Party at the pier

This story was featured in the April 2023 edition of Sandusky Living magazine. If you're interested in purchasing a copy, call the Register at 419-502-2130 while supplies last. One sign of a thriving city is a vibrant arts and entertainment scene. A key component of that scene is live entertainment — something Sandusky has in spades. As summer approaches, Sanduskians and visitors alike will have many opportunities to enjoy live entertainment. Bars and restaurants such as Barrel House Saloon, J Bistro, Barra and many others host bands and solo musicians. Sandusky also has two venues whose principal business is music: Strum Around and HALO Live. Ohio Bike Week — returning to Sandusky on May 26 through June 4 — is known for its bevy of live music performances as well as for attracting national touring acts. In 2022, bike week's headline acts included Jackyl, Lita Ford, Mark Farner's American Band, Molly Hatchet and Slaughter. Parties at the pier Jackson Street Pier has quickly become a hot spot for live entertainment throughout the warmer months. It's a marquee venue for concerts for both the Party at the Pier and Lange Trust Summer Series. What used to be primarily an empty parking lot, the pier's revamp and revitalization now provides a relaxing and visually pleasing event space. The gradually sloping lawn allows for grandstand-style seating with people further north being slightly above those in front of them. Both the Lange Trust and Party at the Pier concerts featured free admission. Party at the Pier concerts last year included the Menus, Red Corvette (a Prince tribute), Sugarhill Gang and Rumours (a Fleetwood Mac tribute band.) Memorably, Party at the Pier brought together two singing talents from the area who appeared on television music competition shows. Crystal Bowersox, who came in second place in the ninth season of "American Idol," and Emily Keener who made it to the top 12 on "The Voice" performed a night of acoustic music in August. The Lange Trust presented: the Drifters, the Boy Band Review, Mojo and the Bayou Gypsies and Bruce in the USA (a Bruce Springsteen tribute band.) All of the concerts were well-attended, with Rumours attracting at least 700 people. We asked Sarah Prout, chairman of the Lange Trust, about the success of the summer concert series. Q: How satisfied are you with the attendance of the 2022 concerts? SP: The Lange Trust committee has appreciated partnering with the city for these concerts. The city has been most dependable and responsible to make sure that our community is enjoying the best possible with these free events for our residents. Q: How excited are you for 2023's concerts? SP: We are working on the contracts now for the summer, and I don't think they will disappoint. They are true Lange Trust-type events — diverse, eclectic and with touches of different cultures. Q: How many concerts will there be this year? SP: The Lange Trust will sponsor four concerts again this summer — June 19, July 28, Aug. 10 and Sept. 8. Q: Would it be possible to have these concerts at a different venue in Sandusky if Jackson Street Pier had not been redeveloped? SP: With the collapse of the (Sandusky) State Theatre auditorium, the Lange committee is thankful to have such a nice facility as the Jackson Street Pier to present our events. By partnering with the city, we are able to present twice the events that we could otherwise. Q: What was the inspiration to start hosting these concerts? SP: After COVID and because of the elimination of the availability of the state theater and because the pier was newly renovated, the timing was right to offer our free, outdoor and family-friendly concerts to our Erie County residents.