Turning Portuguese

Photo credit: Makenna Combs

The people at Bring on the Bright Lights sure have been busy. Since establishing the event series in October — of which Owl and Bear is a co-sponsor — the concert organizers have added some much-needed excitement to the San Diego music scene and succeeded in making 4th & B notable for something other than ’80s cover bands and whatever “HUNKS the Show” is.

Recent Bright Lights acts have included Cut Copy, Nada Surf, The Soft Pack, Washed Out, Midnight Magic, Cuckoo Chaos, and Republic of Letters, and on Friday, February 3, Mutemath headlined the latest installment (review and photos will be forthcoming). That’s an impressive pedigree, but the folks at Bring on the Bright Lights aren’t resting on their laurels yet. They’ve just announced the lineup for their May 5 event, which will be headlined by Portugal. The Man.

Hailing from Portland, OR, the oddly named Portugal. The Man have been putting out an album every year like clockwork since 2006. The four-piece’s pristine melodies and anthemic compositions recall bands as varied as The Beatles and The Polyphonic Spree, and if they can channel even half of the jubilant energy from their recordings into their live act, you won’t want to miss the show.

Anacortes, WA band The Lonely Forest will open for Portugal. The Man. (Any similarity to the boat-loving The Lonely Island appears to be purely coincidental.) This will be The Lonely Forest’s second high-profile supporting gig in San Diego; just last April they came to town as the openers for Death Cab for Cutie. Tickets for the May 5 event can be purchased here.

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