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HOUGHTON - College students migrated toward a campus building this weekend. They went not for a weekend study session, but for a lesson in music.

The third annual Keweenawesomefest was held Friday and Saturday at Michigan Technological University's McArdle Theatre and featured 14 up-and-coming musical acts from across the Midwest. Put on by Tech's student-run radio station, WMTU, the concerts drew approximately 250 music lovers each night.

The station staff spent the last several months booking the bands for what is the their biggest event of the year, said general manager and Tech junior Dan Haefs. The concerts started at 6 p.m. each night and lasted until midnight, with a majority of the audience opting to stay the whole time.

"It's a lot of bands that no one really knows, but they're good," Haefs said. "So it's kind of like they don't know what they'll miss or what they can miss, so they don't come just to see one particular band."

Saturday night's show was opened by The Chanteymen, an indie folk band from Marquette. Some audience members opted for sitting, while others stood in front of the stage, bobbing their heads to the calm beats.

"Cold's still cold, no matter where you go," sang the band, with different members joining in with each repetition.

At the end of their set, the band members left the stage one by one, each going out different doors of the room.

Tech freshman Allyce Gilligan said she enjoyed The Chanteymen's music and planned to stay the whole night, as she had done the previous one.

"After last night's after affairs, it's a good opening," she said. "It had a good feel, good mood to it, a good mellow band to start off."

Tech alum Stuart Kramer said he came to the first Fest and was back for his second.

"I came because I have come to Keweenawesomefest before and it's bands that are mostly new to me and it's a nice time," he said. "Tonight I'm looking forward to the Pale Young Gentlemen, it will be a good, upbeat finish to the festival."

The second set was from a man who called himself Compartment. He played with a sound board for several minutes before singing and playing his guitar while a trickling water-like sound played in the background.

"So I'm from Ann Arbor," he said after he finished his first song.

"Yeah!" yelled someone from the audience.

"That's funny to get a yeah for being from somewhere," he said, before launching into his second piece.

For Compartment's "ambient electronic" songs, as WMTU staff member Russ Johnson called it, many of the audience members sat down on the floor, some laying, perhaps saving their energy for the long night of music ahead.

Layla Aslani can be reached at laslani @mininggazette.com.