Day two at Lockn’ started off on a much better note than Friday, with most attendees set up and ready to go on the grounds. The weather continued to hold out on Saturday, with only hints of rain in the sky. The venue opened to the beautiful notes of Melvin Seals and JGB with John Kadlecik on the Blue Ridge Bowl stage. It was a wonderful way to get the venue to wake up and get their day started. Lord Nelson, a folky funk band from Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, and one of the winners of this year’s Rockn’ to Lockn’ contest, kicked things off over at the main stage. The afternoon had a variety of musical nuggets of goodness in store.
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe with Chuck Leavell busted out the funky grooves as they took to the stage sharply dressed in classy suits. The afternoon continued with Hot Tuna, as Jack Casady played a beautiful acoustic bass guitar. Their set was very relaxed and cooled the audience down in an easy sway. The Jayhawks, an alt-country band from Minneapolis, brought the audience to their feet when they took the stage. Their tight set had many people stopping in their tracks to dance right where they were. Touches of piano and chunks of guitar riffs added another level of depth to their jams. The heat was starting to turn up in the venue.
Tedeschi Trucks Band had the first surprise visit of the day, as Bob Weir joined in during “Key to the Highway>Walkin’ Blues.” Derek Trucks blew the crowd away as he single-handedly invented an entirely new level of energy. The main stage was simply on fire. No one wanted their magical set to end.
Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters satisfied many fans as they peppered their set with several Led Zeppelin tunes. Unfortunately, they experienced technical glitches with a brief loss of power and issues with feedback. The band played on while the audience took it all in.
Widespread Panic spread out their massive tunes by breaking it up with a funky bongo jam. Jimmy Cliff, while throwing the crowd a little groovy dance, joined them on stage with “Sitting in Limbo>Harder They Come>You Can Get it if You Really Want” as well as the encore, “I Can See Clearly Now”.
The evening of the “core four” got underway with Billy & The Kids and Bob Weir opening up with “Greatest Story Ever Told>Cassidy”. Mickey Hart joined in at the end of set with “One More Saturday Night” and the encore of “Not Fade Away”. The three Grateful Dead members will team up later this year, for a tour as Dead & Company with John Mayer.
Meanwhile, Phil Lesh and Friends, joined by special guest Carlos Santana and Warren Haynes, continued the Grateful Dead vibe as they opened with an incredible “Not Fade Away>Scarlet Begonias>Hard to Handle” jam. “All Along the Watchtower” pulled out all the stops and made it feel like a cork was lifted up to have the energy breathe but, instead, it turned up the heat by a hundred degrees. Phil Lesh closed out the evening with a fitting reprise of “Not Fade Away”, as sprinkles of rain started to fall.
Gov’t Mule played until 4 am over at the Blue Ridge Bowl, while Mickey Hart Deep Rhythm Experience, with Steve Kimock and Android Jones provided deep jams over at the Woods Stage. Saturday was full of high energy and the rain stayed away. The venue was definitely getting their fill of dancing. Stay tuned for more as we continue to recap from Lockn’!
All photos courtesy of Sam Shinault Photography! Gallery can be seen below.
Setlist: Hot Tuna at Lockn’ Festival, Arrington, VA – 9/12/15
Set One: True Religion, I See The Light, Let Us Get Together Right Down Here, Barbeque King, Hesitation Blues, Sea Child, Good Shepherd, I Am The Light Of This World, I Know You Rider, Water Song
Setlist: Widespread Panic at Lockn’ Festival, Arrington, VA – 9/12/15
Set One: Chainsaw City, Henry Parsons Died, Cease Fire > Jamais Vu, Tall Boy, You Got Yours, I’m Not Alone, Honky Red, Street Dogs For Breakfast, Surprise Valley > Drums > Surprise Valley > And It Stoned Me*, Sitting In Limbo**, The Harder They Come**, You Can Get It If You Really Want**, Many Rivers To Cross**, Guns of Brixton**, I Can See Clearly Now** (130 mins)
Notes:
* w/ Chuck Leavell on keys
** w/ Jimmy Cliff on vocals, Chuck Leavell on keys
First Time Played: ‘Sitting In Limbo’, ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’, ‘Guns of Brixton’, ‘I Can See Clearly Now’
Last Time Played: ‘The Harder They Come’ LTP 4/08/2011 Asheville (291 shows); ‘Many Rivers To Cross’ LTP 12/30/2013 Atlanta (130 shows)
Setlist: Billy & The Kids ft. Bob Weir at Lockn’ Festival, Arrington, VA – 9/12/15
Set: Greatest Story Ever Told > Cassidy, Peggy-O, Dancin In The Streets > Let It Grow > Space > Wharf Rat > Throwing Stones > One More Saturday Night*
Encore: Not Fade Away*
Notes: * w/ Mickey Hart
Setlist: Phil Lesh & Friends ft. Warren Haynes, Carlos Santana, John Molo, Rob Barraco, Barry Sless at Lockn’ Festival, Arrington, VA – 9/12/15
Set One: Not Fade Away Jam > Scarlet Begonias > Hard to Handle, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, New Speedway Boogie (WH), The Other One (Phil) > Fire On The Mountain (Barraco), Death Don’t Have No Mercy> All Along The Watchtower> Dark Star> Not Fade Away
Setlist: Gov’t Mule at Lockn’ Festival, Arrington, VA – 9/12/15
Set: One Of These Days > Fearless, Railroad Boy, Beautifully Broken, Lively Up Yourself, Whisper In Your Soul, Time To Confess, Hunger Strike, Dear Mr. Fantasy > Dreams, Rocking Horse, Scared To Live, Mule
Encore: People Are Strange, When The Music’s Over
[Cover via Instagram]
