2013 has been a big year for the Alaskan/Oregonion indie rock band Portugal. The Man. Not only did they have a slot at both weekends of California’s prestigious Coachella festival this past April, but they also released their Atlantic Records major label debut, Evil Friends.

With much clamor about the band’s breakout single from Evil Friends, “Purple, Yellow, Red and Blue,” on local alternative radio station WEQX, it’s no surprise that when Pearl Palooza was in need of new headliners after its originals dropped off, Portugal. The Man was announced as the replacement. On the second night of their fall headline tour, the band played their much hyped set at Pearl Palooza, and what a night it was.

Pearl Palooza is a free, single-day music festival on Pearl Street in downtown Albany, presented by Manchester, VT’s highly regarded alternative rock station, WEQX (102.7). By the time Portugal. The Man were set to go on, the main stage was as packed as humanly possible. People were pressed against storefront walls, while others tried to navigate the maze of tangled bodies.

After a few WEQX personnel and DJs hyped up the eager, adrenaline-drunk crowd, smoke machines were triggered, creating a wall of haze which veiled Portugal. The Man as they entered the stage. The opening notes of “Purple, Yellow, Red and Blue” filled the air and not long after, people recognized the song. The hype turned to pure ecstasy, bodies flailed and some daring fan even mustered up enough courage to stage dive, somewhat miraculously through the thick cloud of smoke.

The band played through quite a bit more of Evil Friends, including its dynamic title track, spastic tempo change and all. Although the sound was a bit muffled unless one was directly in front of the stage, it still worked its affect and the crowd was visibly feeding off the energy the band were putting forth. If there’s one thing to be said, Portugal. The Man sure know how to put on a show.

Portugal. The Man are currently on a headline tour with support from Crystal Fighters (who also played earlier in the day) in support of Evil Friends, which is out now in stores and online on Atlantic Records. The tour runs through the end of October, hitting most major US cities, and all dates can be found here: http://www.portugaltheman.com/.