With the end of each semester comes an attempt from the Penn State chapter of Amnesty International to build awareness about issues with a helping hand from the power of song.

Jamnesty, a biannual benefit concert, will take place at 8 tonight at SoZo, 256 E. Beaver Ave., and is $5 in cost. It was organized by the nonpartisan student-run club. All proceeds go to Save Darfur, an organization that protests genocide and provides aid to victims of warfare in a region of western Sudan.

Emily Helms (senior-international politics), president of Amnesty International, said it is important "to incorporate human rights into the event and perhaps keep the pressure on the U.S. government to in turn keep pressure on other countries."

At the event, attendees can sign petition letters and read information on the issue, "not only to learn about it, but to take action on it -- and have your name on it," Helms said.

Five bands with a wide range of musical styles will perform and members of the club are scheduled to deliver speeches on the strife in Darfur in between music sets.

Kilego Vert, Hollywood Babylon, Town Groove Trio, The First Robot Capable of Qualifying for a Boat Loan and Freestylistic will all play in the concert.

The event this past spring, which hosted three bands, raised about $500 and attracted 50 to 60 people, Hedges said.

Allison Hedges (sophomore-broadcast journalism), the club's public relations officer, said the club is doing more extensive preparation, increasing the number of music acts.

"We're trying to get more people to come out and be more aware of it," Hedges said. "Hopefully, it'll be more organized."

The dominant coordinator of Jamnesty, Anna Alcaro (sophomore-liberal arts) compared Harrisburg-based Kilego Vert to Radiohead and Hollywood Babylon to Mötley Crüe. According to Alcaro, Town Groove Trio is an alternative rock band that dabbles in popular covers.

Also on the bill are two local bands that recently formed and both specialize in instrumentals-heavy jams. The First Robot Capable of Qualifying for a Boat Loan, derived from a robot on animated series Futurama, and Freestylistic perform electronica and instrumental jams. The bands were selected and booked by various members of Amnesty International, Alcaro said.

As is standard for most benefit concerts, the pressing issue remains the focal motivating factor.

"There are still human rights violations and it's a cause people need to care about," Alcaro said. "It's always going to be relevant until the problem's fixed."