It’s hard to believe that for over two decades Nonpoint and POD have been bringing their high energy shows to the masses. This past show at the Starland Ballroom proved that though times and hairstyles have changed, these bands still have the same raw energy that they started out with.
This was my first time seeing Nonpoint and I was incredibly surprised, not by the band but the truly rabid energy given off by the fans. From the minute they took the stage the crowd was fully engaged. Running through their setlist full of favorites like “Generation Idiot”, “Bullet With a Name”, “El Diablo”, the band also added a few songs off of their latest release X including “Fix This”, “Chaos and Earthquakes”and “Dodge Your Destiny”. At one point BC Kochmit walked offstage to get himself something from the bar. And with the assistance of an audience member he was able to do a shot or two without skipping a note. Sadly they were only on stage for about 40 minutes, but they sure did pack their time full of power.
POD was the headliner for this show. And provided a solid 90 minute set. Opening up their setlist with “Soundboy Killa” and “Rockin’ With the Best” from their latest album entitled Circles. Their own signature Southern Cali-rap inspired metal was on showcase tonight as their setlist ranged from “Southtown” to “Youth of the Nation” and came full “Circles” with such rockers as “Murdered Love” and “Alive”. During “Youth of the Nation” two young lads were invited on stage and sang and waved their arms in beat with the song. Before “Beautiful”, guitarist Marcos Curiel started talking about how the video for the song was shot in New Jersey and how singer Sonny Sandoval had a mustache at the time. It’s little bits of banter like that which give you a little insight into the band and their dynamic. It’s always good to see bandmates bust each other’s chops a bit.
Even though it seems like this tour is winding down, I would hope that the bands tour again sometime. Their music and fans both seemed to intertwine very nicely, and made for a very peaceful and wonderful evening.
P.O.D. have some tour dates coming up this summer with Nonpoint, Islander, and Nine Shrines, check out the dates below:
Wed. 5/29- The Royal in Salt Lake City, Utah
Fri. 5/31- SBC Fair in Victorville, California
Sat. 6/1- The Canyon Club in Montclair, California
Mon. 6/3- Hawthorne Theater in Portland, Oregon
Tue. 6/4- El Corazon in Seattle, Washington
Thu. 6/6- Ace of Spades in Sacramento, California
Fri. 6/7- Virginia Street Brewhouse in Reno, Nevada
Sat. 6/8- Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada
Sun. 6/9- The Rose in Pasadena, California
For tickets and further information on the “Full Circle” tour, click here.
- Photo Credit: Bryan Bardes
