One of the biggest musical takeaways from last year’s Fare Thee Well celebration of the Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary wasn’t from the Grateful Dead at all, but the soundtrack that played between sets at each of the five performances. Headed up by Neal Casal and a band that he assembled for the project, Circles Around The Sun, the new music was so in demand that it was eventually made into an official release.
Back when we interviewed Casal about the project last year, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood and Hard Working Americans guitarist was skeptical that the band would ever perform live. “I don’t really know how it would translate,” said Casal. “It’s everyone’s favorite background music at the moment, but if you brought that music to the foreground and actually shined a spotlight on it, I don’t know what it would be. I don’t know what kind of show it would make. I don’t know if audiences are really ready to hear a number of twenty minute instrumental songs.”
Fortunately, audiences at Lockn’ Festival were indeed ready for the experience, and fans flocked to the somewhat-hidden The Woods stage for the band’s debut, a full year and change after their music played at Fare Thee Well. The combination of the psychedelic music and well-manuevered lighting created an all-around breathtaking experience for everyone in attendance.
The band, composed of Casal, bassist Dan Horne, drummer Mark Levy, and keyboardist Adam MacDougall, navigated through a selection of their original compositions for the two-hour-long set. As fans found their way over from Phish’s headlining set, the live debut of Circles Around The Sun entranced Lockn’ attendees in a mystical musical world.
Watch two clips from the set below, courtesy of CFinn816 and Tom Kunath on YouTube.
Let’s hope this band plays more live shows in the future, as this music is too good not to be heard in the live setting. You can spin the full Circles album below.