Every October for the last five years, Dentonites have flocked to Industrial Street and travelled back in time. More specifically, music lovers are invited to revel in the magic of 60s and 70s rock via the Industrial Street Pop Festival, aka Geezerpalooza, a one-day commemoration of the rock and pop that defined an era.

“It’s the kind of music you either grew up listening to, or your parents grew up listening to,” festival director Randy Robinson says. “These songs and this sound have transcended their era, and become part of who we are today.”

The crowd at the Texas International Pop Festival in 1969 - near the current Hebron Station in Lewisville.

The idea for Geezerpalooza came about nearly five years ago, when Robinson and several others got together to pay homage to the kind of music that has rocked Denton and the surrounding area for decades. The first pop festival in DFW – the Texas International Pop Festival – took place less than two months after Woodstock in 1969, and featured many of the same groups (including Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Santana, Sly and the Family Stone, BB King and Grand Funk Railroad). As we get closer to the 50th anniversary of that event, the team behind Geezerpalooza continues to honor the definitive artists of that era.

By bringing in bands that play tribute to the music of Fleetwood Mac and Sly and the Family Stone, Geezerpalooza is able to celebrate the legends of rock, pop and funk, all while introducing these icons to new generations. The event is free, and Robinson says the focus is and always will be on providing a great experience for Dentonites of all ages.

“Our music is all over the board, and we try to bring in as eclectic a bunch as possible,” he says. “But the event is and always will be for families.”

In addition to Mac and Sly, this year’s lineup includes tributes to Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Jimi Hendrix and The Lovin’ Spoonful. Between shows, fans will be able to learn more about the various nonprofits benefiting Denton—including Serve Denton, CASA, the Greater Denton Arts Council and more. All net proceeds from the event go to these nonprofits, and all groups will be accepting donations onsite. The list of groups and vendors continues to grow, but Robinson and his crew have no plans of getting much bigger than they are now.

“We like it the way it is: free, simple and fun.”

Get ready to groove with our 2017 Industrial Street Pop Festival playlist and we'll see y'all in your best duds on Saturday:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYUdo8eCFeyTycXOF-MYAxtb3GvKVvgy9