Bonnaroo 2023 Artist Spotlight: Portugal. The Man

Like we’ve been doing for many years now, we’re making it our mission to help you get acquainted with many of our favorite acts from Bonnaroo‘s 2023 lineup. After roaring back to life last summer, after two years off due to Covid and weather, this year marks Bonnaroo’s 20th installment (and 22nd anniversary), boasting not only another great and varied lineup, but also more changes and improvements then we’ve seen in years, with more flexibility in ticketing and camping, a reimagined “Outeroo” campground area, new activations, and further new ways to Roo. Back once again in its usual June 15-18 timeframe, we’re counting down the days until another great weekend on the farm.

As we dig through the entire schedule, we’ll highlight a spread of performers spanning across genres and stages, big and small, new and old, to bring you some of the most interesting, lesser-known, and most highly-recommended among this year’s crop of artists. And as our time at ‘Roo approaches, we’ll also be bringing you some special features and full list-style daily lineup guides, to help you plan your weekend ahead of the fest. While these previews won’t span every artist, and might omit some more obvious must-see acts, we hope they’ll serve as a way to help you navigate Bonnaroo’s gargantuan lineup, and to make the most of your busy weekend at the fest!

Grab your tickets right here if you haven’t already, and read on for our Bonnaroo Artist Spotlight!

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While, undoubtedly, many listeners were first introduced to Portugal. The Man after the gargantuan (and, if you’d been following their career, somewhat unexpected) mainstream success of their eighth album Woodstock six years ago, those who’ve had an eye on the group since their early days know that that’s just one of the many artistic incarnations they’ve embodied over the years, and only sums up a piece of what the eclectic rockers have achieved. Hailing originally from Wasilla, Alaska, though based in Portland throughout their entire career, the band’s roots trace back to short-lived but beloved emo and post-hardcore outfit Anatomy of a Ghost, with frontman John Gourley and bassist Zachary Carothers going on to form PTM as a side project, and then full-time focus after their prior group disbanded in 2004. Adopting elements of emo, indie, math and progressive rock, Portugal’s debut could’ve been a continuation of Anatomy of a Ghost, and in those early years they tended to tour with acts in the post-hardcore and indie scene they were already apart of, but, across a prolific string of LPs throughout the ’00s, the band began to drift towards a more experimental and psychedelic style of rock and pop, attracting early underground success for efforts like 2007’s Church Mouth, and beginning to garner more mainstream attention by 2009 fourth album, The Satanic Satanist. After inking a major label deal, the rockers graduated to playing bigger shows and fests by the 2010s, and working with more prominent producers, eventually teaming up with Danger Mouse for their 2013 seventh album Evil Friends, a progressive and critically-acclaimed effort which cemented their status as a lasting new force in rock. After releasing an album nearly every year, the road to Woodstock felt like an eternity, and one which saw false starts, wholly abandoned albums, and a ton of huge producers in the mix, like Beastie Boys’ Mike D. Finally arriving in 2017, and the group’s most pop friendly album to date, that album shot Portugal to new heights, with breakout single “Feel It Still” becoming one of the most inescapable hits of that year. And now, a whopping six years later, PTM are finally gearing up for a followup, with ninth LP Chris Black Changed My Life slated to drop later this month (with a very special listening party set to take place Friday, 1 p.m. at Where in the Woods, where you can hang with the band, score free swag, and be among the first to hear it!). With four Bonnaroos to their name, Portugal. The Man are one of the most frequent ‘Roo performers on the lineup this year, and over the last 14 years have delivered some of the most memorable and iconic performances on the farm. We have no doubt this year will continue that tradition, particularly with some highly-anticipated new tunes in their arsenal.

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