One month after Another Planet Entertainment co-curated a no-cover, all-ages rave on the Embarcadero, the producer has announced who will play the second of three free outdoor concerts in and around downtown this year.
The headliner? Portugal. The Man, the Portland-based indie-rock band best known for 2017’s Grammy-winning hit “Feel It Still.” The quintet will perform at 7 p.m. on Sept. 20 at San Francisco’s Civic Center, in a show APE promised in exchange for the right to put on an additional festival in Golden Gate Park one weekend after Outside Lands, the much larger event it produces.
That one-day festival Saturday saw 50,000 fans take over the Polo Field for an afternoon of alt-metal featuring System of a Down, Deftones, and the Mars Volta.
As City Hall prioritizes the post-pandemic revitalization of downtown, San Francisco is set to have more outdoor shows — three per year for three years by APE alone. That total doesn’t include June’s Fred Again x Skrillex rave in Civic Center, a ticketed event that drew 25,000 with only a few days’ notice.
For September’s Portugal. The Man show, APE has booked Philadelphia soul and funk band Snacktime as the opener. Although it’s free, fans should RSVP, as Civic Center may reach capacity.
A politically active band since its formation in Wasilla, Alaska, more than 15 years ago, Portugal. The Man has been a staple on the festival circuit, with stops at the Sonoma Harvest Festival in 2022 and Bonnaroo in 2023, along with three Outside Lands appearances, most recently in 2018.
Musically speaking, Sept. 20 will be a busy day in downtown San Francisco. That night, Green Day is scheduled to play Oracle Park with the Smashing Pumpkins, fellow ’90s punk revivalists Rancid and teen rockers the Linda Lindas.