Anyone who has walked past Downing University Center in the last week may have encountered Louisville sophomore Chris Kinney promoting AfterDark.

The free event, tonight at 8 p.m. in Van Meter Hall, is unique because a concert coincides with a speaker, Kinney said.

“It’s a fun night where people can listen to music and message,” he said.

First, musician Dave Barnes will perform, and then motivational speaker Joe White will give a message, Kinney said. White is known for his motivational speeches to pro athletes.

Dave Barnes is a Nashville-based Christian singer and songwriter who has released four albums, most recently last April, according to a cbnmusic.com article. The sound of his music has been described as rock and R&B.

This will be the second time the event has come to WKU, AfterDark President Don Ford said.

Ford said they decided to come to WKU due to the urging of students.

“There were WKU students who knew about the event and was feeling excited about the event, so we decided it would be a good idea to bring it here,” he said.

Kinney said he first heard about AfterDark over the summer and has been working since last semester to bring it here.

He said he thought the event would be “something that would be awesome and impactful.”

Kinney says that although he hasn’t ever been to an AfterDark concert, he has heard rave reviews of the event.

“I’ve seen and spoken to people who’ve been to it on other campuses and they’ve all said it’s been great and mind-blowing,” he said.

Hartford sophomore Dylan Ward has been wearing a lime green AfterDark T-shirt on campus since Thursday to help promote the event.

“If you tell people to come to a free concert, chances are they’re going to get something out of it,” Ward said.

He said he hopes that at least a few people will be inspired by the message of the concert.

Although the concert and speaker will have a Christian message, Kinney said he doesn’t want to give it a label.

“It’s a night for college students,” he said. “It’s designed to be something college students can come to and have a good time.”