May 2 Vallejo/Vacaville Arts and Entertainment Source: Fairfield Concert Series brings Bands to Backyards

With destination music festivals on the rise, Jeff Trager is more concerned about bringing music to people’s backyard.

Which is why when Trager booked the lineup for the Fairfield Summer Music Series, he knew they needed to add more venues that were accessible to audiences.

“If they don’t want to go downtown, let’s go out to the parks where there are more homes,” said Trager of Frazier Trager Presents.

That’s exactly what will happen on May 3 when Blues singer Alvon Johnson kicks off the city’s weekly concert series at Ridgeview Park.

In addition to finding new spaces where the community will enjoy gathering, Trager also wanted to bring in new bands. This year, Trager added two rock bands, Pubkats and Wake the Bandits, as well as Mingo Lewis, who notably played drums for Santana.

“I don’t do what CreekWalk does. They bring in the same bands every year,” said Trager. “I think people need to be exposed to new bands.”

One exception to this is bringing back crowd favorites like Papa Joe and the New Deal.

The family band that started in Vallejo 13 years ago is the quintessential neighborhood band. Playing recognizable hits from across the decades, the band ensures that anyone who listens can have a good time.

“If there’s a secret to the band, it’s playing happy music,” said Papa Joe Lucero. “We play things that are going to hopefully make you recall fond memories from the past.”

As for their broad audience appeal, Lucero credits the diverse ages of the band members with helping them touch so many generations. Family-oriented at heart, even the members who aren’t related by blood help add to the strong bond.

“With us, every show is gonna be consistent. We work hard at being as good a band as we can be even though we are doing other people’s music,” said Lucero.

When the band branches out beyond their community, whether it’s their recent show at Blue Note in Napa or a summer concert in Fairfield, Lucero says it’s not intimidating. Partly because they have a consistent performance, and partly because they try to bring their audience with them as much as possible.

When Lucero is getting ready to play a gig, he treats the event like it’s the neighborhood barbecue and invites everyone he knows. “When I go to a new place, my goal is to introduce that new place to everyone on my list,” said Lucero.

“Our goal is to bring you into the show, to make you a part of the show, to make you feel as though you’ve become part of the family,” said Lucero.

Concerts are on Fridays from 6-8 p.m. Locations and artists can be found online at: www.fairfield.ca.gov/our-city/fairfield-summer-music-series