In 2008, Portugal. The Man had been a band for just over two years and was riding a creative wave that is rarely seen. Today, PTM shares a snapshot of that time with “The Devil” and announces the April 16 release of the live Oregon City Sessions album via Approaching AIRBalloons/Secretly Distribution – out on vinyl and CD on June 11.
In the first two years of the band’s existence, they released three full-lengths, one EP, and a couple of standalone singles while performing just shy of 500 shows. This young band from Alaska drove from city to city, bought bulk bags of rice, and seldomly splurged with their Taco Bell-Feed The Beat bucks. PTM was committed. They ended the tour in December of 2008 and instead of taking a much-needed break, made the decision to record the culmination of what their live performance had become. They found a rare gem of a studio in the suburbs of Portland, piled in with their live gear and a handful of friends with handheld cameras. Longtime collaborator and filmmaker Graham (Baclagon) Agcaolli and engineer/mixer Jacob Portrait (who would later join Unknown Mortal Orchestra) would help to document.
They performed their full set, one time through — with no re-takes or overdubs — just the band in its natural form.
“The first few years of PTM were whirlwind,” says singer/guitarist John Gourley. “We didn’t have a place to live so we were pretty much either recording or touring. We were so wide-eyed coming out of Alaska that every day was an exciting new adventure. I think you can see it in our playing.”
They were heading into the studio a couple of weeks later to record their next album, The Satanic Satanist, and Oregon City Sessions was put on a shelf. There it sat for over a decade. A select few saw the full film. The band, their manager, or tour manager would occasionally offer to go over to people’s homes and screen it for them. Sometimes in the parking lot, the band would screen a handful of songs to the local supporters. They forged friendships but whenever asked the answer would always be, “yeah, we’ll release that at some point”.
Now the band has been off the road for well over a year, by far the longest break since they started and the time just seems right. Here is Oregon City Sessions dug out of the archives. Untouched, unchanged from the day it was finished. It is a time capsule of a band finding its way. A snapshot of young raw talent before they won awards, before they sold millions of records, before they headlined festivals. Just a couple of kids from Alaska wanting to travel the world and play music.
ABOUT PORTUGAL. THE MAN:
Over the past decade, Portugal The Man has established itself as one of rock’s most prized possessions and a live phenomenon, with over 1,600 shows under their belts and a storied reputation as festival favorites.
Originally heralding from Alaska, the Portland-based band – comprised of John Gourley, Zach Carothers, Kyle O’Quin, Eric Howk, Jason Sechrist, and Zoe Manville – soared to new heights in 2017 with the release of their RIAA certified gold album, Woodstock. The album was marked by the astounding success of their infectious single, “Feel It Still,” which earned the group a plethora of new accolades – including a GRAMMY award for “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance,” a 5x RIAA platinum-certified single certification, a mind-blowing 20-week residency at #1 on alternative radio, and an inescapable presence on the Top 40 airwaves.
Alongside the shine of their myriad musical accomplishments lies the group’s long-standing passion for social justice. In fact, this is precisely the intersection on which Portugal The Man thrives; throughout their career, the band has consistently exemplified how to deeply commit to both artistry and activism. This dynamic inspired them to officially launch their PTM Foundation in 2020, focused on universal issues related to human rights, community health, and the environment, with an emphasis on causes directly impacting Indigenous Peoples. Their continued passion for activism has also led to recent partnerships with organizations such as Keep Oregon Well (Mental Health), March for Our Lives (Gun Reform), and Protect Our Winters (Climate Change), to name just a few.
