Portugal
KARRIGAN MONK
A&F Editor
kmonk@unca.edu
calpers gather out
side The Orange
Peel, selling fistfuls
of tickets to hope
ful fans. This is a
usual sight for show nights,
but comes with more urgency
on Aug. 23. The final night of
a sold-out two-show run, this
would be Asheville’s final
chance to see Portugal. The
Man on their Summer 2017
tour.
While the opening act
plays, the crowd slowly inch
es closer to the stage, eager
ly waiting for Portugal. The
Man to come on stage. With
the last note from the open
er, the crowd surges forward,
hoping to get as close as
possible to the Alaskan rock
quintet.
Stagehands move quick
ly, setting up the stage. The
audience dances to a myriad
of music, from Metallica to
Cyndi Lauper, waiting for
their favorite band to grace
the stage.
Finally, The Orange Peel
stage lights go dark. Four
men walk onto the stage
while the fifth is pushed.
As they take their places, a
psychedelic backdrop erupts
in color behind them. Sev
eral pairs of 3-D glasses are
passed around the crowd as
each audience member takes
in the hallucinogenic effect
the band already has on the
crowd before they even begin
to play.
Drummer Jason Sechrist
counts down and all at once
Portugal. The Man has ar
rived at The Orange Peel.
The acid trip behind them
is replaced by adult bodies
sporting childlike facial fea
tures in a constantly changing
rotation. These creepy figures
are soon replaced by flashing
geometric patterns. This con
stantly changing backdrop
is as integral to their perfor
mance as their instruments.
While Sechrist and key
boardist and synthesizer Kyle
O’Quin are confined to then-
spots by their instruments
and guitarist Eric Howk by
his wheelchair, vocalist and
guitarist John Gourley and
bassist Zachary Carothers
move around the stage, often
becoming part of the artistic
backdrop themselves with
the projection washing over
them. Other times their larg
er-than-life shadows dance
across the screen.
As the band moves seam
lessly from the first song to
the next, their backdrop fades
to black and a message spills
PHOTOS BY KARRIGAN MONK
across it: “We
are Portugal. The
Man. Just making
sure you’re at the
right concert.”
With this, the
audience cheers
and attempts to
get even closer to
the stage. Despite
the wild-cheering
audience in front
of them, Portugal.
The Man hardly
seem fazed. Hav
ing not looked up
or acknowledged