Dock Stock brings live music to Langley Marina

By Kyle Jensen • August 16, 2017 10:00 am

The Langley marina might not be the first place one would expect to find live music.

However, a two day music festival and party on the water will consume the facility this weekend for the 2017 edition of Dock Stock.

“Dock Stock began as a way to thank the boaters who come throughout the year to support the harbor and the Port of South Whidbey,” Harbormaster Duncan McPhee said. “Everybody loves live music, so the old harbormaster Rick Brewer had the idea of filling the harbor full of boats and having a little party on the water.”

This year’s Dock Stock will fill the Langley Marina with tunes and friendly vibes this Friday and Saturday evening. The live music will kick off from D dock at 5 p.m. on both days, with bands playing until 9:30 p.m. on Friday and 10 p.m. Saturday. Opening the festival up on Friday is local rock group The Sam Cobra Band, while a blend of blues, R&B and dance tunes from The Steve Trembley Band will close out the night. On Saturday, Kevin Jones Band will kick things off with “roots rock,” followed by Johnny Cash tribute band The Folsoms. Whidbey Island-based blues rock band Janie Cribbs and the T. Rust Band wrap up the festival.

In addition to the live music, Dock Stock organizers will host the annual “friendliest catch crab cook-off” Saturday afternoon. Participants can enter crab dishes into four categories: soups and chowders, crab cakes, dips and spreads and specialty dishes. Crabbers must enter their dishes by 12:25 p.m. at the latest, as the judging will commence at 12:30 p.m. After awards are handed out in the categories, the general public can nibble on the entries.

According to McPhee, Dock Stock is a party that continues to grow in size. It originally was only intended for boaters, and was hardly advertised in its early days.

“After several years, we wanted to expand it to have two nights of music, so we teamed up with local sound engineer David Malony to make that possible,” McPhee said. “As people from South Whidbey started to find out about Dock Stock, the crowds and partnerships continued to grow.”

The Langley Chamber of Commerce is one of those partnerships that has taken Dock Stock to the next level. The chamber has advertised the event as one of Langley’s main summer celebrations after the loss of Choochokam. In order to make room for the additional foot traffic, the chamber designed a beer and wine garden at the marina, which allows guests who don’t arrive by boat. Double Bluff Brewing Company will supply specialty beers on tap, and the Holmes Harbor Rod and Gun Club will be serving food to patrons.

The goal, according to chamber Executive Director Igne Morascini, is to amplify the festival while supporting local businesses. But for those who enjoy music on the water, it’s a party not to be missed.

“It’s a great little event that’s growing in size, and everybody is starting to get involved,” Malony said. “What I find fun about it is the musicians come in on a boat as well, they sit out there and party, go up and perform and then go back to their boats to party some more.”