After two days of starts and stops, the good vibes at LOCKN' were finally met with good weather.
Much of Saturday was filled with booty shakin', then TedeschiTrucks Band finished the day with a headlining set that was soul-stirrin’.
AfterDerek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi sat in with Trey Anastasio during TAB'sheadlining performance on Friday, Anastasio returned the favor and joined TTBon Saturday.
Anastasio,along with Doyle Bramhall II gave LOCKN’ a special, first time ever TTBrecreation of the album Layla and OtherAssorted Love Songs by Derek and the Dominos, a record that features acollaboration between Duane Allman and Eric Clapton. Trucks represents a nexusbetween these two artists as he played in the Allman Brothers Band and alsotoured with Clapton (as did Bramhall).
This isthe second time TTB performed a full album at LOCKN’. In 2015 the band recreatedJoe Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen,along with the help of original members, including Leon Russell and RitaCoolidge and friends such as Chris Robinson and John Bell.
Longtimefans have heard TTB play Layla tracks“Keep On Growing," “Anyway,” Key To theHighway” and “Tell the Truth” but never the full album. (The originalversion of “Thorn Tree in the Garden” the last song of the record, played onthe PA after “Layla” closed the set in climatic fashion.)
Anastasiohandled vocals on “Bell Bottom Blues" and shared lead with Alecia Chakouron a stirring “Little Wing.” Mike Mattison traded verses with Tedeschi on"Anyday" and sang "I Am Yours” with keyboardist Gabe Dixon. Bramhall moved to the front on vocalsand guitar during “Key to the Highway.”
“Have You Ever Loved a Woman” foundTedeschi delivering some stinging leads on guitar before digging in on vocals. Trucksand Anastasio traded nasty blues licks to finish "Tell the Truth"while Trucks concluded “Keep On Growing” and“Layla” with mesmerizing work on slide.
Some ofthe hottest solos during the opening set came from Tedeschi. She ripped through“I Pity the Fool" with a ferociousness both in her vocals and on her guitar,that was heightened after an adlibbed line about “children in cages” broughtthe song to another emotional level.
Vulfpeckgot the party started and ran it down to burning embers in an energetic 90minute set that made true believers out of anyone at LOCKN’ who had never previouslyseen the band. Highlights included “1612," “Back Pocket,” “Beastly,”covers of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” and Rufus and Chaka Kahn's "Tell MeSomething Good.” “Christmas in L.A.” featured an audience sing-along thatswitched the title to “Christmas in VA.”
In anon-musical moment that was equally inspiring and hilarious, Jack Stratton gavea “keynote speech" that addressed the wonderfulness of LOCKN’. It includedthe catchphrase, "Down the middle solves the riddle," whichsimultaneously described the advantage of having a split circular rotatingstage and an approach to life.
Oteil(Burbridge) and Friends featuring Bob Weir included Eric Krasno, Wolf Bros. JayLane, Neal Casal (Circles Around the Sun), Melvin Seals and Jason Crosby, TAB'shorn section (Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman and James Casey), LamarWilliams Jr. (who’s on the next New Mastersounds album) and TTB’s KebbiWilliams.
Krasnowore a t-shirt in tribute to keyboardist Kofi Burbridge, Oteil’s brother andTTB keyboardist, who died earlier this year.
The12-song set featured selections from the catalogs of the Grateful Dead, JerryGarcia, Allman Brothers Band, as well as classic rock and soul.
“Runfor the Roses" opened with Burbridge on lead vocals. Casal sang lead on"Cats Under the Stars.”
Weirjoined for “Weather Report Suite” > ”Let It Grow” > ”Cassidy.” He later returnedto the stage for an encore of sorts, to join in singing “Happy Birthday” toOteil who mentioned that it was the second time he celebrated it at InfinityDowns (he was on site in 2018 prior to Dead & Company’s performance).
DuaneBetts joined in during “Cassidy,” then led the group on versions of the ABB’s"Dreams" and "Jessica." The smile on Oteil's face affirmedhis positive feelings in revisiting these tunes from his previous band.
AlfredaGerald sang the final two numbers, “How Sweet It Is" and “Piece of MyHeart," with Krasno letting loose with a scorching guitar solo during thefinal song.
Duringa day that featured lots of dance grooves, Twiddle brought old-school jamband improvto life. So, it made sense when John Popper of Blues Traveler joined thequartet for seven songs including covers of BT’s “But Anyway,” “Hook” and“Mountains Win Again.” Popper was also on hand when Bob Weir and Eric Krasnojoined Twiddle for a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Eyes of the World.”
Preservation Hall Jazz Band merged the Big Easybrand of funk and blues with flavors from its visit to Cuba, captured in thenew documentary A Tuba to Cuba. PresHall performed as a six-piece, offering lots of room for solos on saxophone,trombone, trumpet and piano. While most of the selections were instrumentals,Branden Lewis sang lead on “If I Had a Hammer.” The Cuban influence wasparticularly noticeable on the irresistible “Santiago” and “I Am,” the latter ofwhich appears on the accompanying A Tubato Cuba soundtrack.
Cory Henry started his day with a Piano on thePorch session in the morning and then finished it on the main stage leading hisband, the Funk Apostles, on a set that moved from furiously-paced to slow,grooving funk.
Nashville’sLiz Cooper & the Stampede transitioned from simmering rock to psychedelicbursts that found the three members treating the music like crashing waves ofsound.
Charlottesville'sFree Union started Saturday’s lineup with a half hour of blessed-out soul. The11 members added to their ranks by kindly inviting members of the Audacity BrassBand to join them since that band’s set was rained out on Thursday.
FreeUnion frontman Michael Coleman commented that it "Feels so good to behere." After a day of so many special, once-in-a-lifetime performances, itcertainly does.
