Portishead + Thought Forms - WaMu Theater (Seattle, WA; Oct. 23, 2011)

When Portishead comes to the States, it’s a big deal. Like new Arcade Fire album, or leaked Radiohead type of big deal. Ok, maybe not leaked Radiohead; we all know that only Radiohead being held hostage at gunpoint could overtake that kind of buzz, but it’s still an announcement that causes a ruckus out in music lovers’ land. The reason? Portishead wows us, and then keep us waiting. Give and pull back. This has been true of their albums, and especially true of their touring schedule. Try to see them abroad and you might get lucky. Try to see a US show, and you’re bound to join the rest of us in the long wait. That is the truth of the Portishead regime. US shows are few and far between and if you live outside a major market, you better plan on driving. My advice is do yourself a favor and gas up. They are worth every mile.

Here’s what I do know: a Portishead set doesn’t become real until the lights go out. To enter a woozy world like theirs, a reset button of sorts must be struck, and the lights are the first cue that coaxes you down. That, and a giant “P” that blasts your retinas with an otherworldly shade of blue; the color all Portishead fans pray to.

They began with the first three from Third: “Silence,” “Hunter,” and “Nylon Smile.” Immediately, a warm, slightly ominous, honey-like coating settled over the room. We were now in their bubble, and it would not be popped until Beth Gibbons waved a last goodbye. Their sound, a thing that is both vast and strangely contained, filtered out like the neon tentacles of a nuclear jellyfish. It radiated and pulsated in hypnotic waves, until you felt yourself giving into a trance-like state, where any desire to focus on anything but the hauntingly smokey voice of Beth Gibbons was eliminated. Like pod people, we watched and cheered in between songs, but mostly all of us just stood there in awe of the aural majesty coming off the stage. 

Through song, they showed us the lonely chorus of a 3 am reflection. It was all there: angst, heartache, sadness, regret. Every shade of blue that we all let siphon the life out of us, only done in a way that made you feel at peace instead of irrevocably devastated. Portishead are masters of this domain. Beth Gibbons, Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley (along with the rest of the touring band) can evoke in their music, a quiet exploration of your inner narrative that masquerades as druggy, but ultimately reveals itself as epically profound. The best examples of this will always be the songs from Dummy. Even all these years later, they still feel as alive and vibrant as when they were first unveiled. “Sour Times” is still a pillar of raw sensuality framed against an eerie, jangling backdrop. The ghostliness of “Mysterions” was even more, for lack of a better word, mysterious, when pumped up in a live setting. “Glory Box,” made you forget that the 90s had ever ended. And “Wandering Star,” when stripped down to an essential bass bump, suggested a despair that never found its way onto the original record. This is why you go see live music.

In terms of the setlist, the star of the show was Third, which went 8 for 11. I don’t think anyone would be surprised to hear that “Machine Gun” was the most powerful of the bunch. Looking back at my notes, all I have down is “HOLY SHIT.” Not a quote for the ages, but definitely the sentiment one experiences when they hear the rapid fire battery of this song with a hi-watt sound system behind it. Quick aside: does anyone hear the theme to “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” when they listen to the end of it? Listen again, and get back to me, but I swear that is what they played when Arnold was going into the steel. Something to ponder.

To end, the big finish wasn’t a hit, but a gritty jam session that developed out of “We Carry On.” As the band pummeled through their beats and densely jagged guitar notes, Beth ran down to the front row to shake hands and hug everyone that took the time to get there early. This was beamed out onto a screen behind the band that had been running an assortment of LSD-ready visuals all night, so everyone could get a taste of the good vibes unfelt in the songs. After a final lap, she returned to the stage and thanked the crowd, noting, “It’s been too long.” And with that, they were gone, leaving me to hope they’ll return again. I’m prepared to drive.

Their opener, Thought Forms, is the band Explosions in the Sky would have been if they had grown up on Tool. Mostly instrumental - save for some chanting - this trio’s tempered bleakness was like a mystical plunge into a free-form beyond. It was heavy stuff, and if the sun ever burns out, this is what our hopelessness might sound like.

Setlist:
Silence
Hunter
Nylon Smile
Mysterons
The Rip
Sour Times
Magic Doors
Wandering Star
Machine Gun
Over
Glory Box
Chase the Tear
Cowboys
Threads

Encore:
Roads
We Carry On

DOWNLOAD: Portishead - Sour Times (MP3) or Follow us for more Portishead MP3s (Twitter)

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