Lockn’ Music Festival Has Plenty In Store for 2015
Entering its third year, Lockn’ Music Festival has already established itself in the pantheon of major music festivals. And from the looks of things, this year’s edition will further cement their standing. It’s held at a beautiful venue. There are no overlapping sets. They have huge headliners, up-and-coming acts, and have expanded their Rockn’ to Lockn’ format to quadruple the number of local Virginia bands that will take the stage. They have some of the most amazing all-star collaborations and special sets ever put together. Top that off with activities galore, craft brewers, food to meet everyone’s wants and desires, and their support for non-profits, and you’ve got all the elements for a top-notch musical experience.
It’s hard to pick the “top” headliners from this stellar lineup, so let’s start with the bands that (will) have played all three Lockn’ festivals. Widespread Panic is an Athens, GA-based powerhouse in the festival and jam band scene, blending elements of Southern rock, blues, jazz fusion and neo-psychedelia to create an expansive sound that has been pleasing concert goers since 1986. With the core/founding lineup of John Bell on guitar, Dave Schools on bass, Todd Nance on drums and Domingo Ortiz on percussion, the band also features Jimmy Herring on guitar and John Hermann on keyboards. Duane Trucks of Hard Working Americans has been handling duties on drums since Nance took a leave of absence in late 2014. Nance is scheduled to return to the band in 2016. Panic will play two sets, with Saturday’s version including Jimmy Cliff.
Colorado’s The String Cheese Incident formed in 1993, mixing elements of musical genres too numerous to mention. They’ve taken time off at several points since their founding but reunited in 2010. Their lineup has remained consistent with Michael Kang, Mike Travis, Bill Nershi, Kyle Hollingsworth, and Keith Moseley. They added Jason Hann in 2006. As their music has grown, so have their stage production and effects, making an SCI show something you don’t want to miss. The third band to play all three years at Lockn’ is Tedeschi Trucks Band. Originally called The Derek Trucks Band and the Susan Tedeschi Band, they took on their current name in 2010 when Derek and Susan set aside their solo projects. The band was originally comprised primarily of members from those solo projects. Today, only Kofi Burbridge on keys, Tyler Greenwell on drums and Mike Mattison on backing vocals remain, joined by JJ Johnson on percussion, Maurice Brown on trumpet, Kebbi Williams on sax, Saunders Sermons on trombone, Tim Lefebvre on bass, and Mark Rivers on backing vocals.
Though he’s not a band (or is he?), Keller Williams has appeared in one way or another at every Lockn’ festival. One of the most talented multi-instrumentalists and singers on the planet, this son of Virginia has played with Keller & The Keels (Larry and Jenny Keel on guitar and bass, respectively), Keller Williams Grateful Grass (bluegrass versions of Grateful Dead songs), and Keller Williams Grateful Gospel (Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia songs with a focus on the spiritual, gospel side). The Grateful Gospel show returns to Lockn’ this year (collaborators TBD), and you shouldn’t be surprised if he sits in here and there or sets up an impromptu campground performance. Guitar legend Warren Haynes returns this year with Gov’t Mule, following an appearance with Phil Lesh & Friends last year and pulling double duty in the 2013 festival with the aforementioned Mule and The Warren Haynes Band. 2015 will feature two sets from Phil Lesh & Friends. Friday’s set will feature four-fifths of the Chris Robinson Brotherhood (Robinson, Neal Casal, Adam MacDougall and Tony Leone) along with Eric Krasno. Saturday’s lineup with Phil includes Carlos Santana, Warren Haynes, Barry Sless, Rob Barraco and John Molo.
This year’s festival features two star-studded special sets. A tribute to Joe Cocker titled Mad Dogs & Englishmen honors the 1970 album and tour of the same name and includes a number of the original members. Fronted by the Tedeschi Trucks Band, this supergroup is comprised of Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge, Dave Mason and Chris Robinson, along with Claudia Lennear, Chris Stainton, Bobby Jones, Chuck Blackwell, Bobby Torres, Pamela Polland, Matthew Moore and Daniel Moore (all alumni of the 1970 tour). Other special guests include Doyle Bramhall II, Anders Osborne, Alecia Chakour and Shannon McNally. Since Joe Cocker left us in December of last year, this is sure to be a poignant and evocative set that you don’t want to miss. The other special set is Jorma & Jack Celebrate 50 Years of Jefferson Airplane, fronted by original members Jorma Kaukonen on guitar and Jack Casady on bass. Joining them to celebrate are Rachael Price of Lake Street Dive on vocals, guitarist G.E. Smith (Hall & Oates), the husband and wife team of multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell and guitarist/vocalist Teresa Williams, with special guest drummer Bill Kreutzmann of The Grateful Dead. Speaking of Kreutzmann, he’ll entertain the crowd on Thursday with Billy & The Kids, a new project that debuted in 2014 that includes Aron Magner (Disco Biscuits) on keyboards, Tom Hamilton (American Babies) on guitar, and Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green) on bass. Throw in special guest Dominic Lalli of Big Gigantic, and you’ve got a set that could go in any number of directions.
