The scuffing of boots on hardwood floors and strumming of guitars resonated through The Hat as Manhattan’s country music fans congregated for a night of enjoyment.

Waylon Wyatt, a young and up-and-coming country music artist, performed for a sold-out crowd at The Hat Tuesday night. Manhattan residents ages 18+ walked through the door, looking to enjoy a night of pleasure, including K-State students.

Karson Peter, sophomore in agronomy, is a fan of Waylon Wyatt and said he decided to attend the concert after seeing advertisements via The Hat on social media.

“[I came out] because Waylon Wyatt is the goat and I love live music,” Peter said. “It was so fun to be with my friends.”

Though The Hat is known to elevate artists beginning their music careers, it’s also a pivotal place for students to connect. Taylor Umscheid, junior majoring in integrative human sciences, said she thinks it’s cool to see smaller artists at local venues, and enjoyed being surrounded by familiar faces from campus.

“You’re also surrounded by a lot of your fellow classmates,” Umscheid said. “I met so many people from my major, and I’ve seen so many people from my clubs and everything tonight, so it’s been interesting and fun.”

Returning concertgoers said they find themselves circling back to The Hat for more entertainment.

“I’d love to come back to The Hat,” Dustin Denton, sophomore in animal science, said. “I’d suggest anybody coming.”

Mason Ramsey, known from a viral video of him yodeling “Lovesick Blues” by Hank Williams in a Walmart, opened for Wyatt, starting the night with the right vibes.

“[I was] just hooting and hollering, really dancing,” Peter said. “It was fun.”

No matter whether it was returning students or first-timers, Wildcats made memories and bonded at a country music hub for the Manhattan community.

“I thought that it would be super duper fun,” Umscheid said. “I’ve never been to The Hat before, so I wanted to see what it was like.”