Phong Ly / The Collegian
Christian rock band 10th Avenue North, joined by opening bands Addison Road and Matt Maher, performed at Fresno State’s Satellite Student Union Tuesday night to a crowd of 500 people.
The intimate but enthusiastic audience traveled from different parts of the valley to attend the concert.
“I came with a group of 20 to 30 high school kids from Tulare,” said Ashleigh Noriega, a Tulare resident. “The group is called Young Life, and it’s made up of kids at my high school and other high schools in Tulare and Visalia.”
The mostly young crowd listened to band members talk about causes they are passionate about, including an organization called Compassion, which connects people in the United States with people living in poverty-stricken third-world countries.
“God doesn’t give us platforms to talk about ourselves,” said lead vocalist Mike Donehey between songs onstage. “He gives us platforms to talk about others who can’t speak out for themselves.”
The band’s stop in Fresno wasn’t originally part of the Light Meets the Dark tour. Shawna Blair and Eric Morin, both staff members in Fresno State’s Leadership Development Center, were instrumental in bringing the band to Fresno.
“Eric and I contacted them after the Rock and Worship Road Show last spring,” said Blair. “We both felt there was a need to fulfill students in a spiritual way, because there’s so many other things Fresno State offers to students that don’t cater to that aspect of their lives.”
Blair added that Morin made the first call to the band and both sides figured out when the tour would be in the area.
“There was a certain amount of time the tour would be in California, and as Eric coordinated with the band they were able to pick a date from the range of dates that were available,” said Blair.
At the end of the concert, main attraction 10th Avenue North played two encore songs that had fans on their feet.
“We had a great group of people come out tonight,” said Jeff Owen, the band’s electric guitarist. “It wouldn’t have been possible to come out here without the school. The school was awesome, and I hope we can come back and play here again.”
Leadership students who assisted Blair and Morin in organizing the concert recieved positive feedback from concertgoers after the show.
“We’ve already gotten a lot of responses from people,” said Dana Elkins, a leadership student. “This was a very successful event and I’m excited we got to do it.”
Phong Ly / The Collegian
Christian rock band 10th Avenue North, joined by opening bands Addison Road and Matt Maher, performed at Fresno State’s Satellite Student Union Tuesday night to a crowd of 500 people.
The intimate but enthusiastic audience traveled from different parts of the valley to attend the concert.
“I came with a group of 20 to 30 high school kids from Tulare,” said Ashleigh Noriega, a Tulare resident. “The group is called Young Life, and it’s made up of kids at my high school and other high schools in Tulare and Visalia.”
The mostly young crowd listened to band members talk about causes they are passionate about, including an organization called Compassion, which connects people in the United States with people living in poverty-stricken third-world countries.
“God doesn’t give us platforms to talk about ourselves,” said lead vocalist Mike Donehey between songs onstage. “He gives us platforms to talk about others who can’t speak out for themselves.”
The band’s stop in Fresno wasn’t originally part of the Light Meets the Dark tour. Shawna Blair and Eric Morin, both staff members in Fresno State’s Leadership Development Center, were instrumental in bringing the band to Fresno.
“Eric and I contacted them after the Rock and Worship Road Show last spring,” said Blair. “We both felt there was a need to fulfill students in a spiritual way, because there’s so many other things Fresno State offers to students that don’t cater to that aspect of their lives.”
Blair added that Morin made the first call to the band and both sides figured out when the tour would be in the area.
“There was a certain amount of time the tour would be in California, and as Eric coordinated with the band they were able to pick a date from the range of dates that were available,” said Blair.
At the end of the concert, main attraction 10th Avenue North played two encore songs that had fans on their feet.
“We had a great group of people come out tonight,” said Jeff Owen, the band’s electric guitarist. “It wouldn’t have been possible to come out here without the school. The school was awesome, and I hope we can come back and play here again.”
Leadership students who assisted Blair and Morin in organizing the concert recieved positive feedback from concertgoers after the show.
“We’ve already gotten a lot of responses from people,” said Dana Elkins, a leadership student. “This was a very successful event and I’m excited we got to do it.”