What does it take for more than 16,000 people to pack into the Bryce Jordan Center in 26 degree weather? Children half way around the world. Every year the child sponsorship program World Vision holds a winter concert to raise support for child hunger; a concert that travels around 44 nights to cities all over the U.S. and their concert at Penn State on the 18^th was just night 8 of their long journey.

As in years past, the 10 bands for $10 deal still enticed the sale seekers of the crowd, but the younger audience was drawn by heavy metal band Red and the still extremely popular hip-hop/ rap icon Toby Mac. But those fans would have to wait a couple hours to be almost blasted away by the screams of Red. Newer pop band Royal Taylor, the opening act, jazzed their way into the hearts of many, not only through their $5 Grammy nominated album Black & White with matching poster, but also with their enlightening video from their trip to Guatemala showing the lives of the locals, where the average family income is a dollar a day.

Other “time filler” favorites showed playing ‘contemporary’ hits; Jamie Grace, Sidewalk Prophets, and Matt West whose songs were well known enough that people could sing along with choruses and clap to, but the artists themselves were smaller names, compared to the final appearance of Red.

Although Red dominated the visual aspect of the show with marvels such as their bursts of flames and extreme light show, there was no doubt which performer won the crowd’s hearts. Toby Mac showed up to rap during Jamie Grace’s performance and was so over whelmed by cheers that the music became just a hum in the background. Even at a shocking 48 years old, Toby Mac is no old man on stage, dancing around with sparks raining down on his back with his own DJ up above. He played both new songs from his album Eye On It and his older acoustic hits, which dominated an hour and a half of the concert.