Average White Band, Commodores, Lenny Williams, Heatwave: at first glance, the lineup for the fourth annual Mare Island Dock of Bay Festival speaks for itself, featuring artists who have helped define the funk genre.
But the names of celebrities and the audiences they attract only tell part of the story.
Following last year’s success, which saw attendance numbers soar from 1,500 to 4,500, the Mare Island Dock of the Bay Festival is one of the music events helping to re-establish Vallejo as a vibrant music hotspot.
“It’s a success story,” says Jeff Trager, one half of the duo Fraser Trager Presents. The Vallejo-based promoter has been organizing concerts like Dock of the Bay for decades, growing it from an idea into an annual event. Trager was in the industry with Bill Graham around the time of the Day on the Green event. “We sold out two shows, and 50,000 people came,” he said of the massive Bay Area festival.
Vallejo’s numbers pale in comparison, but it’s not for a lack of artists.
“Vallejo has a great music history, and we’re the only one doing something about it right now,” Trager said, adding that diversity makes that possible: “If there are more places to go, people will go there.”
Before venues, artists and audiences can establish it as a destination, promoters like Trager and his partner, Kevin Frazier, are busy unearthing and promoting Vallejo’s music. It’s a discovery job. Trager says there’s been a musical renaissance in Vallejo over the last five to 10 years.
Crowds lined up in front of the Mare Island Coal Shed during last year’s Mare Island Dock of the Bay Festival (Photo courtesy of Fraser Trager Presents)
“We know from history that Vallejo has always been a hotbed of music, with groups like E-40 and Sly and the Family Stone coming on the scene and completely breaking barriers,” Trager said, “and then, of course, the unparalleled success of Gabi Wilson and H.E.R.”
“There’s always been talented musicians, maybe there just weren’t enough venues,” Trager said. “This (Dock of the Bay Festival) shows what’s possible in Vallejo. The festival never went away, it just took a break.”
By taking advantage of Mare Island’s outdoor space with views of the Napa River, events like Dock of the Bay are able to host audiences as large as the featured artists and the city deserve.
“It’s really important for Vallejo to have a place like this,” Trager said, pointing to Vino Godfather and Bambino’s as other popular spots in the city, despite having much smaller capacity.
The annual funk festival is another moment in Vallejo’s larger trajectory for Traeger as he searches for a bigger venue, but the lineup represents a niche genre he hopes will continue to draw fans.
“We’re so successful because of the older African-American community. They’re not listening to young people’s music, they’re listening to this music that’s nostalgic for them,” Trager said, referring to popular artists such as Lenny Williams and Heatwave.
Trager isn’t discounting young rappers like LaRussell, he’s just waiting for the right time. “It’s a funny dynamic,” he says. “When the time is right, I want to do something for everybody.”
“San Francisco is famous, Los Angeles is famous, New York is famous. I don’t think people realize that there’s a lot going on in Vallejo. You hear negative things that have nothing to do with it,” Trager says. “Vallejo has always been associated with music. Vallejo is basically a mirror of San Francisco, only smaller.”
IF YOU GO:
What: Mare Island Dock of the Bay Festival When: Sept. 7, 1 p.m. Where: 860 Nimitz Ave., Vallejo Tickets: GA $120 – VIP $187, purchase online at ftpresents.com
First published: August 20, 2024, 6:50 PM