There was a lot of excitement prior to the first RivFest on Tuesday at The Riviera Cafe Restaurant and Lounge, 231 M.A.C. Ave.

And when Fritts & Chips, the first performers, kicked into high gear with a beat-box solo of Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot," all hopes were confirmed.

"It went great - there's a buzz around town about it," said Scott Marcou, general manager of The Riv, who added that people have been calling about RivFest and asking to participate next week. "It definitely set a standard - I definitely think each week is going to get better and better. This is a positive thing for The Riv and music."

Each week, local musicians will gather at The Riv for an acoustic battle of the bands. There will be one winner who is eligible to advance to the final battle, scheduled for Aug. 21. Winners are selected by a judging panel with help from the audience, who votes.

Marcou came up with the idea and immediately began talking to Mark Bezdek and Jerome White, of JDLive Shows, and 97.5, Lansing's Hit Music Station, to put the plan into action.

"They are really easy to work with - they're fluent in what they do," Marcou said.

The goal behind the plan is to combine live music and one of East Lansing's most popular bars to encourage local artists and start a cultural movement, keeping music fans interested in local acts.

Tuesday was the first try at the new acoustic festival, and it went off with few problems, setting the benchmark for future shows.

"(Tuesday) certainly set a precedent for RivFest," White said, adding that they have very few things to improve. "We'd like to see capacity crowds and local musicians take an interest, so next time, it will be bigger and better."

Optimism remains high among the founding fathers. Marcou hopes RivFest will remain "good, safe and positive" - making it fun for fans to come back each week.

Trey Scroggin can be reached scroggi3@msu.edu.

Tuesday night's performances

The first performers of RivFest were Fritts & Chips, a college-rock duet of Eric Fritts (guitar, vocals) and Bryce Harding (beat box, keys, congas).

Highlight: Harding's beat box on "Drop It Like It's Hot" and Fritts' great vocals and guitars, demonstrated on "Bubble Toes" by Jack Johnson and "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry.

Low point: Not being able to hear the guitar on a duet version of "Ants Marching," by Dave Matthews Band.

My Overall Rating: 4 stars

THE UKE BROTHERS

The Uke Brothers came on second - a slightly folk, slightly bluegrass, well out of their element, old-time band that still caught the audience's attention with renditions of "Folsom Prison Blues" and "Margaritaville."

Highlight: Audience sing-alongs with the choruses on the aforementioned songs.

Low point: Realizing they stuck out like a sore thumb.

My Overall Rating: 2 stars

SCOTT BARNES

Scott Barnes displayed some of the best talent, along with ingenuity (his use of a harmonizer and loop pedals kept his solo act fresh and interesting).

Highlight: After downing an electric green shot, Barnes played a remix medley of TV theme songs, including "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" and "Saved By The Bell." After all was said and done, a pair of panties were thrown on stage.

Low point: For his finale - while playing guitar and singing - he recorded both, then looped them at a faster speed, distorting the pitch.

My Overall Rating: 3 stars

TOMMY SKLUT

Tommy Sklut had a tough slot to fill playing last - Barnes had wowed the crowd with some great '80s throwback songs, but Sklut remained the closing act for the first RivFest.

Highlight: His first songs transitioned together - O.A.R.'s, "That Was a Crazy Game of Poker" and Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry," among others. This was the No. 1 crowd pleaser.

Low point: His beat box fell short of the benchmark set by Harding.

My Overall Rating: 3 stars