Hundreds of students and College For A Weekend (CFAW) visitors gathered Friday night, April 10 at the Vines Center as CAIN took the stage for a CFAW weekend concert.
The 8 p.m. concert, hosted by Liberty University’s Student Activities, brought audience members together for an evening of worship and entertainment.
Before CAIN took the stage, attendees were introduced to opening act Allison Eide, a Christian singer-songwriter known for her reflective lyrics and worship-focused sound. Her set list included, “idk,” “why why why” and “chemically messed up.”
Next, CAIN arrived on stage and delivered an energetic performance that included the songs, “I’m So Blessed,” “Rise Up (Lazarus)” and “Any More.”
Freshman Hannah Phillips said the concert was a meaningful addition to the weekend’s programming, particularly for those visiting campus.
“I think this is a good thing to do for, like, a CFAW weekend, to give them (CFAW guests) something to do and just to have another Christian concert here that’s well known by students,” Phillips said.
Faith Ramirez came to campus for CFAW and attended the concert. She looked forward to hearing CAIN perform “The Commission.”
“It’s so — it’s, like, catchy and the vibe and you just fall in love with the band and the music itself. And just even with the Lord. It’s beautiful, I love it,” Ramirez said.
Behind the scenes, events of this scale require extensive planning and coordination. According to Cort Comfort, the director of Student Activities, preparation for concerts like this begins months in advance and involves multiple teams working together to ensure a seamless experience.
“As a Student Activities department, we kind of always hold two things at the core of everything that we do, which is serve and entertain,” Comfort said. “If we’re just entertaining, that’s not that good, … there’s always an element of service that goes into everything.”
Comfort also emphasized the importance of creating opportunities for students to step away from the demands of academic life.
“If students are coming in, they have so many projects, so many papers, and if we can give them 90 minutes where they forget about that stuff, I think CAIN’s the band to do it,” Comfort said.
For CFAW attendees, the concert offered a firsthand look at how Liberty cultivates community.
“When you’re out late at night, up until 11 p.m. at a concert, and you have that spiritual connection with Jesus Christ, it is going to hit different,” Comfort said. “It’s something that you’ll remember in 10, 15 years.”
Comfort, a Liberty alumnus, confirmed this was his own CFAW experience.
“I’m in this position because I truly believe concerts make a difference. They have in my life,” Comfort said. “The moment I decided to be a Liberty student was in the Vines Center watching the Newsboys perform when I was at CFAW.”
According to Comfort, Student Activities plans concerts up to a year in advance. There are several factors that contribute to which bands are chosen to come to campus, but students can make suggestions using the form on their website’s FAQ page.
After Party, scheduled for April 25, is the next major event on the Student Activities calendar with artists COBA, Ava Piland, Claire Leslie and Strings & Heart scheduled to perform.
Angelov is a digital media manager for the Liberty Champion.