Snoop Dogg Waikiki Shell Concert

Bodog "Salute Our Troops" Event major success Watch for pics from the big Snoop Dogg Waikiki Shell concert later.  With over 110,000 of America's finest in attendance, the concert was an incredible motivator for our troops. 

Bodog.net hosted the celebrity “thank you to the troops” charity event for the men and women of the U.S. military currently stationed in Hawaii awaiting or returning from deployment in the Middle East. 

In addition to paying for the concert and poker tournament, Bodog donated $50,000 and promised proceeds from any TV broadcast sales of the events to the military charity Fisher House Foundation. The foundation houses relatives of people receiving medical care at military sites. Two Fisher Houses serve Tripler Army Medical Center.

As the shell filled with over 9000 troops bodog girls handed out army style caps to the  attendees.   Carson Daly welcomed the troops.

Navy Petty Officer Ernest Hall, 22, and his wife, Nisha, responded to an e-mail sent to his squad offering free tickets.

"Everybody I know who wanted to go got to come," said Hall. "We're here to see Snoop and Wanda."

Petty Officer Hall made reference to Wanda Sykes, one of a handful of comedians who opened up for headliner Snoop Dogg.

Latino comedian Paul Rodriguez joked about the similarities between Mexicans and Iraqis.

"You don't believe me, go home and look at a picture of Carlos Santana and Osama Bin Laden," said Rodriguez. "I turned (Santana) in to the police."

Then Bif Naked and her band came on and wowed the crowd especially with her new single “Let Down.” A crazed fan jumped on stage for her autograph, but luckily Hawaii resident Dog the Bounty Hunter was backstage and was able to apprehend him and the show continued.

But it was Snoop Dogg who ultimately had everybody up on their feet.

Snoop hit the stage just after 8 p.m., digging into "Ups & Downs," his hair tied in braids, a red, white, and blue "Support Our Troops" jersey over his tall and lean frame.

His stage crew included a full band he dubbed "The Snoopadelics" capable of deep seventies-style soul grooves, a trio of scantily clad female dancers in camouflage and a couple of turntablists.

Snoop's hour-long set was heavy on his biggest hits, including "Gin & Juice," "Nothin' But A G Thang," "Beautiful" and "Drop It Like It's Hot." Leading the crowd in profanity-laden chants and sing-alongs, Snoop had his makeshift stagefront Dogg-pound grooving throughout and snapping cell phone pics.

Moving very unrhythmically in a Bodog.net cap to Snoop's "Who Am I? (What's My Name?)," a young man was moved enough to exclaim, "This is the highlight of my life!"

Gambling911.com would personally like to thank Bodog.com for sponsoring this unprecedented event. 

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Gambling911.com News Wire with The Honolulu Advertiser

Originally published July 24, 2005 1:58 pm EST/ Revised July 24, 2005 4:02 pm EST