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The second annual LOCKN’ Music Festival occurred September 4-7 in Arrington, Virginia and once again fans were
given an incredibly high caliber line up and experience. LOCKN' will return next year September 10-13, 2015.
Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014
Last year’s traffic woes were a thing of the past. When I received a text from some friends saying that they had gotten
into the festival in no time at all, my fears of repeating last year’s experience slipped into the back of my mind. Arriving
at the back of the line at 2 p.m., I think it took my group about an hour to get through the ticket ripping process. It was a
beautiful thing. Festivals this size very rarely process people with this much efficiency. From the start it was clear that
the administrative body running LOCKN' made some real positive changes.
The first day was great. We got in quick and set up the tent fortress, the heat was a little much though; it really didn’t
take much exertion before you were soaked with sweat. After a few beers, some food and water we managed to get
moving towards the venue.
Infinity Downs West was home for the weekend, located outside the opposite end of the horse track from the stages.
I would guess that it was about a mile out depending on the path you chose. New land has been acquired by the
festival surrounding the horse track, allowing organizers to create a much more compact city of people compared to
last year's layout which had people hiking long distances to get into the venue. Security personnel in the pits were
talking about the attendance reaching 33,000 people a night this year, ten thousand more than last year. Fans were all
buzzing about how quickly they entered the festival and praise was given to the organizers.
The first thing I usually do before anything else at a festival is explore the concert bowl. Where can I go and where
can’t I go? Where is the toilet? Where is the beer? Where does it sound and look best? There was one huge change
to the layout that really didn’t sit well with me on first impression: The VIP zones around the soundboards were a little
startling. It created a sizable separation between the GA and VIP audiences. The zone was a little under the size of an
ice rink with two elevated viewing decks on the corners behind the soundboard. My media pass allowed me to get into
this zone for photographs and such, but in my normal patronage as a GA fan who loves that spot tucked right in front
of the soundboard, I was a little disappointed that I didn’t have that option this year. Don’t get me wrong, this is the
best sounding festival I have ever experienced, but GA audiences were forced to choose really great sound way back
behind the soundboard or really great site lines and visuals up close with off access sound. There was a VIP rail in
front of the GA rail as well; it created an interesting phenomenon in the audience where the GA rail riders often
seemed to be rocking out harder then the calmer VIP rail. Also during the day, these areas didn’t fill up. For the VIPs
this was a really cool zone. The best of everything was an option and you could even bring chairs in as long as you
got it into the zone before a max capacity for chairs was reached later in the evenings. VIPs had the best audio and
visual experience available with space to dance up close and right in front that wasn’t shoulder to shoulder. In the end,
this is a massive improvement for VIP life at LOCKN', but a little bit of a downgrade for GA fans.
After the exploration of the grounds, Troy located his home for the evening where he would be taping. Lettuce was
laying down that early evening of funk. I’m a little surprised that Eric Krasno didn’t guest with anyone else. He was all
over the place last year; of course, last year he was billed alone and maybe had more freedom because of that.
After Lettuce, Umphrey’s McGee and String Cheese Incident traded two sets each. UM > Cheese > UM > Cheese.
Highlights from these sets include an amazing cover of “Shine on you Crazy Diamond” (click link to listen) by
Umphrey’s McGee at the end of their second set and String Cheese Incident being joined by JT Taylor and the
Preservation Hall Jazz Band to play tribute to Kool and the Gang for their second set. For their second set, Cheese
was named "String Cheese and the Gang" opening with “Jungle Boogie.” This set had all the hits: “Ladies Night,”
“Get Down On It” and “Celebration” (click link to listen) were among the list. The set concluded an incredibly energetic
first night in the main venue. People were buzzing about what they had experienced as they herded through the exits.
The Legendary Taj Mahal performed a late night solo show on the Triangle Stage at the east end of the campgrounds,
tucked back in a wooded plot of land. Packed with people under a canopy of color changing light and lasers, Taj
played for almost two hours instead of the one that he was scheduled for. For many fans this show would turn out to
be a favorite of the weekend. As a young child, Taj Mahal was a first introduction to blues on cassette so this set had
a nostalgic vibe for me.
On the Relix Stage, over the ridge just east of the main venue, late night Dumpstaphunk was breaking in a new
drummer by the name of Alvin Ford Jr. making this a lineup of musicians all from New Orleans. This show was a bunch
of dirty funk; it was really great. The Relix Stage stood at the bottom of a natural sloped concert bowl with a slightly
pitched area in front of the soundboard and stage. It was quite a sight from the top of the outer slope. To the left side
of the concert area was a road above the stage that was lined with food and merchandise vendors that serviced the
surrounding campgrounds and the triangle stage. There was a large tent that was playing live Grateful Dead show
recordings through a specially designed speaker system that made you feel like you were at an actual show.
Many danced in this aural space throughout the weekend and it often became a good maker for meeting up with
friends. To the right of the stage, the perimeter of the crowd was lined with under lit color changing trees. The crowd
was free to bring whatever they wanted to these late night performances, because in the campgrounds the restrictions
on bringing beer and food where you want don’t exist. It made for a much more relaxing experience in comparison to
late night sets at festivals like Summer Camp and Bonnaroo which all occur in a main venue. It had that small festival
feel to it.
There was a bit of trouble the first night as people were trying to find there way around the grounds; there wasn't a lot
of maps and signs so many people were getting lost looking for home. Navigating the grounds became a very word of
mouth affair as people clustered under lights and traded information. Everyone eventually found there way somewhere
and it was usually somewhere good. The music for the night ended and sleep was the next best option.
given an incredibly high caliber line up and experience. LOCKN' will return next year September 10-13, 2015.
Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014
Last year’s traffic woes were a thing of the past. When I received a text from some friends saying that they had gotten
into the festival in no time at all, my fears of repeating last year’s experience slipped into the back of my mind. Arriving
at the back of the line at 2 p.m., I think it took my group about an hour to get through the ticket ripping process. It was a
beautiful thing. Festivals this size very rarely process people with this much efficiency. From the start it was clear that
the administrative body running LOCKN' made some real positive changes.
The first day was great. We got in quick and set up the tent fortress, the heat was a little much though; it really didn’t
take much exertion before you were soaked with sweat. After a few beers, some food and water we managed to get
moving towards the venue.
Infinity Downs West was home for the weekend, located outside the opposite end of the horse track from the stages.
I would guess that it was about a mile out depending on the path you chose. New land has been acquired by the
festival surrounding the horse track, allowing organizers to create a much more compact city of people compared to
last year's layout which had people hiking long distances to get into the venue. Security personnel in the pits were
talking about the attendance reaching 33,000 people a night this year, ten thousand more than last year. Fans were all
buzzing about how quickly they entered the festival and praise was given to the organizers.
The first thing I usually do before anything else at a festival is explore the concert bowl. Where can I go and where
can’t I go? Where is the toilet? Where is the beer? Where does it sound and look best? There was one huge change
to the layout that really didn’t sit well with me on first impression: The VIP zones around the soundboards were a little
startling. It created a sizable separation between the GA and VIP audiences. The zone was a little under the size of an
ice rink with two elevated viewing decks on the corners behind the soundboard. My media pass allowed me to get into
this zone for photographs and such, but in my normal patronage as a GA fan who loves that spot tucked right in front
of the soundboard, I was a little disappointed that I didn’t have that option this year. Don’t get me wrong, this is the
best sounding festival I have ever experienced, but GA audiences were forced to choose really great sound way back
behind the soundboard or really great site lines and visuals up close with off access sound. There was a VIP rail in
front of the GA rail as well; it created an interesting phenomenon in the audience where the GA rail riders often
seemed to be rocking out harder then the calmer VIP rail. Also during the day, these areas didn’t fill up. For the VIPs
this was a really cool zone. The best of everything was an option and you could even bring chairs in as long as you
got it into the zone before a max capacity for chairs was reached later in the evenings. VIPs had the best audio and
visual experience available with space to dance up close and right in front that wasn’t shoulder to shoulder. In the end,
this is a massive improvement for VIP life at LOCKN', but a little bit of a downgrade for GA fans.
After the exploration of the grounds, Troy located his home for the evening where he would be taping. Lettuce was
laying down that early evening of funk. I’m a little surprised that Eric Krasno didn’t guest with anyone else. He was all
over the place last year; of course, last year he was billed alone and maybe had more freedom because of that.
After Lettuce, Umphrey’s McGee and String Cheese Incident traded two sets each. UM > Cheese > UM > Cheese.
Highlights from these sets include an amazing cover of “Shine on you Crazy Diamond” (click link to listen) by
Umphrey’s McGee at the end of their second set and String Cheese Incident being joined by JT Taylor and the
Preservation Hall Jazz Band to play tribute to Kool and the Gang for their second set. For their second set, Cheese
was named "String Cheese and the Gang" opening with “Jungle Boogie.” This set had all the hits: “Ladies Night,”
“Get Down On It” and “Celebration” (click link to listen) were among the list. The set concluded an incredibly energetic
first night in the main venue. People were buzzing about what they had experienced as they herded through the exits.
The Legendary Taj Mahal performed a late night solo show on the Triangle Stage at the east end of the campgrounds,
tucked back in a wooded plot of land. Packed with people under a canopy of color changing light and lasers, Taj
played for almost two hours instead of the one that he was scheduled for. For many fans this show would turn out to
be a favorite of the weekend. As a young child, Taj Mahal was a first introduction to blues on cassette so this set had
a nostalgic vibe for me.
On the Relix Stage, over the ridge just east of the main venue, late night Dumpstaphunk was breaking in a new
drummer by the name of Alvin Ford Jr. making this a lineup of musicians all from New Orleans. This show was a bunch
of dirty funk; it was really great. The Relix Stage stood at the bottom of a natural sloped concert bowl with a slightly
pitched area in front of the soundboard and stage. It was quite a sight from the top of the outer slope. To the left side
of the concert area was a road above the stage that was lined with food and merchandise vendors that serviced the
surrounding campgrounds and the triangle stage. There was a large tent that was playing live Grateful Dead show
recordings through a specially designed speaker system that made you feel like you were at an actual show.
Many danced in this aural space throughout the weekend and it often became a good maker for meeting up with
friends. To the right of the stage, the perimeter of the crowd was lined with under lit color changing trees. The crowd
was free to bring whatever they wanted to these late night performances, because in the campgrounds the restrictions
on bringing beer and food where you want don’t exist. It made for a much more relaxing experience in comparison to
late night sets at festivals like Summer Camp and Bonnaroo which all occur in a main venue. It had that small festival
feel to it.
There was a bit of trouble the first night as people were trying to find there way around the grounds; there wasn't a lot
of maps and signs so many people were getting lost looking for home. Navigating the grounds became a very word of
mouth affair as people clustered under lights and traded information. Everyone eventually found there way somewhere
and it was usually somewhere good. The music for the night ended and sleep was the next best option.
PHOTOS (click images for photo galleries -- coming soon)
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LOCKN' Festival : Day One
Oak Ridge Farm : Arrington, Virginia : September 4, 2014
Oak Ridge Farm : Arrington, Virginia : September 4, 2014
Review and Photos By ZANE A. MILLER with Recordings By TROY MILLER
