Crowd

DAR Constitution Hall This National Historic Landmark, owned by the Daughters of the American Revolution, is a beautiful indoor space for a concert. Where -- 1776 D St. N.W. in Washington. Call -- 202-628-1776 Web site -- dar.org/conthall Notable -- With high, painted ceilings and seating for 3,702, this midsize venue is a great place to catch a host of events, which have ranged from speeches by the Dalai Lama and Art Buchwald to performances by Bruce Springsteen and the New York Philharmonic.

An infrequent visitor to Annapolis, strolling past the storefronts of downtown yesterday, wouldn't have noticed. The stench of exhaust and the low roar of midday traffic had been replaced by unfamiliar sounds and smells - the odor of fresh pine boughs wrapped around lampposts and of fabric softener from the vent of a hot clothes dryer. Only the tinkle of an unseen wind chime or the drone of an occasional passing car broke the eerie near-silence. The Middle East peace conference at the U.S. Naval Academy, which drew delegates from 50 countries and organizations and hundreds of journalists and protesters to Annapolis, had driven away just about everyone else.

Kisling's Tavern and Grill Known for its meaty buffalo wings and fairly cheap beer, Kisling's is a pretension-free watering hole. Where -- 2100 Fleet St. Call -- 410-327-5477 Notable -- Old trophies help decorate the place, which has two levels. The pool tables upstairs are occasionally converted to flip cup tables by the Baltimore Sports and Social Club. Vibe -- The owners subscribe to the "wipe, don't scrub" theory of bar maintenance. Kisling's is not the newest or nicest place in the neighborhood, but that's part of its charm.

A diverse crowd of several hundred students gathered last night in College Park to express still-raw emotions after the discovery last week of a noose hanging on the campus of the state's flagship public college. "We reject intolerance," said Barrie Adleberg, 21, a senior majoring in African-American and Jewish studies. "Instead of empowering the complacent attitude that racism will exist, we unite as a united voice of resistance." Police are looking for whoever dangled a 3-foot rope with a small loop at its end from a tree outside a campus cultural center that is home to several black organizations.

Venue Where -- 1027 Light St. Call -- 410-244-8445 Notable -- A huge flat-screen TV plays Middle Eastern pop music videos, dozens of board games sit on a shelf near the back. The place is BYOB (for a fee), and stays open until 4 a.m. some Friday and Saturday nights, depending on the crowd. Vibe -- Probably what hookah bars look like in Egypt: metal chairs, simple tables, some hieroglyphics. Crowd -- Everyone from late teenagers to 50-somethings smoke and sip tea late night. What to wear -- Something comfortable.

Friends can be either a launching pad or rip cord for a night out in Fells Point. If it's early, you can go there to have a couple of beers and warm up for the bigger, crazier bars like Max's Taphouse, Leadbetter's or downstairs at the Waterfront Hotel. Or, if you're exhausted from a night of loud noise and big crowds, you can head to Friends to cool down. Though decent-sized, Friends is an intimate place with a friendly, interesting crowd. It's refreshing to find a bar just off Broadway where the Friday-night focus is conversation and good beer.

Duda's Tavern The difference between Duda's and the average corner bar is a great menu, more beers on tap and better service. Plus, the place is kept clean. Where -- 1600 Thames St. Call -- 410-276-9719 Notable -- Patrons with the munchies can dig into a large plastic container of hard pretzels on the bar. Vibe -- This place is nothing fancy, but you can get beer in large glass mugs and tasty food at decent prices. Crowd -- Mostly folks from the neighborhood, though on weekends, Duda's gets more random walk-ins.

1919 In some ways, this quintessential Baltimore watering hole is a magnet for quirky decorations and unpretentious regulars. Where -- 1919 Fleet St. Call -- 410-276-9484 Notable -- 1919's decor must have been decades in the making. Bull skulls, small toys. You could spend a whole night looking around and still not catch every little artifact Vibe -- This is not the place to order fancy mixed drinks. The martini glasses are dusty and probably haven't been used in some time. Stick with beer and liquor.

Capital City Brewing Company With a number of great beers brewed in-house, this bar is one of the better Inner Harbor drinking destinations. Where -- Light Street Pavilion, 301 S. Light St. Call -- 410-539-PINT Web site -- capcitybrew.com Notable -- You pass by the giant vats where they make their house beers as you walk in. There's seating inside and out and a large round bar in the middle of the place. Vibe -- A little looser and more laid back than most Harborplace bars and eateries.

Chesapeake Wine Co. It's rare to come across a well-stocked wine, beer and liquor store with a bar and seating area. The Chesapeake Wine Co.'s friendly, well-schooled staff can help you find the right bottle or pour you a glass while you browse. Where -- The Can Company, 2400 Boston St. No. 112 Call -- 410-522-4556 Web site -- chesapeake wine.com Notable -- Earlier this week, there were about 25 wines, even more cocktails and some finger food on the bar menu. Vibe -- The exposed beams give a worn but clean feel.

