As a member of the student group Asylum, which promotes live on-campus concerts, Lauren Graham is used to organizing shows for the enjoyment of Penn State students.

However, Graham (senior-media studies) has now pulled her resources to throw an independently run benefit event that will double as a call to action for the Penn State community.

This backyard benefit concert for the Invisible Children Movement will take place at 6 p.m. Friday at 633 E. Hamilton St. The show will feature local bands Matthew and the Judes and Beneath Powerlines, as well as touring bands The Ruining and Highlites.

"It really came together easily," Graham said. "This is the first time I'm doing something completely independently. It's the first one I'm doing for charity."

According to the movement's Web site, Invisible Children uses multimedia and other programming to turn "apathy into activism," and focuses on the struggles of children in war-torn nations like Uganda.

Graham was first introduced to the Invisible Children Movement during her sophomore year when she saw a documentary about the group in the HUB-Robeson Center and then decided to get involved.

The benefit concert will correlate with the new campaign from the Invisible Children Movement called The Rescue, which is also the title of the newest documentary that came out on April 25.

"I figured I could do something I'm used to here by organizing a show and just raise money to make a one-time donation," she said.

Graham will be showing clips from the videos made by the Invisible Children Movement, but said she did not want them to take anything away from the upbeat aspect of a live concert setting.

"I want to keep it light and fun," she said.

She also plans to speak between the bands' sets to explain the importance of what the movement does and "basically what their money will be going to."

Graham said it was easy booking this hodgepodge of bands, whose genres range from punk rock to experimental pop.

The Ruining and Highlites will make this benefit gig a stop on a four-show tour.

"They pretty much just needed something to do on their way to Pittsburgh," Graham said.

Nick Harris, a singer and guitarist for The Ruining and Highlites, said the band was "stoked" when it found out it would be playing a benefit show.

"This is one of the first benefit shows we've played," he said. "We're still a fairly new band."

He added a lot of people refer to The Ruining and Highlites' music as "melodic punk" because it encompasses both hardcore and indie elements.

Matt Whittle, frontman for local band Matthew and the Judes, said its indie pop would mesh well with the other musical stylings on the bill for the benefit show.

"We're sort of used to playing with bands of other styles," he said. "Regardless of the genre, we all have our individual vessel for songwriting and what we're trying to say."

Whittle added Matthew and the Judes has played multiple Invisible Children shows in the past, and that the band would never turn down the chance to contribute.