HANOVER, Pa. (AP) - Teenagers begin piling out of packed vehicles in front of Freedom Valley Worship Center in south Hanover twice a month around six in the evening.
Many wear rock T-shirts and jeans, while others sport mohawks and piercings. Some sport dyed hair, others don chain wallets.
Inside, under dim lights, groups of teens huddle in booths. When friends and newcomers arrive, they get caught up in a swarm of hugs and handshakes.
Since this fall, live music lovers have flocked to Freedom Valley for its biweekly transformation into "The Bombshelter," Hanover's newest concert venue.
Bombshelter events feature Christian hardcore bands, independent groups, acoustic artists, open mic nights and other happenings. Some of the acts are Christian, but not all.
Christian hardcore is a genre of rock music that has taken off in the Hanover area in recent years. However, music fans shouldn't be fooled by the "Christian" label.
Bands don't sit on stage and belt out the same traditional "Christian rock" songs sometimes heard on mainstream radio stations. Often, the lyrics are inaudible because they are screamed into the microphone.
And while traditional Christian bands often deliver their songs in a slower, more relaxed fashion, Christian hardcore maintains a frenzied pace.
"We want to steer away from that cookie-cutter mentality of what a Christian is, of what a Christian band is, of what Christian music is, that whole scene," said Bombshelter co-organizer A.J. Hood.
The 19-year-old Gettysburg resident, along with Anna Crago, 20, of Gardners, and Jake Kern, 18, of Fairfield, run Bombshelter events.
While a line of music fans worked its way through the hallway fora Christian hardcore show Jan. 12, the trio stayed busy giving bands directions, working out last-minute technical issues and talking with friends.
Then, when the house lights went down and the stage lights went up, Another Empty Promise , a Christian hardcore band based out of Hanover , hit the stage with a barrage of screams, cymbal crashes and guitar solos.
Christian hardcore artists say their songs address the same issues as other Christian bands, only their message is delivered in a much different manner.
"As musicians we strive to do our best," said Michael Carr, 27, bass guitar player for Christian hardcore band of Beauty. "Growing up, kids hear bands that are Christian and aren't necessarily talented. As Christians, you have to take it a step farther to break that stigma."
And Freedom Valley , an Assemblies of God church , is often the place where that stigma is broken. The same room that usually holds about 90 churchgoers during Sunday morning services is turned into a completely different environment when The Bombshelter fills up.
It's Christian rock venue, but that's not to say The Bombshelter doesn't have its share of problems.
On the night of Jan. 12, two males had to be separated before a fight. For that reason, organizers have security on hand.
Hood said the flare-up on Jan. 12 was the closest they have come to having an "incident."
"Really, they're good," Hood said of the crowd. "When we ask them to calm down, they calm down. At venues with non-Christian bands, it seems like the crowd sometimes is so aggressive. If somebody gets knocked down, they're down."
Although "moshing" and hardcore dancing is common at many Christian hardcore shows, not everybody participates. In fact, most people do their best to distance themselves from the tornado of fists and feet.
Some people watch the stage, while others concentrate on not catching a stray elbow.
Brandon Hayslette, singer for Cease The White Horse, reminded fans between songs that the music is about faith and urges them to respect each other.
The 16-year-old Hanover resident then paused and took a quick scan of the crowd.
"But go crazy," he said.
Organizers understand that not all Bombshelter patrons are active Christians. So they try not to force religion down patrons' throats.
Aside from a few wall posters, the venue doesn't have much religious iconography.
A black sheet hangs behind the bands, and the event sometimes features acts who aren't much different than those found at a non-Christian rock show. Patrons pay to get in, then go crazy as hardcore rock is spewed from speakers on stage.
But Bombshelter Community shows are a different animal altogether.
Admission is free and patrons share a community meal. And concertgoers get to have a question-and-answer session with one of the bands in attendance.
Before Cease The White Horse went on stage for the Bombshelter Community show, they sat in a semicircle with organizers and their peers.
The meeting gave crowd members a chance to ask the band questions about their faith. This meeting time serves as a way for bands to bond with their followers.
"We play music to serve Jesus Christ," Hayslette said. "That is our main passion."
The Bombshelter has been in existence for about seven years. Shows were initially held at Freedom Valley's Gettysburg branch, or at Goodwill Fire Co. of Grangeville on McAllister Street in Hanover, organizers said.
But when Freedom Valley moved into a former restaurant last spring, Bombshelter organizers realized they had another venue to hold shows.
The remnants of the restaurant add to the building's charm. Aside from the bright green booths and kitchen equipment, music fans dance on the same carpet that restaurant patrons once spilled drinks on. The venue also has separate rooms for bands to leave their equipment, something organizers say they didn't have in the past.
"We wanted to make it inviting to everyone, so this building seems to be pretty good for that," Crago said. "It's not so traditional. When we had it back in (Freedom Valley, Gettysburg), it was the struggle of having it in the sanctuary which was huge and very open. Even when you had a crowd of 200 people in there it seemed so open and we wanted it to be more intimate."
The Bombshelter has come a long way since Josiah Wilson and Jason Fitch founded the program.
Initially, The Bombshelter was seen as a way for local bands to get playing time after a Gettysburg venue dubbed "The Door," shut down, Wilson said.
"We wanted somewhere else where kids can hang out," Wilson said. "There wasn't any other place."
And parishioners don't seem to have a problem with rock shows being held in their place of worship, said site Pastor Marvin Stanley. In fact, Stanley said his congregation has grown accustomed to the Bombshelter.
"It's their way of expressing their music," Stanley said. "Is it my style? No. Is it my preference in music? No. But as long as it's done without people getting hurt and without defaming Christ, you do what you need to do to give the kids a way to express themselves."
Nyles Copenheaver, 16, of Spring Grove, began coming to the Bombshelter because he enjoys hardcore music and dancing. The Bombshelter's relaxed approach to running things is what has kept Copenheaver and others coming back.
"I like how bands try to get their point across but don't force (religion) down people's throats," he said.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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