Lockn’ Festival Gets Off To A Hot Start: Photos, Review & Setlists

Words by: Scott Bernstein

Images by: Ian Rawn

Lockn’ Festival :: 8.25.16 :: Oak Ridge Farm :: Arrington, VA

Check out a gallery of Ian’s photos after Scotty’s review.

The fourth annual Lockn’ Festival started with an abbreviated but potent day of action on Thursday at Oak Ridge Farm in Arrington, Virginia. Festivalgoers were treated to a varied batch of performances ranging from funk up-and-comers Vulfpeck to the prog-jam theatrics of Umphrey’s McGee to a genre-defying smattering of songs from Ween to a thrilling late night set from Grateful Dead tribute act Joe Russo’s Almost Dead.

Entering the festival was smooth for many as entry opened to some on Wednesday and arrivals were spread throughout the day on Thursday. The Virginia sun was hot, humid and oppressive all day as festivalgoers settled in and got the lay of the land. Thankfully, the temperature dipped a bit just in time for the music to start.

In past years Lockn’ organizers utilized two main stages set up directly next to each other, so that one set would start just as the previous one finished. This time around the Lockn’ team brought in a rotating stage in which one act was set up on one side as another was performing on the other side. The rotating stage worked well on Thursday and provided a particularly cool visual as Vulfpeck ended their set while the stage was moving to bring Umphrey’s McGee into focus.

Vulfpeck showed they know how to get a crowd moving with the most dance-able main stage set of Thursday. The talented quartet are filled with five-tool players who transitioned between instruments with ease. Yet, for all the skill Vulfpeck possesses it’s bassist Joe Dart whose work stands out most. He came up with the most creative and jaw-dropping bass lines all set long as Vulfpeck worked their way through such favorites as “Fugue State,” “Back Pocket” and “Christmas Is L.A.” The Ann Arbor funksters brought a friend out to the Virginia farm with them as vocalist Antwaun Stanley came out towards the middle of the performance for a string of songs that included “Funky Duck,” “1612” and “Wait For The Moment.” Stanley also led Vulfpeck on a fun cover of Steely Dan’s “Peg” that saw the band change the lyrics to include mention of famous Dennises including Dennis Kucinich and Dennis The Menace.

As Vulfpeck finished the last note of “It Gets Funkier,” Umphrey’s came into view performing the instrumental intro “Nipple Trix.” The sextet used “1348” as a gateway to one of the evening’s best jams, but it was “The Triple Wide” that was the improvisational highlight of Thursday of Lockn’ thanks to the interplay between UM guitarists Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger. Another high point of the set and the first day of Lockn’ came when Umphrey’s brought out Gene Ween for a cover of Billy Joel’s “The Stranger.” Umphrey’s had performed with Gener under the alias Godboner at last year’s Summer Camp Music Festival forging a relationship that paid dividends on Thursday night. UM said farewell with a powerful version of one of their signature songs, “All In Time.”

Ween’s set didn’t start immediately after UM, but within a few minutes of the Chicago jam masters concluding their set, the Lockn’ faithful were treated to the sound of brown. Those who thought Dean & Gene Ween would play their most accessible material for a crowd that was likely filled with newcomers to their music thought wrong. Ween went the deliciously weird route focusing on rarities throughout the 26-song performance. The five-piece did nod to the improvisational spirit of the festival by dusting off “Poopship Destroyer,” though Ween’s idea of jamming is very different from many of the other acts at Lockn’ with more focus on weird noise-rock than skilled chops.

Those with SuperVIP passes witnessed an intimate performance from UM guitarists Bayliss and Cinninger that featured a mix of covers such as “Over The Hills & Far Away” and originals “Resolution” and “In The Kitchen.” Late night options included EOTO in the Woods and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead in the Blue Ridge Bowl, a natural amphitheater about a mile walk from the main stage. JRAD tore it up as usual, starting with a focus on late ’60s/early ’70s Grateful Dead classics including a wild “St. Stephen” > “The Eleven.” Keyboardist Marco Benevento was particularly on point throughout a set that ended with a complete rendition of the “Terrapin Station Suite.”

Friday promises a full day of action starting before noon and running until the early morning hours. Turkuaz, Vulfpeck, White Denim, Ween, Phish and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead are among the bands scheduled to perform.

Photos

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Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Setlist

Set: Space -> Jam -> Truckin (SM) -> St Stephen # (All) -> The Eleven (TH & JR) -> Brown Eyed Women (TH) > The Wheel $ (All) -> Estimated Prophet (SM) -> Tennessee Jed (TH) > Viola Lee Blues % (All) > He’s Gone (TH) > Terrapin Suite ^ (TH)

• # – With a “We’re Gonna Groove” (Led Zeppelin) Jam (Band) & a Dave Dreiwitz Bass Solo
• $ – With a “Duo Jam”, “Fat Mama” (Herbie Hancock) Teases (MB), a Hell in A Bucket Tease (SM) & probably a bunch more from MB
• % – With unknown tease (Band) & a “Heartbreaker” (Led Zeppelin) Tease (SM)
• ^ – With “He’s Gone” lyrics sang over the intro, another “Fat Mama” Tease (MB), & another Duo Jam