The remainder of Thursday’s schedule includes The Doobie Incident, a mashup of The Doobie Brothers and The String Cheese Incident, much like 2013’s Zac Brown Incident and 2014’s String Cheese & The Gang. A quintessential ’70s rock band (pre-Michael McDonald) combined with the multi-dimensional sights and sounds of SCI? How can you go wrong? The current incarnation of Little Feat features founding keyboardist Bill Payne, classic ’70s members Paul Barrere on guitar, Sam Clayton on percussion, and Kenny Gradney on bass, along with later additions Fred Tackett (guitar/mandolin/trumpet) and Gabe Ford on drums. The funky jazz trio Soulive will be groovin’ on Thursday, with brothers Alan and Neal Evans (drums and keyboards, respectively) and Eric Krasno providing the guitar licks. Jam band Strangefolk will appear with original 1991 members Jon Trafton on lead guitar, Erik Glockler on bass, Reid Genauer on rhythm guitar and Luke Smith on drums. The New Orleans-based funk/jazz jam band Galactic will hold the late-night stage at the Brooklyn Bowl, while Providence, RI alt rockers Deer Tick hit the Triangle Stage.
A new headliner for 2015 is Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters. Formed in 2012, the latest solo project by the Led Zeppelin vocalist toured sparsely in their first two years, primarily in Europe. 2014 saw the release of Lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar, Plant’s tenth solo album, followed by a more extensive tour schedule in the UK, Ireland, and seven shows in North America. Following their fantastic set at this year’s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, the band is on an extensive European tour. They’ll grace the stage at Lockn’ on Saturday and Sunday, with other North American dates to follow.
Friday brings us the Southern blues/rock sensations North Mississippi Allstars, featuring Luther Dickinson on guitar, his brother Cody Dickinson on drums, keyboards and washboard, and Chris Chew on bass. Coincidentally, New Orleans’ Anders Osborne will take the stage that same day. Originally from Sweden, Osborne left home at sixteen and eventually landed in New Orleans in 1985. His stylistic range is notable, going from melodic acoustic ballads to hardcore electric shredding. The current touring lineup includes Scott Metzger and Eric McFadden on guitar, Carl Dufrene on bass, John Gros on keyboards and Brady Blade on drums. Oh yes, about that coincidence. The two bands collaborated under the name North Mississippi Osborne to release the album “Freedom and Dreams” earlier this year.
The late night show on Friday at the Brooklyn Bowl belongs to Umphrey’s McGee. These six players have a huge following, hitting plenty of festivals and touring extensively throughout the country. The Bowl will be packed for this set, no doubt. There’s also an early show at the Bowl by Melvin Seals & JGB. Seals, an organist and member of the Jerry Garcia Band, took up the banner of keeping Jerry’s legacy alive, playing the band’s songs faithful to the original style. Besides Seals, the band includes Dave Hebert on guitar, John-Paul McLean on bass, Peter Lavvezoli on drums, and Shirley Starks and Cheryl Rucker on vocals. They’ll be joined by special guest John Kadlecik, guitarist and founding member of Dark Star Orchestra. They’ll provide an encore performance at the same stage on Saturday. Steve Earle & The Dukes will have the late night set at the Triangle. Earle’s talents tend towards the folk and outlaw country of his home state of Texas, and his style is heavily influenced by Townes Van Zandt. The Dukes are comprised of Chris Masterson on guitar, Eleanor Whitmore on fiddle, Kelly Looney on bass and Will Rigby on drums.
Saturday features the first appearance by the aforementioned Gov’t Mule with a late night set at the Brooklyn Bowl. These rockers have been around since 1994, starting out as a power trio and morphing into the quartet that today consists of Warren Haynes on guitar, Danny Louis on keyboards, Matt Abts on drums and Jorgen Carlsson on bass. With a broad library of original material and notable interpretations of other band’s songs, you can expect to be surprised at one of their shows. They’ll take the main stage on Sunday as well. Besides fronting the Joe Cocker tribute on Friday, Tedeschi Trucks Band will have a main stage slot on Saturday.
