Fans young and old wrapped around Strummer’s in the Tower District, ways before doors opened, anxiously waiting to catch a glimpse of Payable On Death (POD) among other bands playing in the small and intimate venue that night.

The seemingly never-ending flow of fans stretched far and wide; some even brought their children along on Sept. 23.

The San Diego based quartet P.O.D., was the main event and featured several of their songs, including their tenth studio album, “The Awakening”; their first attempt at producing a conceptual album.

“We’re putting something together that tells a story,” said Sonny Sandoval, vocalist with the band. It’s something that we’re having a lot of fun doing; we’re excited.”

The augmented attendance was no match to their last trip to Fresno in 2013.

“We love playing in Fresno and we love playing Strummer’s ‘cause it’s just a tight, small sweaty club. The locals here that come to our shows are always energetic and fun. These are the kinds of shows we grew up doing. We’ll go play in front of thousands and thousands of people and then you come to a little club like this and play in front of 400 people and have more fun than ever,” Sandoval said.

The band is best known for their infusion of rock, rap and reggae into their music; popular tracks include “Youth of the Nation”, “Beautiful”, “Boom” and “Alive”.

Perhaps more famously, P.O.D. is known for its positive messages.

“Every song ultimately explores a character dealing with life, making mistakes, fighting [and] trying,” Sandoval said.

Previous to P.O.D., Outside the Wire set the tone for a night full of fun and excitement. The five-piece band played five songs before Islander, another band emerged.

Islander vocalist Mikey Carvajal warmed up the crowd, prepping them for the eventual headliners.

Carvajal even courted a wheelchair bound fan, Alex Arnett on stage to summon him to his first crowd surfing experience. For the rest of the night, Arnett occupied a small space on stage to enjoy the rest of the show.

As P.O.D. hit the stage, the more-than-ready crowds raised their fists in the air and, in unison, sang along to the night’s much anticipated performance.