April 9, 2012, Las Vegas Weekly, Noise

The antler chandeliers of Silverton Casino’s Veil Pavilion shook as Portugal. The Man rocked the stage during their Thursday night show. The last time this quartet entertained Las Vegas crowds was in 2008 at Downtown music spot Jillian’s—God rest her soul. The lack of concert venues in our little entertainment capitol of the world was the exact excuse given by the band’s frontman, John Gourley, for their lengthy Vegas absence. While I don’t particularly agree with the accusation, Sin City nonetheless welcomed PTM’s Jägermeister Music Tour performance with open arms.

The Veil flies under the radar as a prime concert venue with its unconventional location and outdoorsman decor, but it offers a great atmosphere—never too crowded yet intimate enough to keep attendees close to the action. Flashing, octopus-like tentacles of lights draped the Alaskan natives as they barreled through a set of rock anthems. Where PTM’s recordings offer dance-friendly and often compact electro-pop songs, the live show is an entirely different Man-imal. Portugal. The Man transformed versions of “American,” “People Say,” “Floating” and others into extended blues-rock jams, as Gourley’s once-light falsetto exploded harmoniously through their manufactured wall of sound. Fluid, operatic tunes melted into one another with endings occasionally bleeding into covers including Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” and The Beatles’ “Hey Jude.”

The set ran for a perfectly timed 90 minute spectacle. Breaks in performance were reserved for apologetic intentions to return to Las Vegas more frequently. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait another four years.

Web Link: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2012/apr/09/portugal-man-silverton-man-tastic/