Ian Shaver
Journalistic Writing
March 1, 2012 Event Coverage

                             By 10:30 p.m. on Friday, February 24, 2012 the crowd of people was already wall to wall struggling not only to get a drink but to keep it in their hands inside of Dantes Bar in Frostburg. The scene would stay this way until the 1:45 a.m. yell of last call when the mass broke apart sweaty from a night of dancing and imbibing. The reason for the crowd being there which according to Bryan Martin of Frostburg, and doorman was estimated at “150 or more people”, was the fourth local appearance of the band Yarn on the first night of their tour scheduled to continue until April 22^nd. The seven dollar cover charge and long lines seemed to have no effect as people continued to pour in making the place swell with energy.

                                      Although the band brought most of the people inside some where there purely due to the size of the event as according to Matt Murray of Frostburg “I have no idea who this band is, I just heard everyone was coming here and that it was New Years even in February”. This sentiment was also expressed by other patrons shying away from the dance floor crowd and retreating to the smoking patio. One conversations occurring was of the band’s name and the difficulty searching for such a band online could cause problems. Others offered alternate synthetic and industrial materials the band could have used for a name such as iron, cotton, velvet, or nylon. However, as midnight came and with everyone sufficiently rid of any inhibitions, the majority of the crowd decided to finally watch the band. All of sudden the dance floor that was introverted for most of the evening, became a movement of converts who all of a sudden loved nothing more than the sound of a mandolin through an amp. Both drinks and some heavier articles of clothing were lost as the band passed the 1 a.m. mark, but the replacements were strangers grabbing each other pulling them into the dance party mass. The final forty minutes of the set was nothing but a swarm of flailing appendages and shouts as the crowds screamed for more. The end of the final song brought on the lights and with it a mass exodus to the bar for one last drink and to decide where the post show festivities would be held. The crowd seemed to be in delirium not really sure of the fact what they heard or if there were even any recognizable songs. According to Molly Green of Cumberland and first time Dantes patron “I had no idea this place even had music, I’m not even really sure I listened to anything but the drum sometimes. I just had a great time getting drunk and dancing”. This sentiment seemed to be shared by everyone whether or not they had appeared at the venue due to the band, or for the sheer size of the crowd in attendance.