Portugal. The Man + Broken Social Scene + Youngblood @ Deer Lake Park – September 1st 2018

Last night was a beautiful late-summer evening for a concert at the always-wonderful Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, BC.

Local rockers Youngblood, soon to be called Blonde Diamond, started things off with a captivating and contagious set that got the audience up off their butts and dancing around.

Canadian rock outfit Broken Social Scene carried that energy and blossomed it further as they built complex walls of sound through a stage filled with a dozen or more musicians. At one point they stopped and had the audience scream out all their inhibitions, granting a moment of rebirth and momentary emotional freedom for each attendee. It was a pretty powerful moment.

Prior to the headliner taking the stage they had members of the Squamish first nation out to speak and bless the night. A touching moment that added more warm fuzzy feelings to the whole experience.

Finally, American rock band Portugal. the Man took the stage, after a Beavis and Butt-Head opening video, and put on a banger of a performance. The focus was on musical exploration and visual overload, a mash of fan favorites and famous song covers filled the night.

The group was intense. Watching them is such a treat. They somehow manage to be completely committed to every note and mesh their sounds seamlessly with one another all while never really taking themselves too seriously.

This gathering of talented musicians have matured beautifully into a powerhouse since I first saw them open for Primus back in 2010.

Portugal. the Man setlist
For Whom the Bell Tolls (Metallica cover)
Another Brick in the Wall Part 2 (Pink Floyd cover)
Purple Yellow Red and Blue (with Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M.” snippet)
Number One
Live in the Moment
Creep in a T-Shirt
Children of the Revolution (T. Rex cover)
Atomic Man (with The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” snippet)
Modern Jesus
All Your Light (Times Like These) (with snippets of Ghostface Killah’s “A Kilo”, “The Home,” & The Beatles’ “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
Hip Hop Kids
Holy Roller (Hallelujah)
Feel It Still

Encore:
Sleep Forever / Plastic Soldiers / Live and Let Die / Smile / Hey Jude

Photos © Jamie Taylor // Cryptic Photography