Nashville-based singer and songwriter Danika Portz and her band play holiday music and original songs during a special concert for the garrison community Dec. 13, 2017, on Chièvres Air Base, Belgium. The concert was held in conjunction with th...
Army Col. Kurt Connell, garrison commander for U.S. Army Garrison Benelux, and Santa light a holiday tree Dec. 13, 2017, on Chièvres Air Base, Belgium. After the tree lighting, Nashville singer/songwriter Danika Portz and her band performed a...
Nashville-based singer and songwriter Danika Portz and her band play holiday music and original songs during a special concert for the garrison community Dec. 13, 2017, on Chièvres Air Base, Belgium. The concert was held in conjunction with th...
CHIÈVRES, Belgium -- There was excitement and anticipation at the Community Activity Center Wednesday on Chièvres Air Base as the community waited for special visitors to arrive. Family, and Morale, Welfare and Recreation held a special holiday event, which included a holiday tree lighting and an Armed Forces Entertainment concert featuring Nashville singer and songwriter Danika Portz.
The event commenced as Army Col. Kurt Connell, garrison commander for U.S. Army Garrison Benelux, and Santa went onto the CAC stage to light a holiday tree inside. Due to inclement weather, the event was moved into an indoor location, but the large tree in the Army and Air Force Exchange Service and Commissary parking lot was also brightly on display.
After the tree lighting, Connell welcomed Portz on stage to sing Christmas carols with the audience. Portz eventually went into the crowd to sing side-by-side with the children.
Portz and her band, decked in ugly holiday sweaters, then rocked the stage with a set, including holiday song covers and original songs.
Now on her fifth tour with AFE, Danika was familiar with the military audience, especially since she has two brothers in the military. Some of her band members also have relatives currently serving.
One song in her set "My Superhero" was inspired by the experiences on her first AFE tour as she performed at deployed sites. She saw firsthand the sacrifices that service members make while being deployed overseas, such as missing out on important life moments with their families.
"When people talk about the military, they use these buzzwords. They are talking about the sacrifices that you [the service member] make and it's easy to see those things but not actually visualize what that means," she said. "What I try to do in all my shows is tell that story and humanize it for especially my non-military audiences. I found a gap between military families and non-military families. I'm trying to bridge that gap as much as I can."
Portz's AFE tour will continue through the end of the year. Her band and she will go to other U.S. military installations in Europe in addition to deployed sites.
"It's important to make people feel at home. We are bringing a sense of home for people who don't have any family with them [during the holidays]," she said.
"We are also thankful for everything the families are doing. Your immediate family may be together, but your extended family is still back stateside. Moving your kids around and taking them out of what they know is home…I can't imagine what it's like and they are willing to do it. We are honored to meet them and perform for them."
Towards the end of the set, Connell went on stage to present Portz and her band members the garrison commander's coin. He also expressed his appreciation to the band.
"For them to come out from their busy schedule and come to a small community like this is really special," he said.
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