POD is one of the most outspoken Christian bands of all time, especially in unexpected places. They never hold back in ministry, witness, and even ceremony. One year, at Cornerstone Festival, they conducted a moving communion service instead of a concert. As I drove to the late night nightclub in DC I wondered if Sonny and the band would tone down the unabashed, unashamed gospel talk that's always in their shows, since this was a secular gig in a secular club with a secular undercard. I should have known better.

I recently read that Washington DC is the second best place to live in North America. I don't know how such things are determined, but I do know that Washington DC has cleaned up quite a number of areas in the past few years. One beneficiary of this clean up is the Metro Club, on 14thSt. N.W. between P and Q streets. A part of town that was once a haven of pimps, streetwalkers, and drugs, this area is now known as a theater district. Several homegrown theater groups now call this neighborhood home along with a huge mission, and the new Metro Cafe nightclub.

The club is only a few years old, and holds 180 to 200 people in a large, high den with open windows facing 14th street. Opposite the windows, a bar dominates the back wall. This night brought in about a three-quarters full house, of mostly POD fans. The Metro Club opens its doors around 10 p.m., and Guano Apes took the stage around 11. From Germany, Guano Apes is a platinum-selling band in Europe but this is their first time in the USA. They're on RCA records, so I'm not sure how they got hooked up with Atlantic artists POD, but they were a very cool complement. The band has a great sound and a hotly capable front (wo)man in Sandra Nasic, a thin, provocative, talent who can skillfully sing, rap, yell, scream, or all the above. Althoughnot on the same page spiritually as POD, I noticed a degree of mutual respect between these two bands. They had already been out on the road together for more than a month, yet members of both bands were in the Metro Cafe's room watching each other's shows. After the Guano Apes set, the club began to buzz and move around, everyone taking their places for the expected rush of craziness that happens when POD kicks in.

POD took the stage around 1150 p.m. with power, crunch and all things loud. Once a POD show starts not even front man Sonny can stop it, even though the vocal mike was too hot and gave Sonny trouble through a song or two. The band rolled on. Marcos kept the set moving with his guitar that never stopped, Traa thumped and beat his bass, and Wuv pounded his skins with abandon. Sonny was smiling as he jumped and rocked in front of the band, throwing his long dreads around and getting crazy while the sound man pulled the vocals back some to fix the feedback problem on the run. They played almost every song from The Fundamental Elements of Southtown, their new CD, and revisited their first few records for a few songs. They only slowed down a second or two for Sonny to say a few words over Marcos's intros. The crowd was full of dancing POD fans who had traveled from all over the region to meet here in front of a small stage holding four musicians from San Diego. Sonny could stop singing at any point in any song and most of the crowd would keep up the chant, singing every word.

Not far into the show, vocalist Sonny announced from the stage that they had just finished filming a video for the song "Southtown." Other highlights included " Rock the Party," "Hollywood," "Breathe Babylon," "Draw the Line," and "Set Your Eyes on Zion." Sonny intermittently talked about the Lord throughout the night. One dramatic highlight was his singing, "I'm an outcast, for You, Jesus..." looking up at heaven, during the song "Outkast." He finished the show with an invitation to the crowd not to leave without knowing God, and being sure of having Jesus as their personal Savior. The four returned for an encore of "Full Color," and "Bullet the Blue Sky," ending the show at around 130 in the morning. Even though the soundman never got Sonny's vocals quite right in the house, it was an electrifying, exciting show.

POD will be out on U. S. tour until the end of November 1999, then go over to Germany for a couple of days in support of their first major label release. If you ask Atlantic, this tour is about selling records, if you ask their fans, this is a chance to enjoy a live performance no CD can hope to do justice to, but if you ask POD, it's a chance for ministry. Be sure to stop by for some fellowship if you get the chance.