The Christian violin-rock band Reilly breathed new life into North Penn’s auditorium on Tuesday, September 27, when they were invited by the school’s Christian Club to come hang out and perform.

“[The Christian Club] contacted us [about coming to play.] They had heard of the band and reached out to us,” said band member Dan Huie.

The band–made up of lead vocalist, John Reilly; lead guitarist, violinist, and North Penn alum, Dan Huie; violinist, key player, and vocalist, Nicole Huie; bass player and vocalist, Matthew Bomberger; and drummer, Jordan Lenhoff–spent the morning before their concert with some of North Penn’s music students, playing and answering questions the students had.

“The band was lovely. I saw them earlier today and they are very nice. They did Q and A’s for the classes that came to see them during 2^nd, 5^th, or 7^th period. They gave good messages to the students,” said music student and junior Cris Hall-Ramos.

For only $6–or $5 with the donation of a non-perishable food to be sent to Manna on Main Street–Reilly attracted an all-ages crowd. While most of the fans rushed to be in front of the stage during the performance, the seats of the auditorium stayed filled by students, alumni, and parents, alike.

“I thought the concert was amazing. The lyrics were positive and encouraging and I left with a huge smile on my face. The instrumentals were also amazing and I loved the dueling violins,” said junior Carol Brickell, a member of the school’s Christian Club.

Huie, who graduated in 1998 and was a member of the Marching Knights, was met with an enthusiastic response when he gave a shout out to current students from the school’s music programs that were attending the concert.

If that wasn’t enough to get the crowd even more excited, the band then pulled two students up on stage to host a boys versus girls “first ever Reilly air violin contest.” Though applause decided that the boys won, both students were given prizes–a $20 gift card of all Reilly’s music for first place, and a download card of their newest record for second.

Reilly currently has three albums for sale through their website, for those who didn’t catch their concert at North Penn. “We formed in college, about 10 years ago, and have stayed together. We’ve gotten more serious in the last 3 years,” said Huie about the band’s history.

“I bought some of the music after the concert and I’ve been listening to it non-stop ever since then,” said Brickell.

“Our desire as a band is to show the hope and love that we personally found in Jesus Christ. We don’t write songs just for Christian audiences. We write songs that show all aspects of life,” said Huie about Reilly’s music.

If you missed this Christian Club event, but want to get involved, you can always stop by a meeting. “We had about 35 to 40 kids at the last meeting,” said Brian Knaub, who has been the advisor for the Christian Club for about seven years. “At meetings, there is usually time to meet and socialize, followed by announcements, prayer, bible study, and a game.”

“Christian Club is open to anyone and everyone. Even if your not sure what being a Christian is all about or maybe your unsure if you believe the same things that we do, please come to a meeting and check it out. We do have a great time and you get the opportunity to meet and connect with other students at North Penn,” said Brickell.