Portugal. The Man arrived at The Anthem in DC on Friday on their Denali 2025 tour in support of their latest album Shish. The band from Wasilla, Alaska, were in great form with lights and sound throughout the evening.
Band leader John Gourley and vocalist Zoe Manville led Portugal. The Man through a great show at The Anthem as the band is currently on a world tour of at least 45 dates in the USA and Europe. PTM is one of the most energized bands on stage nowadays. The band was continually moving, and full of energy when playing upbeat, dance music throughout their show on Dec. 5.
Gourley, Manville, and company did not disappoint and had The Anthem moving and singing along the entire evening. Many fans told me that they had already seen the band numerous times over the last few years, even though this was my first time to see them play. Their following seems to be enormous with a loyal fanbase, and after the fantastic experience I had reviewing the show, they definitely have a new fan.
Portugal. The Man opened their set with “Denali” from the new album, which is a fantastic guitar-oriented track with hypnotic sounds and great bass. The band played almost non-stop during the show while stopping to chat with the crowd on occasion about charities they support and the life-changing sickness the daughter of Gourley and Manville suffered. Besides being great musicians, the band are also great humanitarians supporting numerous charities.
Stream “Denali” by Portugal. The Man on YouTube:
The band soon played “Shish,” the title track to the new album with brilliant lyrics “ain’t got no future; electric loser; gun in my hand,” and the song “Purple, Yellow, Red and Blue” with insightful lyrics “all I wanna do is live in ecstasy, I know what’s best for me.” These were more great moments during the performance.
PTM’s insightful, reflective, and personal lyrics help set the foundation for the band, which with a great blend of vocals and upbeat musical tempos, establishing them as one of the premier bands in rock music at this time. The quality of the individual parts of their music helps them define a specific style and quality to their music.
“Creep in a T-Shirt” was likely my favorite part of the show as again I like the band’s great lyrics. “Just because I lost it doesn’t mean I want it back” could be used to define a lot of personal experiences, and I feel the band’s ability to write these style lyrics with such a blend of great music and multi vocal layers has escalated the band to one of the best in the world. This type of writing should continue to propel the band to higher levels.
La Luz, the eclectic band from Seattle led by Shana Cleveland, opened the show with a hard-driving set playing in near darkness with the surf-style sound they are known for. While the band has had many great musicians over the years, the band keeps thriving. The current sound resonates well with fans who were very enthusiastic after their set put everyone in the right frame of mind for PTM. La Luz will continue opening for PTM on this tour with more dates upcoming in North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas.
For those who have not yet seen Portugal. The Man, this may be the tour which you wish to see. They feature a lot of past songs which blended well with songs from the new album to give the novice to PTM’s music a comprehensive review as well as the long-time fan.
Here are some photos Portugal. The Man performing live at The Anthem on Dec. 5, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.
Here are some photos of La Luz opening Portugal. The Man at The Anthem on Dec. 5, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.
