Cover story: By Chad Dally

SunKing, with Pat Zelenka (from left), Ben Lynch and Jeff Bone, performs at Octoberfest at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Street Stage.

Art and music will soon be filling the streets, as the 2001 Octoberfest takes over Old Town this weekend. Organizers are excited about the new direction of the festival, aimed at a more diverse crowd and musical lineup.
Continuing a priority that began last year, the goal of the two-day festival is to give more support and exposure to local bands and businesses. That’s why you may not recognize some of the names on the list of performers. But whatever style of music you prefer, chances are that at least one of the 18 bands that play during festival will suit your musical tastes.

Now in its eighth year, Octoberfest drew an estimated 10,000 people last year, and is organized by the Old Town Business and Art Development Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the arts in the area. Proceeds from the festival benefit the association, which operates the Otherwise Gallery, and hosts poetry readings, musicians, and art exhibitions throughout Old Town.

Terry Terry, member of the association and co-owner of Message Makers, 1217 Turner St., Lansing, has lived in Old Town since 1981—before it was even called by that name. "We started by opening the Otherwise Gallery in ’92, and ran a series of creative forums on what could happen with the area," he said. "Along the way, we realized that music festivals are a great way to promote the area."

If you missed the Weepers' CD release party at the Creole last weekend, catch them at 6 p.m. Friday at the Street Stage

Though attendance at the first Octoberfest was small, the addition of more national acts helped to bring more attention to the festival and the area itself. But while national acts automatically draw more people, the association usually gives preference to local musicians. "Two years ago, we decided to switch the format, and now we’re going for a really eclectic scene. Our orientation is to recognize and promote the talent that we have in this community," Terry said. Bands usually play for free, but when that is not possible, sponsors cover any additional cost involved, including sound equipment, tents, and tables. When asked whether it was simply cheaper to hire local musicians, Terry said that cost is not an issue due to the amount of sponsorship support. Also, a previous sponsor of the Octoberfest, WWDX FM, 92.1 The Edge, worked with the organizers to arrange most of the national acts.

Until 1999, organizers of Octoberfest opted for a more youth-orientated approach in the musical lineup, featuring national acts such as Creed and Seven Mary Three. The music was louder, and the crowds were bigger and noisier, which upset some residents around the Old Town area. Although Terry said that no police complaints were filed at the ’99 festival, there was concern over crowd control and offensive language from some of the bands. He said with so many national acts, a larger venue than the streets of Old Town would allow the festival to be managed better. "The intention was always to promote Old Town and be a fund-raiser for our organization, and that’s really where the focus needed to be," Terry said.

Harold Leeman, councilman of the Old Town area for six years, said that the concern over noise is something that the festival committee has worked on. "You always have an issue about too much noise as the night goes on, but I think people are getting used to all of the activity," Leeman said. "I know that Terry and the others have tried to critique the festivals each year and make them a little better. Usually these festivals are on a weekend, and as long as we get local traffic moving, it’s not a problem."

Catch the Celtic sounds of The Lash when the band takes the Street Stage at 10:30 p.m. Saturday.

One difference in the restructuring of the festival is that the organizers are bringing the stages back to the street. The 2000 Octoberfest was held in a parking lot on the corner of Turner Street and Grand River Avenue in Old Town. This year, one stage is located in the middle of Turner Street just north of Grand River while the second stage has been moved inside of the beer tent in case of rain. "People love the streets. We felt that moving one of the stages adds a lot the atmosphere of the festival," said Jennifer Ryan, assistant festival coordinator for Octoberfest. "As far as the music is concerned, we ask the bands to play as much original material as they can. So between the location of Old Town and the new, creative local music on the stages, it really creates a unique environment for people to experience."

In their attempts to develop and promote Old Town, the association has fought with different stigmas attached to the area. "When I moved here in 1981, I was picking winos up off the street and helping them into their apartment," said Terry. "It was a ghost town, but it was never unsafe." The festivals give the association the opportunity to bring people into Old Town and show them that not only is it safe, but entertaining as well.

