Bright lights, loud music and a packed crowd filled the Union Theater Thursday night.
The bass from the band vibrated every chair, and the occasional “Woooo” could be heard from the crowd.
This was not the typical campus concert, however.
“After Dark,” hosted by the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Living Waters, Journey, Campus Crusade for Christ and Chi Alpha, brought students from different denominations together for a concert and presentation on the life of Jesus Christ.
By the Tree, a Christian rock band from Dallas, set a laid back tone by doing the “white man dance” while the crowd sang along to “I sing along, it’s the salvation song.”
After a few songs, speaker Joe White stepped on stage to give a passionate demonstration of the building of the crucifix and his own testimony of finding Jesus in his life.
Charlie Clary, with Campus Crusade for Christ, said the purpose of having events like After Dark is to bring students from different Christian organizations together for a common goal — to spread the word of God.
Clary said showing an alternative style of worship adds a contemporary spin to the traditional story of Jesus Christ.
He said many times the gospel from 2000 years ago does not connect with college students, and someone like White can make an old story more interesting.
“This makes the gospel more relevant to students and tries to get students interested in religion to get involved,” Clary said.
Kissy Blanchard, an After Dark onlooker, said holding the event and others like it gives students a chance to accept Jesus together and forget about preferences in worship.
“It’s not about a denomination here,” Blanchard said. “It brings us together and creates more of a bond.”
Hans Googer, a speech communications sophomore with BCM, said campuswide Christian events are successful in bringing students who may not already be involved if interest continues beyond the speeches and presentations.
“These kind of events can jump start an interest in religion,” Googer said. “It’s only effective if it goes beyond these walls.”
Daniel Sparks, a German sophomore, said Christian unity creates unity among the campus community and promotes a common interest in religion.
“Some people might be different in practice, but we’re all about the same idea of spreading the gospel of Christ,” Sparks said.
He said the central focus of bringing different organizations together is to make everyone aware of God’s message, no matter what the denomination.