Ryan Cabrera appears at the Rock Out Lupus concert sponsored by the Inter-Greek Programming Board, All Campus Programming Board and the Panhellenic Council. TARA RAFTOVICH | DAILY KENT STATER

Credit: John Proppe

Ryan Cabrera played an unplugged acoustic set in front of a sold-out crowd of 1,000 people last night in the Student Center Ballroom. The concert, “Rock Out Lupus,” was an annual benefit to raise lupus awareness.

“I love doing these kinds of shows,” Cabrera told the audience. “I get to play a lot of songs I normally don’t get to play.”

Cabrera played radio songs such as “Shine On” and “Exit to Exit,” as well as live-only songs such as a Paul Simon cover.

During the middle of one song, he also joked about the acoustic setting.

“This is usually the part where the band does something extravagant,” Cabrera said. “But there is no band, so it’s nothing.”

The event, sponsored by the Inter-Greek Programming Board, All Campus Programming Board and the Panhellenic Council, was put together to raise awareness for lupus, an auto-immune disease that can affect various parts of the body.

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Samantha Mittler, former president of the Panhellenic Council, helped organize the concert. She said this was the first time such a big name was attached to the benefit.

“We are very lucky and very fortunate to have him come here, and are very thankful he’s helping us raise awareness,” Mittler said.

Courtney Gumf, vice president of programming for the Inter-Greek Programming Board, also helped organize the event and said getting Cabrera to perform was not a problem.

“He was very cooperative, very willing to help out,” she said.

Mittler stressed that it was necessary to raise awareness about the disease because not many people are educated about it.

“Lupus is a disease that affects more people than we know,” she said. “It’s something that is not very publicized.”

Kent State student Jim Casto, a senior marketing major, also played an acoustic set and opened for Cabrera. He said he was very excited and nervous to do the set because Cabrera was the first national act with whom he’s performed.

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“This is the most people I’ve played for,” said Casto, who added he normally plays for a maximum of 200 people. “It’s a huge opportunity for me.”

Junior C.J. Blaine, an aeronautical studies major, said he thought both Casto and Cabrera played solid sets.

“Casto did just as good as Ryan Cabrera,” he said.

Contact on-campus entertainment reporter Joe Shearer at [email protected].