As the sun rose on Thursday morningat Infinity Downs, music lovers were awoken by sunny skies and warm weather.Everyone was ready to boogie to a full day of live music, and enjoy whatLOCKN’s seventh year had to offer. Mother nature, however, had other plans.
“Due to the potential of heavyprecipitation and lighting detected in the area, we are holding entrance intothe Show Field. Please seek shelter in a nearby vehicle, stay put, and staysafe. We will continue to update you,” officials said around 3 p.m. via LOCKN’social channels. And as heavy wind and rain blew through the festival, fans andstaff alike found cover.
“I am just very happy everyone isokay,” festival co-owner Peter Shaprio said in the midst of the delay. “Theenergy on this land is clearly very strong. The LOCKN’ spirit prevails.”
Doors finally opened at 6 p.m., andby the time the most aggressive part of the storm cleared, the campgrounds werelittered with crumpled canopies and toppled porta-potties. Sadly, in thereformatting of Thursday’s schedule, Audacity Brass Band, Andy Frasco & TheUN and Midnight North’s sets were cancelled.
Nevertheless, water-logged musicfans assembled on the farm and remained optimistic. As day become earlyevening, they gathered at the main stage for a Grateful Dead-infused JerryDance Party and, eventually, Khruangbin for the first official set of the day.
The psych-funk trio took the stageat 8 p.m. and after opening with a trio of originals (“Maria Tambien,” “DernKala” and “August 10”), Khruangbin welcomed Trey Anastasio for LOCKN’s firstunexpected collaboration of the weekend.
“We’re going to bring a very specialguest onstage... Needless to say we are very honored and very surprised. Let’ssee how this goes,” guitarist Mark Speer told the crowd before Anastasioemerged from the wings.
The Phish guitarist—who is slated toperform several times over this weekend, with his own Trey Anastasio Band onFriday and Tedeschi Trucks Band on Saturday—joined the group for a lengthy,multi-song sit-in, adding his guitar to Khruangbin originals “Lady and Man,”“The Infamous Bill,” “Evan Finds The Third Room” and “People Everywhere (StillAlive).”
That final tune saw Anastasio andSpeer trading licks and bathing in the white light of the main stage, much tothe delight of the crowd. Afterwards, the two guitarists hugged in celebration.
And while Anastasio was fullyprepared to leave the stage, and unplugged his guitar, he was goaded by thetrio to stick around for one more tune. The newly formed quartet closed theircosmic single set with Khruangbin’s “Bin Bin.”
“Thank you so much for having us. This has been a magical experience,” Speer said before departing the stage.
From there, LOCKN’ fans were treatedto a rocking set by Gary Clark Jr., bookended by the classic blues cut “BrightLights, Big City” and a guitar-laced version of The Beatles’ “Come Together.”
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead closed outthe main stage on Thursday with two full sets, and as the festival’s signaturerotating stage turned to reveal the quintet, they alluded to the day’s diceyweather with a dynamic, uptempo take on Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s a-GonnaFall.”
Jerry Garcia Band’s “Reuben andCherise” followed, making the subsequent “New Minglewood Blues” the firstGrateful Dead staple in the set.
Later, the band got weird with aspacey, tension-filled “Playing in the Band,” and they closed their first halfwith a far-reaching “The Other One,” which contained a full segue in and out ofan instrumental “Immigrant Song,” nodding to the band members’ time in the LedZeppelin tribute act Bustle In Your Hedgerow.
“Thank you so much. What a fuckin' blast,” drummer-bandleader Joe Russo said before setbreak.
JRAD’s second set was highlighted byan opening “Casey Jones” as well as their second-ever version of “Jolene,” asong from guitarist Tom Hamilton’s American Babies project.
A mid-set version of “The Wheel”also saw the band taking the song’s circular lyrics literally, and covering ajust a little more ground by rotating the stage 180 degrees, revealing an emptycouch as the jam kept going.
The band then took the rotatingstage gag to the next level, turning the stage once again during theinstrumental intro of “Eyes of the World” to reveal Bob Weir lounging on thepreviously-empty couch, reading a book. (At LOCKN' 2017, Weir jammed withJRAD for a batch of tunes which included "Black-Throated Wind,""Good Lovin'," "Jack Straw," “Samson & Delilah"and "One More Saturday Night.")
JRAD closed their second set outingwith a contemplative "Morning Dew" before encoring with “Never Beento Spain.” LOCKN’ attendees then began making their way to Garcia’s Forest toenjoy a late-night performance by Circles Around The Sun while a ragingcommunity bonfire near the festival’s iconic “LOVE” sign, reflected the crowd’sburning passion for music of all stripes.
