Mobile is set to roll out a free downtown street party this week as part of the Reese’s Senior Bowl festivities, with the Grammy-nominated rock band Portugal. The Man headlining a live outdoor concert in Cathedral Square.
The Reese’s Senior Bowl Street Party is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 4, beginning at 6 p.m. in Cathedral Square in downtown Mobile. Admission is free, and organizers are billing the event as a continuation of the all-star game’s tradition of pairing football festivities with community entertainment in the days leading up to kickoff at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the University of South Alabama campus.
In addition to the concert, the street party is expected to feature the Player Parade, a Mardi Gras-style procession that has become a signature element of Senior Bowl week in Mobile, drawing collegiate standouts and NFL hopefuls through the heart of downtown ahead of the annual showcase game.
Portugal. The Man, known for blending psychedelic rock, indie and pop influences, last performed in the Mobile area during the Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores in 2018. The band’s return to south Alabama will mark its first appearance in the immediate Mobile area since that show, and fans can expect a set built around the group’s biggest hits alongside a handful of newer material.
Concertgoers are likely to hear staples such as “Feel It Still” and “Live in the Moment,” two of the band’s most widely streamed singles. The group has also been performing its own versions of two well-known 1990s alternative rock songs in recent sets: “Steal My Sunshine,” originally recorded by the Canadian group Len in 1999, and “Novocaine for the Soul,” the 1996 breakout single from the band Eels.
The Cathedral Square performance comes just days before Portugal. The Man releases its new single “What, Me Worry?” on Feb. 9, meaning the Mobile crowd could get an early preview of unreleased material as the band works new songs into its live show.
The Reese’s Senior Bowl has grown into one of the premier pre-draft showcases in college football, giving NFL scouts, coaches and front-office personnel a close look at some of the nation’s top senior prospects practicing and competing in Mobile each year. The accompanying street party has become a popular gathering spot for locals and visiting fans alike, offering free entertainment in the days before the game.
Organizers encourage attendees to arrive early, as free outdoor concerts tied to Senior Bowl week have historically drawn large crowds to the downtown Mobile entertainment district.