A small light illuminated the doorway as a couple hundred concert-goers wait to enter The Bottleneck.

This night (Monday), The Bottleneck is presenting Sparta, Thursday and the Detachment Kit.

The crowd, which includes a few females but is dominated by males, makes conversation with each other as they kill time until they reach the small light leading them inside.

While some have been to The Bottleneck before, some have not. A few are from Lawrence, but the majority came from outside Lawrence to hear the concert.

“I’m hoping I can get a ticket,” said Casey Loren, 18, who drove from Wichita to hear Thursday play at the all-ages show. “If not, I’m going to have to fight my way in.”

Many young people just like Loren migrate to The Bottleneck because of the shows’ atmosphere.

“It’s a good venue because you can get closer to the stage,” John Smith, 20, Topeka, said. “It doesn’t play huge bands and it offers all-ages shows.”

The fact The Bottleneck showcases smaller, more local bands makes concert-goers jump at the opportunity to listen to music unheard of in the mainstream culture.

Bobby Johnson, 19, Sedalia, Mo., has been attending concerts at The Bottleneck since he was 16 years old. His first concert was Papa Roach before their CD came out.

“It’s (The Bottleneck’s) awesome because you can always come and meet the bands because it’s so small,” Johnson said. “It’s great to come and see bands when they are little.”

For Johnson, attending concerts at The Bottleneck means more than just showing up at the show. It’s also about coming early to take in the other attractions that downtown Lawrence has to offer.

“I come here early so that I can go other places like Kiefs, Let it Ride and Borders,” said Johnson, who’s even spent the night in his car because the wrong date for a concert was announced. “I just like looking at the venues and sight-seeing. I like the town.”

Word of The Bottleneck oftentimes spreads through friends and the flyers that adorn the windows of the venue.

“Some friends came here to see Pedro the Lion and I had heard a lot about it. I heard it was really cool,” said Loren, who made the trip up to Lawrence with his friend, Joe Blahanski, 18. “I had never actually been in Lawrence but it’ cool, and I like the atmosphere here (The Bottleneck).”

The atmosphere that The Bottleneck and the town provides is something that helps attract music fans.

“It’s one of my favorite venues,” Johnson said. “I can’t imagine living here and being able to look on the calendar and see all of the shows that are offered.”

 Kristin Bock is a student at Baker University in Baldwin.