The first ever mixed martial arts bout in Maryland began Saturday night with a roar from the crowd and a flying kick to the chest. The kick was delivered by Steven Baker, a 145-pound fighter from Wilmington, Del., and it was witnessed by more than 5,000 people at 1st Mariner Arena. They snarled with appreciation, many of them having waited hours, and in some respects years, for this moment. And while Baker ultimately wasn't successful - he tapped out just 1 minute, 45 seconds into the bout when his opponent, Jim Hettes from Scranton, Pa., got him in a choke hold - the first MMA event in Maryland did seem like a success.

Maybe Mother Nature didn't want Matt Wieters to get a big head. The stage was set for him to make his major league debut Friday in front of a big, happy crowd on a combined $6 college special and Fireworks Night at Camden Yards. The Orioles had the whole thing planned to perfection, right down to the four-game winning streak that perked up the fan base in advance of the arrival of the team's most celebrated minor league prospect in a generation. The heavens, however, couldn't wait. The clouds opened late Friday afternoon and drenched the ballpark, forcing the cancellation of batting practice, delaying the start of the game and - for a while - dampening the big walk-up crowd the club was anticipating after making the surprise announcement Tuesday night that Wieters was headed here from Triple-A Norfolk to join a team that has gotten younger just about every day this week.

Patches of grass went unclaimed in the vast infield and fewer broad-brimmed hats floated atop women's heads on Saturday as droves of fans steered clear of Pimlico Race Course and its new policy banning bring-your-own alcohol. The smallest crowd in more than a quarter-century was drawn to the Preakness Stakes, officials acknowledged, while those savoring the 134th running of the race watched an impressive victory by the first filly to seize the second Triple Crown leg in 85 years. Organizers had hoped to compensate for the alcohol change by adding a rock concert, beach volleyball and a bikini contest, and by dispensing $1 cups of beer during the morning.

So much tea, so little hot water. No, it was a cold rain that soaked the tea bags decorating various umbrellas and handmade signs Wednesday on Annapolis City Dock, one of hundreds of rallies held across the country to protest ... well, it's a pretty long and not entirely agreed-upon list. Taxes, first and foremost, given that this was April 15, the day income taxes were due. President Barack Obama, for another, even though the legislation he signed in February will reduce taxes for most Americans, at least in the short term.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski on the Maryland crowd Wednesday night: "The crowd was great. You could see the union of the crowd and the team together." ( For more, go to baltimoresun.com/terpsblog)

Early in the the first set of the 23rd PNC Tennis Classic last night, the sport's megastar, Serena Williams, had a ball bounce off her head from a ricochet off the baseline wall. The world's No. 1 player flashed a smile after briefly feigning dizziness, and the fans laughed with her. It was that kind of night at 1st Mariner Arena, with Williams and her opponent, Elena Dementieva, putting on a polite exhibition for an adoring crowd that welcomed the opportunity to be in the presence of a superstar while at the same time contributing to a worthy cause.

Faith leaders stood before the Harford County Courthouse in Bel Air and prayed for peace on the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks in the United States. Taking inspiration from the Old Testament passage to "call a sacred assembly and cry out to the Lord," pastors of various denominations led a crowd of about 100 in petitions for the nation, its leaders and its citizens. "We need God to restore unto us what was lost on Sept. 11th," said Pastor Cliff Ramsundar of New Covenant Church of God in Bel Air. Minister Horace Tittle, of the Evangelistic Church of Deliverance in Havre de Grace, said the event was part of the national Cry Out America Program.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - With soft rebukes of his opponent and his own party - and harsh words for the culture of Washington - Sen. John McCain claimed the Republican presidential nomination last night and promised that "change is coming" after eight years of the Bush Administration. The address was much like the candidate: forceful and blunt-spoken, with little of Obama's lyricism. McCain filled it with biography and calls for bipartisanship, hammering his convention theme of "country first" and jabbing Obama.

Monday evenings under the golden arches of a McDonald's in Pikesville, a troupe of tie-and-jacketed crooners entertains a sitting-room-only crowd of aging, adoring fans. Headlined by Gary "The Singing Stockbroker" Richman, gentlemen and ladies take turns singing tunes from Sinatra to ... Sinatra. Diners sing or toe tap along, very slow dance in the aisle, or quietly sip their McDonald's coffee and nibble their grilled chicken sandwich. They come at 5:30 p.m. every Monday for dinner and a show.

ACCOKEEK -- An audience lined a flat and straight stretch of rural highway in the middle of the night to watch what many here say is a recurring show of speed and thunderous noise. The drivers spun their wheels, throwing smoke and warming the tires for the contest to come. At some point, the spectators stepped into the road. And, police later said, a Ford Crown Victoria not involved in the illegal street race drove into the blinding haze, straight into the crowd. Eight people were killed and at least five injured in the accident, which occurred about 3 a.m. yesterday near an unlighted intersection on Route 210 - also known as Indian Head Highway - in southern Prince George's County.