Candles lined the stage in Sutherland Auditorium, quieting concert attendees as they walked down the aisles and took their seats. Ambient lighting illuminated a simple yet captivating set of draped cloth and looming branches. Slowly, the room filled with eager faces waiting for the concert to begin. Finally the time came, and after some formal introductions, Shane Everett and guitarist Shane Barnard stepped on stage.

The rest of the night flew by like a blur. Punctuated by short dialogues with the audience and stories about Everett’s 21-month-old baby, the band offered up a worshipful performance filled with powerful songs, including many from its latest album, “Pages.”

The song “Burn Us Up” was a retelling of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s encounter with God in the fiery furnace. The prayerful tune “Vision of You” calls out to God and grapples with how to treat a Savior to whom we have grown indifferent. To close the night, Shane & Shane invited the audience to join them in praising God, singing their rendition of “Before the Throne.”

While on tour, Shane & Shane set time aside to talk about World Vision, a worldwide humanitarian group they have partnered with to speak out against poverty and injustice.
Out of contributions from its 4 million donors across the globe, World Vision sponsors children from Third World countries, providing them with food and education. Joining the band in silence, the audience spent time praying for World Vision and the many children in need of help.

Everett, who manages the band, too, met Barnard in college at Texas A&M University. “I met Shane [Barnard] through some mutual friends because Shane got asked to play in a concert,” said Everett.

“I borrowed his guitar,” Barnard added, smiling. “And we kind of hit it off and became buddies.”

Everett and Barnard began playing together shortly thereafter and led weekly worship with a band at Texas A&M. After college, they continued writing and singing together, and, in 2003, officially took the name Shane & Shane on their first album, “Carry Away.”

So where to next? Shane & Shane have a busy schedule, and they don’t plan on letting up anytime soon. “We usually play every day,” Everett explained.

But through it all, Shane & Shane remembers its purpose. “[You can pray] that the gospel would be heard, and that God would anoint us to preach,” they said.

Royce Santos, Biola social board chair, was pleased with the outcome of the Shane & Shane concert, particularly the number of attendees that weren’t Biola students.

“We got a lot of interest from the outside community,” Santos noted, pointing out that the “outside community” made up about half of the show audience. “I think it’s great for other people to come onto our campus and experience what we’re all about.”