have been put off and felt like the group was closing itself off from the audience. However, seconds into their performance, the crowd realized the added benefit that it provided. The trio utilized the filters on the casing as a projector, adding an artistic layer to the group’s set.As the opening notes of “Something Good” rang through, raindrops appeared on the projection screen, enhancing the performance. While the band primarily utilized the screens for visuals, they additionally used them to show their support for the people of Ukraine. After returning to the stage for a three-song encore, the Ukrainian flag appeared on the screen. “I said it last night, I’ll say it tomorrow, and I’ll say it right now, f**k Putin!” exclaimed Gus Unger-Hamilton, the group’s keyboardist and backup vocalist.
After releasing their latest album, The Dream, earlier this year, Alt-J played seven songs from the newest record. The majority of the Music City setlist featured songs from their discography, which was warmly received by the nearly sold-out Nashville crowd.
Early into the set, the group blended their new songs well with their earlier work. However, they saved the fan-favorites for last and those who could make it until the encore. Once returning to the stage, the band went into hits “Left Hand Free” and “Hard Drive Gold” before closing the night with “Breezeblocks.”
Though Alt-J has now become veterans of the music scene, it’s clear that they continue to push their artistry. The question moving forward is how do they keep topping themselves? That will be revealed at a future date, but Nashville fans are certainly hoping it won’t be too much longer before they have that answer.
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