Photos | Review: alt-j, Portgual. The Man had Detroit tripping

This night is going to be a trip. The mix of sounds between the psyc-rock of Portugal. The Man and the pure, at times, straight psychedelia that is alt-J.

Portugal. The Man took the stage first with a, we’ll be generous and say, bit of extra fog machine that lasted throughout the first few songs. The entire band also dressed in clown makeup to honor Detroit’s very own hip-hop duo, ICP–Insane Clown Posse. As some of the smoke cleared Portugal. The Man started their intro with a 3 song mix of Metallica, Slayer, and Pantera with “For Whom The Bell Tolls,” “South of Heaven,” and “Cowboys From Hell.” From there the group jumped right into the hits that found them all over mainstream everything a few years back with “Live in the Moment” and “Feel It Still” before closing out their hard hitting set with an old fan favorite–”Purple Yellow Red and Blue.”

Though this has been a co-headline tour, alt-J has been performing the later set at each show and there is undoubtedly a reason why. To see alt-J live is to be transported somewhere else for a while. That somewhere, well, that’s wherever the magic box wants you to go. From the cosmos to the bottom of the ocean, from a rain filled aquarium to a candle lit vigil… they will take you everywhere their mind desires.

alt-J opened their set with “Bane,” the lead track off of their fourth album The Dream that was just released in February 2022. As the group’s cage began to be lit by candles projected all around them the hymnal track began to set the mood. During their entire set the display would change, projections of shapes, rainbows, lasers, universes, oceans, the latter of which could be seen with its waves crashing on the beach during “Dissolve Me.”

At one point the stage turned into a fish tank of sorts as the projections showed a rainstorm filling the tank, slowly covering the trio of artists as if they were trapped inside. From start to finish, and everywhere in between the psychedelic atmosphere and palpable excitement I don’t recall seeing many phones up during this one, it seems folks were just too transfixed on the visuals. Prior to the encore a projection on the Ukrainian flag was shown in support of the on-going situation there and as the group returned to the stage they shouted “Fuck Putin!” to a huge pop from the crowd.

The final song, “Breezeblocks,” saw the stage turn into a TRON-like race of red and white beams with the crowd shouting along with every word before the lights finally went out for the last time. This tour is an absolute do not miss if you are able to make it to any of the remaining dates as the tour lasts through to the end of April.