Photos by Josh Meltzer | The Roanoke Times

Heather Wells, 17 (from left ); Hannah Boyd, 17; and Chelsea Beavers, 18, all students from Tazewell High School scream as the rock band Skillet takes the stage Saturday night at Winter Jam 2008, a Christian music festival held in Roanoke.

Jonathan Chin of the BMX group Real Encounter does stunts before the start of Winter Jam 2008 at the civic center Saturday night.

John Cooper of the band Skillet sings at Winter Jam 2008 at the Roanoke Civic Center.

Mike Coiner, 22, ambled down Wells Avenue on Saturday with his friend Brad Carter.

In his black hoodie, jeans and low-top Chuck Taylors, the whip-thin Coiner, of Harrisonburg, looked for all the world like he might have been headed somewhere to skate.

Meanwhile Carter, larger, with a full beard and leather jacket, almost seemed like Silent Bob to Carter's Jay. Until they both spoke.

"My two biggest passions in life are Christ and music," Coiner said. "I'm a concert junkie."

They were on their way to the Roanoke Civic Center for Winter Jam 2008, a Christian rock-and-pop-themed music festival whose fans filled up the center's parking lot one full hour before showtime. Dozens of church vans from many parts of Virginia and West Virginia helped fill the lot.

"I believe these musicians ... they're doing God's work," Coiner said as he and Carter and hundreds of other concertgoers filed down Williamson Road toward the event. "Anything you can find in secular music, you can find in Christian music."

Carter, of Lexington, nodded and added, "Except without all the crap."

When they finally got there, they found long rows of people standing at every entrance -- a common sight, they said.

"You just find the shortest line and hope you get a good seat," Carter said.

The concert didn't officially start until 6 p.m., but by 5:30 most seats were filled.

"People here are so much more energetic," said Jessica Tharpe, 15, of Farmville. "We're behind the stage, but we're having a great time."

Within 10 minutes, an announcement went out over the public address system that the head count had reached 9,198.

"That's the legal limit," the announcer declared. "They've just closed the doors."

Organizers believe one of the reasons the Winter Jams are so popular is because there are no tickets. Fans can get in for $10, referred to as a donation or love offering. Attendants at the gates Saturday filled their white buckets with ten spots.

The show's producer, Roy Morgan, said ticketless admission enables organizers "to keep our costs down," and allows them to avoid service charges and fees that usually drive ticket prices up.

"It brings out a lot of people who ordinarily wouldn't come out," Morgan said and added that the donation really is optional. "We don't turn anybody away who doesn't have $10. If they look us in the eye and they honestly don't have it, they're just as welcome as the guy who paid $10."

For that price, fans were treated to seven bands, including Skillet, BarlowGirl and MercyMe, and a BMX demonstration. Concertgoers are also given a venue in which to make a decision to accept Christ.

Eddie Carswell, a member of the band NewSong, told youth pastors and youth leaders at a preconcert gathering that they had 450 such decisions on the first two nights of the tour, in Johnson City and Chattanooga, both in Tennessee, where they had sellout crowds as well.

Despite the numbers and the relative youth of the audience, Saturday's crowds seemed orderly.

T-shirt vendors were able to leave tubs of their wares unattended without worry.

"It's a Christian concert, so that makes a lot of difference," said Jan Johnson of Lynchburg, who volunteered to sell souvenirs.

"It's a good crowd," said Stu Israel, director of Event Staffing Inc., which supervises security for the civic center. "The difficult part is turning people away.

"People were here at 10 o'clock this morning."

Jennifer White of Charlottesville came with her niece but arrived too late to enter. At 7:30, she was still waiting outside.

"It's a glorious thing it's sold out," White said. "But it's a shame for those who didn't get in."

"It's ridiculous," complained Christa Williams, 17, from Goodview. "I have a seat ... and they won't let me in. My whole group is in there. I offered them $20 instead of $10, and they still wouldn't let me in."