By JORDAN MARSHALL

Staff Writer

The third Cottingham Front Porch Fest on April 15 had all the ingredients for a good time: good food, good music and good people.

Free food and music is always something students can enjoy while getting to know each other, John Lary, coordinator of the Cottingham Front Porch Fest and a junior history major, said.

Lary and his band, Shortbread, thought of the idea for the music fest in December.

"We started the first one because we wanted a place to play that had a laid-back, relaxed atmosphere and that people could come to without paying anything," Lary said.

"There are no pretenses; people can just walk by and hear it," Lary said. "Bands play because they like to play, and this is an opportunity to play to a new crowd and just hang out with some other local musicians."

Lary said students like it because it is free.

"I think students enjoy it because it gives them something to do, and it doesn't cost anything, not even gas," Lary said.

The event kicked off with a barbecue and a volley ball game. When Shortbread, a three-man group, stepped on stage, they had a little trouble starting off, but they recovered and did a great show.

Their original songs had students singing along and bouncing their heads.

Soloist John Patrick Adams, a sophomore photography major, performed a few original songs and popular cover songs on his guitar.

After Adams' performance, Mike Stephens, a Shreveport native, played Raidohead songs and one Beatles song.

"I like playing here because it's laid-back and it's practice for me," Stephens said.

Chris Stoll, a freshman social studies education major, said he enjoyed the show as well as the food, volleyball game and meeting new people.

Stoll said, "You get to be with people that enjoy the same type of music, so everyone really has a good time."