REILLY!

As the closing event of homecoming, the campus chapter of the International Justice Mission put together a benefit concert, featuring Michelle Carrillo (our student body president's incredibly talented sister) and the band Reilly. It was an awesome night, as we all enjoyed hearing the bands...and not having to drive anywhere to do it =) In addition, Wayne Barnard, a prominent figure in IJM leadership, came to speak between the acts about the work of IJM, freeing slaves and working to provide justice around the world, and how we could be involved beyond the concert itself. 

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of Michelle singing...I was still out in the lobby selling tickets for most of her songs. However, she does have a website (where you can both see what she looks like and hear her music).

After the IJM presentation, we welcomed Reilly...students flooded down from the bleachers onto the gym floor to crowd around the stage and jump up and down to the music and even crowd-surf a freshman...I watched safely from above =)

John Reilly, lead singer, opening the show =)  

They are so talented...one of the coolest parts of the show is the dueling violins: two members of the band (who happen to be married) are incredibly skilled violinists, and they go from piano and guitar to their strings (and often back again) in the middle of songs...it's amazing to watch them, and they have a lot of fun with it =)

I took all these pictures without moving from the same spot...I'm kind of proud of that fact, despite the laziness it implies =)

The lighting was sooo cool...my camera was happy (and therefore I was happy, too...)

They had an "air violin" girls vs. guys competition...which Megan won =) 

Their beautiful song Yahweh...they do a wonderful job of mixing in both powerful messages and strong rock music =)

Ah, there are the violins I mentioned...I wasn't sure if I had a picture or not...it's impossible to quite capture the energy (mostly because the pictures are blurry =P ) But here is proof that they do, in fact, play the violin =)

Anyway...there's a few representative pictures...Gabrielle Ryan was the official photographer and has much better ones, if you're interested...

This is the second year in a row we've had a concert on campus for homecoming...but this one raised more than $2000 for IJM! God really blessed our work...it was amazing to see =)