Stern Grove Festival Featuring: The Commodores with The Grease Traps

All Stern Grove Festival concerts are FREE but we require tickets.

-Get tickets 1 month prior to the show date at 2pm

-Limit 4 tickets per reservation

-Children 2 years and up require a ticket

-Eventbrite is the sole ticket provider of Stern Grove Festival and we reserve the right to refuse entry for tickets purchased or aquired through third parties.

If tickets show as sold out, keep checking back often. After the initial release, we secretly and randomly release thousands of tickets leading up to the show date. Keep trying!

Commodores, celebrated for their R&B classics such as "Just to Be Close to You," "Easy," and "Brickhouse," stood as one of Motown's premier bands, boasting a repertoire that included over 50 albums and numerous chart-toppers. Originating from Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, the band emerged from the merging of two disbanded groups, the Mystics and the Jays, initially driven by a desire to play music casually and meet girls. Led by Clyde Orange, the group struggled to settle on a name until fate led them to "Commodores." Their early performances in Alabama garnered local attention before a breakthrough gig at Smalls Paradise in New York City catapulted them into the spotlight, leading to a two-week residency. Their partnership with Motown solidified after an impressive tour opening for The Jackson 5, eventually resulting in a string of hits including the funky "Machine Gun" and the soulful ballad "Just to Be Close to You." Following the departure of Lionel Richie, J.D. Nicholas joined the band, and they achieved their biggest success with the Grammy-winning tribute "Nightshift." Departing from Motown in 1985, the band continued to thrive with Polydor, maintaining a presence in the music industry well into the '90s despite lineup changes.

The Grease Traps are a solid 8-piece funk and soul band based in Oakland, CA. Featuring tight horns and stirring vocals from 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. Over the years, they've played at festivals and clubs all around the SF Bay Area, sharing the stage with acts such as Shuggie Otis, Durand Jones, Monophonics, Robert Walter, Neal Francis, Kendra Morris, and many more. Their first 45 single was released on well-respected funk/soul label, Colemine Records. They released their first full-length LP, Solid Ground, on the Record Kicks label. Their all-analog album was recorded straight to a Tascam 388 8-track recorder between Fifty Filth Studios in Oakland and Transistor Sound in San Rafael. It was mixed by guitarist Kevin O'Dea and Sergio Rios of the funk group, Orgone.

Stern Grove Festival is an annual San Francisco summer tradition spanning 87 years and counting. This free concert series is presented by Stern Grove Festival Association, a non-profit organization whose mission is to make live musical experiences accessible to all. All shows take place at Sigmund Stern Grove, a beautiful outdoor amphitheater located at 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard.

For more information on getting to the Grove, policies, and our VIP picnic tables visit www.sterngrove.org.

Host or Publisher Stern Grove Festival