LOCKN’ Music Festival kicked into gear on Thursday night, opening up their new home at the Blue Ridge Home at Infinity Downs Farm in style. After an emotional Charlottesville remembrance ceremony, the main stage opened with a heroic jam sandwich of epic proportions. Thursday night’s setup was the stuff of dreams, sporting an enviable and unmissable lineup unrivaled by many festivals’ weekend lineups. Both The String Cheese Incident and Umphrey’s McGee performed two “interlocking” sets, starting with Umphrey’s, going into SCI, back into UM, and closing with Cheese. The turntable stage allowed for both bands to play seamlessly into each other’s sets, creating an experience only possible at LOCKN’.
LOCKN’ Opens With Charlottesville Remembrance, Double Stacked Sets by Umphrey’s and String Cheese
Of the many highlights included the String Cheese Incident’s cover of “Jessica” by the Allman Brothers Band, in which they welcomed Umphrey’s McGee members Brendan Bayliss on guitar, Joel Cummins on keys, and Andy Farag on percussion. Of course, the additional instrumentation created a soaring version of the 1973 classic. The energy was taken to a new level, as the mega-jam sesh honored the southern rock pioneers and fellow LOCKN’ alumni Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks, who both passed away earlier this year.
Thanks to Jordan Gibrick, you can watch the full video of “Jessica” below:
For fans who can not attend the festival, a free LOCKN’ stream is available, courtesy of Ben & Jerry’s, Airstream, and YouTube, in conjunction with Relix and Headcount. See below for pro-shot footage of Thursday:
Stay tuned for Friday’s run down, with sets by Phil Lesh, Gov’t Mule, and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, to name a few.
Setlist: LOCKN’ Festival | Arrington, VA | 8/24/17
I: Restless Wind, Betray The Dark, Get Tight, Texas > Colliding
II: Shine, Jessica*, My One And Only > Hi Ho No Show, Colorado Bluebird Sky
* = w/ Brendan Bayliss, Joel Cummins, & Andy Farag (Umphrey’s McGee)
[Photo by Sam Shinault Photography]