POD Headlines Military Concert

POD — a heavy/new metal band — recently headlined Hansen Fest 2014, a concert festival at Camp Hansen in Okinawa, Japan.

The goal of MCCS Okinawa entertainment is to find the right bands and the right genre of music based on the preference of the service members on that particular camp, according to Hatfield.

“A lot of Marines on this camp like Rock n’ Roll, so that’s what we brought here,” said Hatfield.

The crowd swelled in numbers as rock band P.O.D. took to the main stage…

The band performed for two hours. Throughout their performance, the crowd sang along, particularly to the hit single, “Youth of the Nation.”

The band put on a great show and the crowd really enjoyed the performance, according to Dowd.

“(Marines’ sacrifices) give me the opportunity to do what I love, and that is playing music,” said Sandoval, from San Diego, California. “I’m grateful for every single service member out here.”

POD is a Christian band, if a sometimes controversial one. Lead singer Sonny Sandoval described their song Murdered Love as about “the moment our Savior died — Jesus on the cross and what that moment must have felt like…”

A couple of atheists once demanded “equal time” after a Christian performance on a military base. Given the tepid response to the atheist event, it is unlikely to be repeated at Camp Hansen.

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