What’s up festival family? I just got back from the second annual Lockn’ Interlocking Music Festival in Arrington, Virginia, and I have to say it was one of the best if not the best festivals I have ever been to. Everything about the festival was near perfect, the line-up was awesome, the layout was good, and the people that went were amazing company. It’s safe to say I will be going to this festival for years to come and I hope to run into YOU there in the future!
This was a big one; roughly 30,000 people is a conservative estimate from my eye’s opinion. But it never it never felt like it was too crowded. There were plenty of bathrooms, water stations, and food services to handle the load. And it was an older crowd as well, there were plenty of kids, but it was common to see them chased around by both their parents and grandparents. Needless to say everyone was very nice and respectful to one another at the shows and throughout the campgrounds.
There was no shortage of activities either at Lockn’, although it was hard to get away from the music. There were music clinics lead by some of the artists playing the festival; classes on the living practices of our colonial ancestors such as cooking, clothes making, cooking and metal working just to name a few. For a small cost fans could take mountain bike tours of the beautiful forests surrounding the grounds, or take a shuttle to a near by river to cool off (they even had organic soap so you could take a hippie bath…it was so nice).
On the festival website it says, “interlocking music”. What does this mean you ask? This means having two main stages set up side by side, and bands and artists scheduled one right after another, so that there was little or sometimes no break in-between the music. It also means having the same bands play multiple sets on the same day with other bands in between so the energy that was created from one band or artist was transferred to the next and kept building like this all day and all weekend.
Before we really get into the music I have to say the all the bands and artists were amazing and deserve some press, but I just can’t write about them all. So check out he line-up and then go check out every name on the list and you can thank me later.
The first night at Lockn’ 2014 offered up a String Cheese Sandwich on Umphrey’s Mcgee bread to satisfy everyone’s musical appetites. And it was delish. That’s right, Umphrey’s played, then Cheese played, and then Umphrey’s played again. After that Cheese played yet another set as a tribute to Kool and the Gang with JT Taylor (Kool) and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Everyone was dancing to hits like, “Jungle Boogie,” “Get down on it,” and “Celebrate Good Times;” tunes I never thought I would hear at a festival. Dumpstaphunk closed out the night with an amazing set of funk! These guys not only rock with two, that’s right two bass players, but also with an infectious positive energy that is nearly impossible not to move your body to.
The Next two days belonged to two women and two old guys. They were Susan Tedeschi, Grace Potter, Willie Nelson and Tom Petty. Susan played two incredible shows with her band, but she also sat in with Willie Nelson and with Widespread Panic. Grace Potter and The Nocturnals absolutely killed it. I knew she could sing, and the her band was awesome, but I didn’t know how hard she rocked it on stage live dancing and jumping around, simply rockin’ out harder than anyone. That was until Tom Petty took the stage.
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers sounded great and he frequently had both arms in the air as if to say, “we are doing it, this is awesome!” As for Willie, well, he was Willie; smiling and wiggling around, and throwing his bandana into the crowd. His positive energy and easy-going attitude made everyone feel good, especially when he finished his set with “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die.”
The Grateful Dead spirit was alive and well at Lockn’ 2014. Each morning Keller Williams played a set of Grateful Grass (bluegrass versions of various Grateful Dead tunes) while joined by different musicians each day like Keith Mosley and Jeff Austin. Each night at the “Garcia Tent” they had old dead shows playing through loud speakers; there were so many people hanging out and dancing that it felt like an actual show. Once that was over, people migrated to the campfire area with acoustic instruments and hand drums and jammed to campground versions of dead tunes til’ the sun came up (my fingers still hurt from all the guitar playing and drumming).
Another spirit that seemed to be present at Lockn’ was that of Brian Farmer, the long time guitar tech for Warren Haynes and stage manager for Gov’t Mule and the Allman Brothers, who had recently passed away. Many artists told stories of how great of a person he was and dedicated songs and performances to him. Like most others at the festival I never knew him personally, but anyone could see and feel how loved he was by the artists, and how he touched so many of their lives.
As I said before the musical energy was building throughout the weekend, and it was leading up to an amazing Sunday Widespread Panic show (never miss a Sunday Panic show they say, and I see why), followed by a very emotional performance by the Allman Brothers. Not only were there mind melting psychedelic jams, but also I never have felt so much love coming through the speakers during a show. I tell you there was not a dry eye in the house. I know these guys have plans to play their final shows, but I hope they reconsider and continue playing, I feel very fortunate to have seen them.
Then before we knew it, it was time to go home. The four-day event had flown by like festivals always do. I am afraid no matter how much I write, I will never be able to fully capture the great experience we all had at Lockn’ Interlocking Music Festival, 2014. I can’t wait til’ next year! Peace, Joy, and Music to all.