While most music festivals are three-day affairs taking place across Friday through Sunday, many of these festivals use a Thursday-night pre-party to get things started a little early. Most of the time, a band or two kicks off the festivities the night before the festival proper starts, specifically targeting patrons who arrive early and are looking to get that extra night of music and camaraderie in. This year, the Thursday night LOCKN’ “Jamwich” line-up is the stuff of dreams, sporting an enviable and unmissable lineup unrivaled by many festivals’ Friday or Saturday lineups. Both The String Cheese Incident and Umphrey’s McGee will be on tap at LOCKN’ on Thursday to perform two “interlocking” sets followed by trance-fusion titans The Disco Biscuits who will play what is sure to be a most epic of late-night throwdowns. LOCKN’ takes place August 24th through 27th in Arrington, Virginia (purchase tickets here).
Other acts slated to perform on Thursday include Grahame Lesh and Midnight North, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Nicole Atkins Band, Kendall Street Company, and more. That’s a pretty full Thursday bill, if we’re being completely honest with ourselves. In addition to the draw of its expansive Thursday lineup, the festival has made some site upgrades that will help to ensure an even better experience than past years. Upgrades include the relocation of the main stage area making for easier and efficient access in and out of the festival arena, additional shade and misting tents, and the expansion Garcia’s Forest with a replica of The Porch at Terrapin Station, which will host various sets and activities throughout the weekend.
With the recent events that transpired this past weekend in nearby Charlottesville, festival co-producer Peter Shapiro elaborated on how the festival’s message of love, unity, and community can help spark the beginning stages of healing (read the entire interview here):
“I’ve been thinking about that all day, and speaking with Dave Frey, my partner who lives down in the Charlottesville area, about the best way to do this right. It’s not easy. But one thing I know is that people need to heal right now, and music helps do that more than just about anything else. As does 20,000 people coming together to share in a one-of-a-kind experience. The reason that I think we all love going to shows — especially big shows with a lot of people, and improvisational bands — is that there’s an energy in the air, something you can feel and the musicians also are feeding off it. Its a self-perpetuating cycle, as Carlos Santana famously said back in the day, ‘the fans are like flowers and the musicians are like a hose.’ And hopefully this time, the audience will feed off it even more. There will be a lot of people in the audience who need healing, especially because a lot of them are Charlottesville and Virginia locals, and this is the next large-scale gathering in the area. If there was ever a time for a forest to be named after Jerry Garcia and to have his music playing in the trees all day and night, it’s now. Hopefully Jerry’s voice will help soothe things a bit too.”
The rest of the festival lineup over the course of the weekend includes a special set from Phil Lesh with special guest Bob Weir and The Terrapin Family Band with Nicki Bluhm (performing Terrapin Station), Gov’t Mule with Ann Wilson of Heart, Widespread Panic, John Fogerty, phil.moe. (Phil Lesh & Friends with moe.), The Revivalists, Jim James (solo), John Butler Trio, Greensky Bluegrass, JJ Grey & Mofro, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, TAUK, The Marcus King Band, and more on the lineup that goes on and on.
Tickets for LOCKN’ are still available and can be purchased here. For event updates and additional information leading up to the festival, join the Facebook Event page.
[Cover photo courtesy of Dave Vann]
