Phil Lesh & Terrapin Family Band Team With Warren Haynes, Bob Weir & Nicki Bluhm At Lockn’

Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh is one of the backbones of the Lockn’ Festival. Lesh has performed with Furthur and a variety of Phil Lesh & Friends’ lineups over the course of the Arrington, Virginia event’s five-year history. For Friday at this year’s Lockn’, Phil brought along the group of youngsters he’s been spending most of his stage time with these days, but he did up the ante by welcoming Grateful Dead band mate Bob Weir, vocalist Nicki Bluhm and Gov’t Mule frontman Warren Haynes.

Phil Lesh and The Terrapin Family Band played two sets on the Main Stage last night split by a performance from Gov’t Mule. The Terrapin Family Band features multi-instrumentalist Jason Crosby, guitarists Grahame Lesh and Ross James as well as drummer Alex Koford. Up first was a lengthy, two-hour affair that featured guest spots from both Bobby and Warren, while the finale was a complete performance of the Grateful Dead’s 40-year-old Terrapin Station studio album with Weir and Bluhm.

Lesh and the TXR Band kicked off their early evening set with “Bertha” followed by the “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider” pairing. Early Dead tune “Born Cross-Eyed” came next along with Phil taking lead vocals on a cover of Robbie Robertson’s “Broken Arrow.” Phil then welcomed Warren to the stage for “St. Stephen” and a wild “New Minglewood Blues.” Lesh and The Terrapin Family Band continued guestless with “Help On The Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Franklin’s Tower” and an “Unbroken Chain” > “Stella Blue” pairing. After “Scarlet Begonias,” Phil brought out Bob Weir for a set-closing “Jack Straw” > “Uncle John’s Band.”

Phil, Bobby, Nicki and the TXR Band took the stage again a bit after 11 p.m. to work through all five tracks from Terrapin Station. Weir was in fine form on “Estimated Prophet” and “Samson & Delilah” and threw in the “bonus verses” of “Passenger” he’s been adding to Dead & Company and Campfire Band versions of the tune. Bluhm shined on “Passenger,” while the ensemble not only worked through most portions of “Terrapin Station” found on the album but also included Robert Hunter’s “Jack O’Roses.” This seventh song in Hunter’s “Terrapin Station Suite” was never recorded by the Dead.

Watch clips from Phil’s Terrapin Station set:

Photographer Ian Rawn was on hand at Infinity Downs Farm on Friday. Check out a full gallery from Friday at Lockn’ followed by Phil’s setlists:

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