Smith said he began hosting small, intimate concerts in the building about three years ago. Rather than focusing on popular crowd-getters, he promotes the house as a “listening house,” with minimal distractions during an artist’s performance.

The Pumphouse played host to two acoustic bands Sunday night — Traverse City natives, The True Falsettos, and California-duo, Genna and Jesse.

Genna and Jesse’s Genna Giacobassi said for her, a good show is about the venue and the host.

“(This building is) pretty unique,” Giacobassi said. “It’s a good atmosphere. It’s a listening room, and people are here to hear music. Smitty’s set up something really cool here.”

Although Smith said there isn’t much MSU student turnout, Orchard Street Pumphouse has become well-known with neighbors in the area. Since its renovation, it has been used for concerts, parties and weddings.

“It’s well known to people around the Bailey neighborhood, near Burcham and Grand River,” he said. “It’s kind of unique in that it’s free for anybody to use.”

For East Lansing newcomer Monica Marini, the concerts have become a source of music in an unfamiliar place.

“We moved to East Lansing in August — we saw this building one day, and we love it,” Marini said.

Smith said a majority of the acts who perform at Pumphouse identify as folk songwriters.

“It’s not traditional folk,” he said. “It is acoustic … They have Americana roots. It’s based on alternative country, or country like it once was, not like what you hear on the radio.”

For Smith, the house serves a purpose of bringing people together. But for Marini, it’s more than that.

“It’s the best of all worlds,” she said. “The music here is really good, and the people are so down to earth.”