Portugal. The Man

Portugal. The Man is an American rock band from Wasilla, Alaska, now based in Portland, Oregon, known for protest-driven and revolutionary music.

During the Occupy movement, I embedded myself as an investigative reporter with Occupy Philadelphia and became the de facto stage manager. Due to radius clauses in venue contracts, bands could not give advance notice of appearances, often leaving us only hours to prepare.

Their tour bus pulled up at the Four Seasons Hotel, but instead of going inside, they walked directly to our makeshift performance area. There was no stage and no security. They carried their own equipment and worked with what we had.

The keyboardist played a vintage Casio — his original instrument used to create their signature sound. I asked if he’d prefer to use mine. He declined, explaining that modern keyboards no longer carried those historic patches.

What unfolded next was truly magical.