When you think of the alt country or country rock genres, Minnesota probably isn’t the first state that pops into your head. But that’s where The Jayhawks formed in 1985, and they still call the Twin Cities area home. They’re the real deal, which just goes to show you that music knows no boundaries, geographic or otherwise. With original members Gary Louris (guitar) and Marc Perlman (bass), the current lineup also includes Kraig Johnson (guitar), Karen Grotberg (keyboards) and Tim O’Reagan (drums). In another part of the musical spectrum you’ll find Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, a jazz/funk outfit and one of frontman Denson’s many musical outlets. A renowned saxophonist and flutist, Denson also leads the Karl Denson Trio and The Greyboy Allstars, as well as performing with a wide range of artists (including the current world tour with The Rolling Stones). In addition to Karl, the Tiny Universe is comprised of DJ Williams on guitar, Alan Evans on drums, Chris Stillwell on bass, David Veith on keyboards and Chris Littlefield on trumpet. They’ll also feature special guest Chuck Leavell on keyboards. Late night at the Triangle will feature an acoustic show by the legendary Hot Tuna. A spinoff of the Jefferson Airplane, they’ve been serving up their blend of blues, classic and psychedelic rock in various forms since the late 60s. Founding members Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen are joined by Barry Mitterhoff on mandolin and Skoota Warner on drums.
Sunday’s lineup includes some hidden (and not so hidden) gems, waiting to be discovered. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave. have been pretty well discovered by most if not all of the Lockn’ festival crowd. But if you’re seeing them for the first time, hold on tight. This band brings incredible energy to their New Orleans-style funky jazz, with Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews belting out tunes on both the trombone and trumpet and handling vocals. And if that’s not enough, BK Jackson on tenor sax and Dan Oestreicher on bari sax really fill out the sound. Mike “Bass” Ballard is the beast of the bottom end, and Joey Peebles is a dynamo on drums. Keeping the melody and ripping out some wicked solos is Pete Murano on guitar. Moving slightly down the scale is Slightly Stoopid, a funk/rock/reggae/blues/metal/hip-hop fusion group from San Diego. Formed in 1995, their sound has evolved with the times, with their earlier tunes having more of a reggae influence and their newer material trending more towards hip-hop and rap. Regardless, they’ve always got that booty shakin’ beat that will get you moving. They’re touring behind their latest release, Meanwhile, Back at the Lab…, which came out on June 30.
Moonalice is a psychedelic roots-rock jam band made up of Bay area musicians with a broad pedigree of previous bands. Forming in 2007 and comprised of Barry Sless on guitar, Pete Sears on bass, Roger McNamee on guitar and John Molo on drums, they seamlessly switch between instruments as they go with the flow of their extended jams. Fishbone has been around since 1979, so they’re well past the stage of discovery, yet there are likely some attendees who’ll be hearing them for the first time. Their fusion of ska, punk rock, funk, hard rock and soul has earned them a faithful following through the years. It’s a set you don’t want to miss for their sheer stage presence. Even lesser known (at least at this point) are The Oh Hellos, siblings Tyler and Maggie Heath from San Marcos, TX. They proudly proclaim their status as intentionally-independent, self-produced musicians playing eclectic folk rock. They’ve released two full length albums, a self-titled 2011 debut, 2012’s concept album Through the Deep, Dark Valley, and a 2013 EP, The Oh Hellos’ Family Christmas Album.
The last of Sunday’s undercard bands is St. Paul & The Broken Bones. Hailing from Birmingham, AL, this is a seven-piece blue-eyed soul band that will take you back in time to the classic R&B groups of the ’60s and ’70s, with a smidgen of gospel thrown in. Their debut album, Half the City, is comprised of all original tunes that have such a familiar feel to them you’d swear they were covers. Paul Janeway’s vocals are soulful, heartfelt and mesmerizing. It’s appropriate that they’re playing on Sunday, because they’ll definitely take you to church!
If you’ve been following the festival feed, then you know about the Rockn’ to Lockn’ competition. It started last year and provided the opportunity for one local Virginia band to play on the main stage. Using a battle-of-the-bands format, there were four regional qualifiers with the winners playing off for that coveted slot that went to People’s Blues of Richmond. It was such a popular success that they’ve expanded it, providing the four regional winners each a slot on the schedule. As this is being written, three of the four bands have been selected. The Tidewater area will send Seth Stainback & Roosterfoot to set the stage on fire with their blues/rock sound. Northern Virginia’s winner is Moogatu, with their face-melting, guitar-heavy jams. Charlottesville will be proudly represented by Lord Nelson, a rural rock band that embraces their Southern rock identity. The final competition takes place in Richmond on July 31 at the Capital Ale House. Competing for that final slot will be The Southern Belles RVA, Imaginary Sons, Tin Can Fish, and The Working Effective.
If all this great music isn’t enough for you, there are vendors galore with a wide variety of art, clothing, jewelry and who knows what else. Since the venue is so large, bicycles are encouraged, and there are bike stands outside all performance areas. If you don’t feel like bringing your own, Specialize Bikes will allow you to “Test the Best” on the many miles of bike trails on the property. If you do bring your own, the Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club will be on site to lead rides and provide mechanical support.
So grab your tickets while you can, and don’t miss out on the vibe that is Lockn’ Festival 2015.