TobyMac's performance at the Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday night fused hip-hop, soul, rock 'n' roll, folk, and most of all, a message of the love of Jesus Christ.

The group's four vocalists and six musicians brought their wide-ranging talents to the stage but kept the diverse approaches focused on this message throughout the set.

"From time to time we all make mistakes but don't get it twisted - we're all in this together," said TobyMac, whose real name is Kevin Michael McKeehan. "You may lose your way but don't lose your soul because your soul has been bought with a price. You don't have to trudge through all that junk to get to God, just turn and he's right there."

The band's high energy performance took the lights and the tempo down after the speech and TobyMac sang the slow "Lose Your Soul," a departure from the set's mostly rap oriented content.

The beginning of the set featured break dancing, guitar solos, DJ scratching, beatboxing, making the band's performance of its song "Diverse City" well earned.

Kasey Granger (freshman-education) went to the concert, the first night of the 20-date Winter Wonder Slam Tour, to see Reliant K but said she appreciated TobyMac's music as well.

"He does a great job explaining his relationship with Christ through his lyrics," Granger said. "He has a lot of energy."

Relient K's set was more guitar and piano-based and kept its focus on the Christmas holiday, playing its own hard rock versions of Christmas songs like "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and "Sleigh Ride."

Daniel Wohlschlegel was in the standing area for the show and said he thought the band's performance was well received by the audience.

"Relient K is my favorite band and it was the high point of this concert for me," Wohlschlegel said. "It was a little slow at the beginning but picked up towards the end with everyone jumping and everything."

At one point during the band's performance, the sound cut out while the band was in the middle of a song. Singer Matt Thiessen continued singing and playing the piano and after a short time the sound worked again and the set finished without any more problems.

Opening the show were Stephanie Smith and B. Reith, who each played short sets of rock 'n' roll and rap/rock respectively.

Nika Krane, a State College resident, said he found B. Reith's performance, which consisted of the vocalist rapping in front of a three-piece rock band instead of the standard turntables and samplers, particularly entertaining.

"He incorporated rap into a bluesy kind of singing," Krane said. "I'd never heard of him before but it was really good."

Stephanie Smith, a State College native, took the stage in a blue Penn State jersey and played a short set that included a cover of Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'N' Roll" as well as some insight into the spiritual side of her life.

"I really liked her take on everything," said Alyssa Beck, a student at Juniata College. "She was really punk rock at the same time that there was that thankfulness, that worship in her."