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P.O.D., Blindside, Lacuna Coil, Hazen Street
5/11/04; Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, New Jersey
When an artist in the Christian music industry crosses over to the mainstream, fans and onlookers bear
different opinions on the move. While some embrace the transition, others can even go as far as claim the
artists have lost their salvation. So where do Christians draw the line in "blending in" with the world? And why
is reaching for the lost right where they're at taboo to some?
Controversy has been following San Diego hardcore band P.O.D. since they immerged to the
mainstream. Since the departure of original guitarist Marcos Curiel in 2002, P.O.D. has been struggling
to pick up the pieces. This Spring, the quartet embarks on a new headlining tour with Blindside
and two newcomers, Lacuna Coil and Hazen St. With the buzz surrounding the new Blindside release and P.O.D.'s
most recent album, we jumped at the chance to check out the tour.
With the plans to attend the show being very last minute, we arrived almost an hour after the show was
scheduled to begin, missing opening acts Lacuna Coil and Hazen St. We mingled with some friends who were working
the show before Sweden-bread rock powerhouse Blindside went on. The Starland Ballroom was located in the middle
of nowhere in Sayreville, New Jersey. The oddly named bar/club was clouded with cigarette smoke, mixing audiences
of Christian concert-goers and mainstream rock fans. A small entrance lead to an intimate concert setting with bars
wrapping around the dance floor and a stage set in the back. It was essentially a great setup for a more personal
experience, but the smoking and alcohol weren't to the show's benefit.
Blindside opened well will the opener from their latest record About A Burning Fire,
"Eye Of The Storm". Lead vocalist Christian Lindskog projected each verse with infectious amounts of passion and emotion.
It was hard not to be pulled into the feelings Lindskog portrayed. "Pitiful" followed, with the band radiating a
fierce energy that rippled through the audience. There appeared to be no rules to control the audience, either.
Crowd surfing was in abundance with bodies rising above the crowd before quickly diving back in. The melodic hardcore
that Blindside has seemingly mastered on their two most recent releases continued as the set blended selections from
both, forsaking material from their earlier, independent projects. The setlist was solid as they moved into "Follow You
Down", "Caught A Glimpse", and their hit single "All Of Us". The frantic stage presence settled momentarily for their
worship ballad "Shekina", in which I enjoyed watching Lindskog make an intimate spiritual connection with God, ignoring
his surroundings. "Sleepwalking", "Swallow", and "Cute Boring Love" all preceding the finale which was beautifully
the raucous "About A Burning Fire". Christian reached heavenward several times as his passionate screams belted out
gut-wrenching praise to the Holy Spirit. Lindskog waded into the crowd who held him up in a standing position as he
continued to sing. It only seemed inevitable when a full-blown stage dive followed not too much later.
A brief break between sets allowed for the stage to be setup appropriately for the headliner. By the time P.O.D.
emerged on stage, the stage was almost unrecognizable as the drums now stood elevated substantially from the stage
behind the band. A large logo protruded from in front of the riser with the rest of the rock quartet creating the
foreground for the set. A tired Sonny Sandoval bounced into the spotlight for their intro with "Boom". With his set
raised and the lights focused on him, Wuv's presence was probably more prominent than Sonny's as he frantically and
mercilessly pounded away at the drums. The set moved smoothly into "Will You" and keeping it alive with "Set It Off".
As the audience continued to get rowdier, Sonny paused between songs to urge the crowd to be considerate of one another.
He then admitted that three days earlier he'd broken his ribs following a stage dive, explaining his restrained performance.
Although P.O.D. had a tough act to follow with playing after Blindside, the veteran band held their own. They mixed
their set pretty well, playing cuts mainly from their two most recent releases. Unfortunately, only the title track
and "Lie Down" made it to the list from their stellar Southtown record, with the majority of the cuts being
lifted from their recent self-titled release. Despite broken ribs, Sonny managed to still make it around the stage pretty
good, even wading out into the crowd in the same fashion that Christian did. It was nice to see that after 13 years,
P.O.D. could still get an audience moving.
A tour like this differs greatly from your typical Christian rock show. No messages were presented -- apart from
what is in the artists' lyrics. And while the concert goers differed considerably in age and background, the warmth
of a Christian-based crew and audience was missing. While I saw nothing from the artists that was objectionable, I
wasn't overtly impressed either (although Blindside did make it a point to spend time with fans after the show). Fans
skeptical of how these bands act on stage at a secular venue can rest assured that the guys carried themselves very
well. It was umistakable that the members in these rock acts were different than your average chart-topper.
All in all, Blindside and P.O.D. put on fantastic rock performances. While Blindside offered a little more
kick and crispness than P.O.D., the San Diego group unashamedly rocked the party with their raw and unbridled energy.
However, the bottom line is I'd take a Christian-run tour over a non anyday, but it's great to see some light piercing
the darkness thanks to P.O.D. and Blindside.
-- John DiBiase, 5/12/04
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The P.O.D. Tour 2004 Photo Gallery
click on an image for a bigger size
Blindside
P.O.D.
*all photos by John DiBiase, and are the property of the photographer and Jesusfreakhideout.com
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