PORTUGAL. THE MAN

---

Portugal. The Man, Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA 12/4/2025

It had been a few years since I last saw Portugal. The Man; my previous time was at the Wonderbus Festival in Ohio, where their performance completely blew me away, so I was especially excited to catch them again in Philly.

The night kicked off with La Luz, a surf-rock outfit from Seattle with a cool, psychedelic edge. Their set was heavily backlit, creating a hazy silhouette effect that let the music take center stage. Late in the set, the singer joked that she would shout “guitar solo!” every time one came up, which only made the crowd more endeared to them. By the time they wrapped up, they earned a huge ovation, and undoubtedly picked up more than a few new Philly fans.

In classic Portugal. The Man fashion, the band’s entrance was preceded by a video that had the entire Union Transfer crowd howling like wolves along to the video building their anticipation for the show. They launched straight into their new album Shish, playing it nearly in full, saving “Tanana” and “Father Gun” for the end of the night.

For me, the real highlights came when they dipped into their older hits. Hearing “Modern Jesus” (my personal favorite), “Live in the Moment,” and “Tidal Wave” sent the room into a sing-along frenzy. They closed the show with a memorable surprise, bringing out Philly legends Snacktime; who had opened for them on a previous tour, for a raucous cover of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name.”

Overall, it was a powerful, immersive set that reminded me exactly why Portugal. The Man remain one of the most exciting live bands around.

Shot and Written by Jonah van Bemmelen