The venue for P.O.D.’s show Tuesday night could not have been more fitting, as the veteran Christian metal band played New Kensington’s Preserving Underground, a former church converted into a concert hall.
With stained glass windows behind and to the left of the stage, P.O.D.’s stop on their I Got That tour proved uplifting as they delivered messages of hope while their music offered a release.
“This feels like an old school house party,” singer Sonny Sandoval noted at one point.
Sandoval, who just turned 50 last week, displayed the energy of a younger man, whipping his dreadlocks and bouncing across the stage. Throughout the night, he sang with his eyes closed or raised to the sky, with a passion that felt authentic and never contrived. As he closed ” Afraid to Die,” a song about embracing life, he added “Don’t be afraid to live, Pittsburgh.”
Guitarist Marcus Curiel acknowledged the connection with the band’s older songs while also talking about his love for creating new music. P.O.D. showcased five songs off their newest album, “Veritas,” which came out earlier this month. Three of their first five songs came from “Veritas” as did the last two before the closer.
P.O.D.’s set covered their hits, of course, like “Boom” and a raging, heavy “Southtown,” which sent the mosh pit swirling. “Youth of a Nation,” inspired by several school shootings including Columbine, featured a somber, extended intro. With the crowd singing along on the chorus, Sandoval got their arms waving before having them switch to a raised fist, a symbol of resistance. (By the way, P.O.D.’s video for “Youth of a Nation” includes several roadways in the Alle-Kiski Valley, starting at 28 seconds.)
More @POD live in New Kensington, playing all their hits pic.twitter.com/vhPtMikpT1
— Mike Palm (@MikePalmMedia) May 22, 2024
They saved their biggest song for last, closing with “Alive” off their triple-platinum “Satellite” album from 2001. As bassist Traa Daniels and drummer Alex Lopez left the stage, the song finished with Sandoval and Curiel on guitar, an appropriate ending for the venue’s past life.
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Los Angeles’ Bad Wolves played what felt like a heavier set than when they opened for Bush back in November at Stage AE. Lead singer Daniel “DL” Laskiewicz was in constant motion, roving the stage with an energetic presence. Bad Wolves played a few songs off their most recent album, “Die About It,” which came out in November, and added a new song, “Knife,” that hit particularly hard.
They closed with the song that first gained them fame, their cover of the Cranberries’ “Zombie.” After starting on stage, Laskiewicz dropped to the floor and gathered the crowd near him for an up-close singalong.
.@badwolves closed with their cover of the Cranberries’ “Zombie,” with a little help from the audience pic.twitter.com/NupdgfjSaN
— Mike Palm (@MikePalmMedia) May 22, 2024
Georgia metalcore band Norma Jean brought an early dose of head-banging chaos, opening with “I. The Planet.”
Finnish nu metal band Blind Channel was also on the bill.
