Old Town Lansing’s Octoberfest drew an estimated 20,000 people last year. They came for music, food, beer and just a general good time.
Those who come for the music this year will be there for a long list of local acts. Longtime local favorites 19 Wheels and The Lash will close Friday and Saturday nights, respectively.
National acts Marcy Playground, Joydrop, Citizen King and Jimmie’s Chicken Shack headlined the festival last year.
Bands of that ilk aren’t returning for a reason, according to the Old Town Business and Art Development Association, which organizes the yearly festival.
“The reason we didn’t is because we wanted to focus on the local talent,” said Tracey Maroney, the association’s program director.
The crowd this year may differ because of the different type of bands, but Maroney sees that as a positive thing.
“The biggest thing we’re trying to do is to get people down to Old Town and show them what it’s all about,” she said. “If we get a different crowd that’s good.”
Local act Those Delta Rhythm Kings is making its first appearance at Octoberfest.
“I think the biggest difference this year is this is first time this particular festival has let a blues band in,” said the band’s lead vocalist, Ray Aleshire.
The band is a seven-piece swing band that is also influenced by jump blues, Aleshire said.
“It’s the kind of music that’s been played for 50 years,” he said.
Aleshire said the different crowd will bring in new people who wouldn’t normally see the band.
“It’s probably going to expose us to a different and younger audience than we’ve had in recent years,” Aleshire said.
The new focus on local music definitely benefits the bands, Aleshire said. He said he hopes his band in particular brings in a lot of their fans.
“We’re hoping to attract a lot of swing dancers to this festival,” he said.
19 Wheels went from playing third to last in 1999 to closing Friday night.
The band will be wheeling out its entire new album live, as well as a few older tunes.
Lead singer and guitarist Chris Johnston said he’s looking forward to the performance, especially because of decent weather reports.
“It is hard to play when your hands are cold,” Johnston said. “When your guitar is cold and then you go on and it’s under the lights, it warms up a bit. It throws the tuning off.”
Regardless of the weather, Johnston said he’s looking forward to the Octoberfest audience.
“They’ve always been great,” he said.
The absence of national bands might hurt the crowd’s size, but the evening will be all right, Johnston said.
“I think that there are certain people that come from out of town for the (national) bands,” he said. “It’ll still be a fun time. They’ll still have beer, they’ll still be outside and the weather looks nice. People like stuff like that.”
