The inaugural Lockn' festival is a jam-band fan's mecca—the ultimate gathering of the best improvisational bands from every corner of the country. You have Furthur representing the West Coast, String Cheese Incident bringing their Colorado style, Widespread Panic from south of the Mason-Dixie line, and Trey Anastasio traveling from the northern East Coast. In TCP's opinion, this 'interlocking music festival' is shaping up to be the best party of the summer—the musical highlight of an already epic year.
Lockn' takes place from September 5-8 at the Oak Ridge Farm in Arrington, Virginia. Nestled deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lock'n is an 8 hour drive from Toledo, but it is a beautiful drive through one of the most scenic parts of the country. Festival organizers Dave Frey and Pete Shapiro shopped for locations around the U.S.—New York, California, North Carolina—before deciding on Virginia because of its 'intimate setting'. The festival's two stages stand side by side and will have interlocking performances all weekend—as soon as one band stops, the band on the opposite stage will begin.
The potential for artist collaborations is sky high and the possibilities are endless—Derek Trucks could play with Widespread Panic, Trey might jam with Furthur, and Warren Haynes will probably play with everybody. The organizers have stated that they want the musicians to take chances and remain locked in with each other and the audience all weekend.
Organizers expect 30,000 people to show up for the four-day music festival, which puts Lockn' at about the same size as All Good here in Ohio or Electric Forest up in Michigan. This is the perfect size for a festival—large enough to create the energy of a big concert without becoming a mega-festival like Bonnaroo.
In addition to the music, the festival will also have plenty of local craft beer, food, and multiple camping options for attendees. Make sure you purchase either a car camping pass or tent camping pass—unlike other festivals, you need to have one before you arrive.
Tickets for Lockn' are currently $285, but they are also offering single day tickets in advance at $99 for Thursday and Sunday and $119 for Friday & Saturday. College students under 25 who have a valid student ID can purchase a ticket for $180, but will need to present their student ID at the gate.
Here are the Top 5 bands that TCP is excited to see:
1.) Furthur — It might be cliche, but of course we are most excited to see the surviving members of the Grateful Dead at a jam-band festival. Bob Weir and Phil Lesh lead this band of talented hired-guns who are sure to melt the audience with extended takes on Grateful Dead classics. Furthur headlines the festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so get ready for a triple dose of Dead.
2.) Widespread Panic w/ John Forgerty — Panic is one of the best bands touring today; they began cultivating their legion of die-hard fans 30 years ago in Athens, Georgia. Now they are a six-headed beast of a band that absolutely rips through their sets of psychedelic southern rock n roll. They play Saturday and Sunday before Furthur and are inviting special guest John Forgerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame to join them on Saturday. Expect a mix of CCR classics with shredding guitar solos and extended jamming.
3.) Trey Anastasio Band — If this were Phish instead of just Trey's solo-band, they would be our #1 act to catch. Alas, we only get TAB, a replacement for former headliner Neil Young & Crazy Horse, who cancelled their entire North American tour. But even in his side-project, Trey is still one of the best guitarists in the business, and his Saturday set is guaranteed to be great. We can only hope he jams with some of the other acts as well.
4.) The Black Crowes — The most straight forward rock n' roll band on the list, The Black Crowes play Rolling Stones-esque rock lead by the incredible vocals of front-man Chris Robinson. The recent addition of lead guitarist Jackie Green has revitalized the band, and their two performances could be the rowdiest of the weekend.
5.) Tedeschi-Trucks Band — A TCP favorite, the Tedeschi-Trucks Band is lead by husband and wife combo Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. Their newest album 'Made up Mind' is one of the best of the summer— a southern soul revue featuring the stunning vocals of Tedeschi alongside the jaw-dropping slide guitar of Trucks. Their Sunday performance is not to be missed.
For more information on the festival and a complete schedule of artists, visit www.locknfestival.com.
