There aren't many bands out there -- especially among the metal/rap offspring -- who can say they've seen people at their shows crying to their lyrics. In fact, the four young, tattooed, baggy-jeaned Christian punks known as P.O.D. may be the lone such band who can make that claim. Even more so, they seem to stand alone in the world of rock & roll because of the barren path on which they travel. But the San Diego-based, bible-reading rockers will make no apologies for being outcasts in a spiritually corrupt society.

All of this might explain why Wuv, the band's drummer, is seemingly the only person who's walking in midtown Manhattan this morning with a smile. It doesn't seem to matter that he might catch a cold, having forgotten his jacket on the plane last night, or that the cold shoulders that breeze right by him on the rush-hour streets aren't helping out the situation. As Wuv shares a testimony of what he noticed during his last show, it's easy to tell what really gives him chills.

"After the show," he says, "I went up to the two kids I saw [crying in the audience earlier]... and I let 'em know that I felt their pain, that they weren't alone in this struggle. And before we knew it, man, we were laughing so hard, huggin' each other... tears tricklin' down our faces. It just felt so good, you know? That's when we know that God's talkin' to some of these kids through us; when they can discover the true meaning behind a simple chorus like 'I'm an outcast/Don't ever count me out.' You can pick the kids who really understand our lyrics from the ones who don't."

Unlike many Christian bands, P.O.D. do not wear their faith on their sleeves. "Outkast," the particular song Wuv is talking about, doesn't exactly spell their faith out or openly urge listeners to repent. Such is the case with most of the tracks on P.O.D.'s debut album, The Fundamental Elements of Southtown. It would probably never dawn on an unadvised listener that the band follows God [case in point: their name stands for "Payable on Death"]. Musically, the quartet doesn't create much of an original sound, especially when trailing in the wake of Korn and Limp Bizkit, but P.O.D. have been making the same music together for over eight years now.

It's when you read between the lines of their lyrics that P.O.D. emerge as such a blinding force. The cryptic vocals that accompany their musicianship through darkness always seem to find an invigorating light. Take, for instance, their song "Hollywood." After minutes of breaking down the false perceptions of the city in question and building up to the instrumental climax, the final words that lead singer Sonny screams repeatedly are, "You'll never get the best of me!"

Speak of the devil (no offense), Sonny, along with the other two members (guitarist Marcos and bassist Traa), have finally caught up to Wuv, who is Sonny's cousin, on the other side of this crowded street. Flanked by a couple of publicity coordinators, the guys are luckily within walking distance from each of today's interviews, the first being at the Howard Stern Show. Are they nervous? Absolutely not. If anyone can endure a half hour of belligerent quips, ridiculing them for being "young," "either engaged or married with kids," "non-cheating," "Bible-reading" and "Jesus-loving" rock musicians, it would be the P.O.D. brethren.

And they prove it. Stern seems impressed. Even when he and his radio crew laugh hysterically at the idea of P.O.D. opening for Kid Rock in Jamaica next month, not one of their nerves seems to be struck. "Don't hang around with Kid Rock," advises Stern. "You won't get into heaven doing that, believe me." But the band members tell the sparring shock-jock straight up that they're "far from perfect." From that point on they seem invincible, and each phone call they receive throughout the show's remainder mirrors nothing but respect.

The hardest part of the morning is over, but the P.O.D. are still on a tight schedule. Along with a number of other appointments, a visit to MTV News is necessary and catching their afternoon flight out of Newark is absolutely mandatory. They continue their tour with Primus this evening, and they're due on stage the second they arrive at the venue. "If our plane lands even one minute late," says Sonny, "then we've already lost some valuable travel time." But he's not overly concerned. "Hey," he shrugs sheepishly, before heading off with the others, "we're doing the best we can, and that's all we can really do."

Amen.

PAT CHARLES
(February 25, 2000)