Back in the earliest weeks of 2020, before pandemic life set in, Stephen Malkmus began rolling out Traditional Techniques, a folk-oriented album recorded with the Decemberists’ Chris Funk and guitar-slinging indie journeyman Matt Sweeney, hot on the heels of 2018’s indie-centric Jicks effort Sparkle Hard and 2019’s electronic-tinged solo LP Groove Denied. A full two years later, Malkmus is finally playing some shows in support of Traditional Techniques with his newly formed Trad Tech Band, which includes Funk, Brad Truax, and Jake Morris. Supposedly Sweeney will join them tonight in Mexico for their set at Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky festival, but Sunday night at Portland’s Alberta Abbey it was just the four of them.