Huge crowd for the Ales and Trails last night -- too huge. The noise drowned out the music, and you needed a couple of linemen to clear a path to the beer. The Caledonian Pipes and Drums worked out their own solution: The band elbowed its way onto the dance floor and blasted conversationalists into submission. Bagpipes have their limitations (as far as I can tell, the entire genre consists of two tunes: "Amazing Grace" and something that isn't) but this is music that was specifically designed to quiet unruly crowds, and nothing works better.