Live in The Laurel Presents: The Grease Traps
Advertisement
The 2026 Live in The Laurel (LITL) series offers a great season of outstanding locally-based live music and homegrown fun in The Laurel. Each month, explore some rising stars and local favorites as they perform in intimate venues along MacArthur Boulevard in Oakland. New this year, we are excited to debut local youth and student performers who will open every show at 7pm sharp.
The Grease Traps are an 8-piece funk and soul powerhouse based in Oakland, CA. Featuring a well-oiled rhythm section, tight horns, and stirring vocals by that sharp-dressing, all-around fly dude, The Gata, their musical mix of hard-driving funk and lowdown soul is guaranteed to get your head noddin' and cure your dance jones. The rhythm section takes its cues from the soulful sounds of the MG’s, the Meters, the JB’s, and the classic rhythm sections of the Atlantic, Hi and Fame labels. In addition to their original material, the Traps are crate diggers as well, breathing new life into lost grooves culled from rare funk 45’s and obscure oft-sampled records.
They released their debut 45 single on the well-respected funk & soul label, Colemine Records. Their first full-length album, Solid Ground, was recorded all-analog on their trusty Tascam 388 and put out by Italy’s premier soul label, Record Kicks. They have played at numerous CA festivals (Stern Grove, For The Funk Of It, Off The Grid) and some of the greater Bay Area's best venues (The Independent, The Chapel, Moe’s Alley) sharing the stage with touring acts such as the Commodores, Shuggie Otis, Rebirth Brass Band, Monophonics, Neal Francis, Orgone, and Durand Jones among many others.
Visitors are invited to dine at participating restaurant venues during the shows or at one of the many Boulevard restaurants before/after. Stick around to browse boutique shops, catch a yoga class, pamper and glam at a salon, and explore the many public art works and murals. Welcome to The Laurel!
Learn more: LaurelOakland.com
FREE & ALL AGES
The Grease Traps are an 8-piece funk and soul powerhouse based in Oakland, CA. Featuring a well-oiled rhythm section, tight horns, and stirring vocals by that sharp-dressing, all-around fly dude, The Gata, their musical mix of hard-driving funk and lowdown soul is guaranteed to get your head noddin' and cure your dance jones. The rhythm section takes its cues from the soulful sounds of the MG’s, the Meters, the JB’s, and the classic rhythm sections of the Atlantic, Hi and Fame labels. In addition to their original material, the Traps are crate diggers as well, breathing new life into lost grooves culled from rare funk 45’s and obscure oft-sampled records.
They released their debut 45 single on the well-respected funk & soul label, Colemine Records. Their first full-length album, Solid Ground, was recorded all-analog on their trusty Tascam 388 and put out by Italy’s premier soul label, Record Kicks. They have played at numerous CA festivals (Stern Grove, For The Funk Of It, Off The Grid) and some of the greater Bay Area's best venues (The Independent, The Chapel, Moe’s Alley) sharing the stage with touring acts such as the Commodores, Shuggie Otis, Rebirth Brass Band, Monophonics, Neal Francis, Orgone, and Durand Jones among many others.
Visitors are invited to dine at participating restaurant venues during the shows or at one of the many Boulevard restaurants before/after. Stick around to browse boutique shops, catch a yoga class, pamper and glam at a salon, and explore the many public art works and murals. Welcome to The Laurel!
Learn more: LaurelOakland.com
FREE & ALL AGES
Advertisement
Where is it happening?
4251 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland, CA 94619-1907, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherLaurel District Association
