Portugal. The Man. performed a concert in support of Sen. Bernie Sanders on Saturday night at the Ames City Auditorium. Despite the auditorium’s maximum capacity of around 900 persons, attendance ended up reaching nearly 2,000 with around 1,400 in the main auditorium and 400 in an overflow space. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and political filmmaker Michael Moore also spoke at the event ahead of Sen. Sanders.

With a wall of sign-wielding Bernie supporters behind them, Portugal. The Man rocked Ames with a short yet powerful set. The performance was raw, with almost no stage effects or backing tracks. 

The psychedelic pop group’s signature indie sound hit harder and heavier in the stripped-back environment, with an unpolished alternative-rock presentation in lieu of their usually heavily-produced sound. They performed fan-favorites such as “Live in the Moment” and “Feel it Still” while also pulling out more surprising stops, including a few covers. 

After their performance, Portugal. The Man, utilized their platform to present an Indigenous land acknowledgement.

“We’re from a small town in Alaska,” said band member Zach Carothers to the crowd. “We grew up very close; respecting and acknowledging the Native Alaskans. Everywhere that we go on tour, we recognize the land that we are on is not ours.”

Carothers then brought out three young members of local Native American tribal communities, who briefly spoke about and paid respects to the tribes that originally inhabited present-day Iowa.

Portugal. The Man stated in an interview with Billboard that Sen. Sanders inspired their smash hit “Feel it Still,” which was written during his 2016 presidential campaign. In the interview, the band explained the “I’m a rebel just for kicks” lyric, stating that the line represents their personal experiences with black-and-white politics.

“It comes down to the way our political parties work where it’s basically football teams,” the band said. “If you’re not on Team Trump, you’re on Team Hillary, and it’s such a ridiculous way to look at politics and to look at the way we’re voting.”

Portugal. The Man have officially endorsed Bernie Sanders for his 2020 presidential campaign.