"My initial thoughts on Old Town was that it was boring and dangerous, until I actually came down here was for last year’s Jazz festival," said Jerry Crandell, who is also in his first year with the Old Town Business and Art Development Association. "I was not aware, and I don’t think many people in the city were aware, that these art galleries and other shops existed down here until they see for themselves." Crandell also said that this event gives people a chance to come together and relax, something that carries extra significance in light of the attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. "I really think that music is therapeutic. No one can forget what has happened, but we are trying to get back to normal, and I definitely think this helps," he said.

What makes Octoberfest such a community event is that, from the sponsors to organizers and volunteers, so many different groups are involved in putting on this festival and others in the area. For the first time, Michigan State University’s student radio station, 88.9 FM (WDBM) The Impact, is working together with the organizers and promoting the event heavily. Although the station will not air live performances, they will broadcast from the festival both days and feature interviews with some of the bands scheduled.

Gary Reed, station manager of WDBM, said the partnership between the radio station and the festival is a natural one. "We’re always interested in the local music scene and providing an outlet for bands in this area to showcase their music. So besides helping a festival like this that benefits the entire area, our involvement is ideal for our target audience as well," said Reed.

He agrees that the Octoberfest gives the performers a great chance to play their music to a wider range of people. "The challenge for musicians around here is to get past the smaller venues. If a band only plays at bars in the area, the crowds will be smaller and only the people that go to those bars will hear the music. With this event, the bands have a chance to get outside of their comfort zone and play to a bigger audience," he said.

Also involved in the publicity for Octoberfest is Group 230, 117 E. Grand River Ave., a graphic arts company located in Old Town. Fran Russell of Group 230, in her first year as a member of the Old Town Business and Art Development Association, said she is surprised at how much group effort is involved in the festival.

LCC art instructor Brian Bishop collaborated with Group 230 to create the official poster. "We have printers and paper companies that donate their time and supplies, as well as all of the work by the volunteers," Russell said. "As a spectator at the previous festivals, I didn’t realize how much work went into staging an event like this, which I guess means that they were well-run." Russell specifically mentioned all of the work done by volunteers to keep the festival running smoothly.

"The most difficult part of working with the volunteers is all of the follow-up that is needed. We get lists of the volunteers from the other festivals in the area and sign up as many as we can—you can never have too many," said Jennifer Ryan. No matter which organizer you talk to, all of them will tell you that the hundreds of volunteers are a vital part of the Octoberfest.

"We need volunteers to help put on these events, and they tend to be older and may not be into the music as much," said Terry Terry. "In the past, let’s just say that the kids didn’t always show their appreciation for what was provided. Consequently, volunteers would ask themselves ‘Why am I doing this?’" Part of the solution to that problem, said Terry, is the shift in musical format for the festival. "We wanted it to be more attractive to more people, and that includes the people who work on it," he said.
Barb Morris has lived in Lansing since the ‘70s and been involved with the Old Town Business and Art Development Association since its conception. She has worked for different galleries around Lansing, including the 1984 and Two Doors Down galleries, respectively, and recently resigned from the Otherwise Gallery after nine years of work. "The first Octoberfest placed more emphasis on art, and I’d like to see that in the future. I think the artists need to be a bigger part of these events, besides keeping the galleries open during the hours of the festival. But there’s still a good balance," she said.

One group that has seen both ends of the festival spectrum is The Weepers, who last played at the 1999 Octoberfest. Drew Howard, a member of the group, said that he is impressed with the work done by the Old Town Business and Art Development Association. "The people that put on these festivals and all of the other things that happen around here deserve so much credit. They do more in this area than some entire cities. Usually you would associate events and culture like this with a university town."

Octoberfest is free to the public, and donations will be accepted to help cover the costs of the festival. The music will run from 5 p.m. to midnight on Friday, and 2 p.m. until about 1 a.m. on Saturday.