P.O.D.
6/15/2004 @ Roseland Theater in Portland, OR
By Robin Steeley
We headed out once again to the Roseland theater tonight to see P.O.D. touring in support of the release of their recent album along with Lacuna Coil and newcomers Blindside and Hazen St. The audience was a cohesive mix of Christian and mainstream rock fans.
Lacuna Coil, touring in support of their latest album "Comalies" surprisingly opened the show to an incredible response with bodies surfing across the crowd to the bands superb melodic hardcore sound. Crushing and soothing simultaneously, this band never ceases to amaze me, especially outstanding vocalist Christina Scabbia who has an amazingly versatile voice. Then again, Andrea Ferro has a range just as impressive and a huge stage presence as well. Overall, the entire band is incredibly tight, a solid act for sure.
Due to an interview scheduling conflict, we missed most of Sweden’s Blindside and newcomer Hazen St. but what we did see showed that these bands are both forces to be reckoned with. So much more then just “Christian bands” their music is unyielding and the musicianship is tight.
A short break between bands set the stage for headliners P.O.D. who emerged before a thunderous crowd. Their set was marked by an elevated drum riser and the huge P.O.D. logo emblazoned on the front. They opened tonight with “Boom”, vocalist Sonny Sandoval running energetically from one side of the stage to the other, moving so much in fact it was incredibly hard to get pictures of him as he bounced from one place to the next.
Next, they played "Will You" and without skipping a beat careened right into "Set It Off" while the crowd just seemed to swell and grow, everyone who was previously in the grill or the bar upstairs suddenly in the main area in front of the stage it almost seemed as if the crowd had doubled in size. The band mixed songs from their last two releases along with “Southtown” and “Lie Down” from their outstanding “Southtown” album, and closing the set with chart topper “Alive”. At one point in time Sonny perches high above the crowd who hold him up like the star he is and support him as he sings with the enthusiasm that he has become known for in his amazing live performances.
Overall, this was a very diverse tour, and it was a great mix of both mainstream rock fans and Christians alike, showing that the message was there, but it was still all about the music.
