Dave Frey, Peter Shapiro and the seeds they’ve sown- photo by Jay Blakesberg

“It’s hard to describe what Lockn’ means to me,” explains Jeffrey Windt, shortly after completing the 7 hour journey that brought him from Charleston, SC to Arrington, VA. This is the fourth consecutive year that he’s attended the festival and he notes, “It’s about the music, of course. I’ve experienced moments here that are unlike any other. But there’s more to it too. It’s hard to put my finger on it but it’s a spirit, a vibe. As an audience member there’s something special that you can feel coming off the stage. There’s a common purpose that has taken root on so many levels. That’s what keeps me coming back and I’m pretty sure that’s what keeps so many of the musicians coming back as well.”

Windt’s sentiment is echoed by bassist Dave Schools, who performed at the first three Lockn’s with Widespread Panic and is back this year with Hard Working Americans.

“What struck me in 2013 at the first Lockn’,” Schools reflects, “after wandering around backstage talking to Trey Anastasio, talking to Chris Robinson and just seeing all these people, is it reminded me of the Wetlands at the height of the beginning of our scene. Other than the fact that it was a huge festival out in the middle of the country in Virginia, it just as easily could have been a big night at the Georgia Theatre or Ziggy’s in Winston-Salem or Nectar’s or Wetlands—any of these places that we all played when we were coming up. It was really cool. It was like a class reunion of sorts.”

New York nightclub Wetlands Preserve is certainly a fitting reference point because that is where Lockn’ co-founder Dave Frey was a steady presence in the late 80’s and early 90’s, resulting in the formation of the H.O.R.D.E tour (which debuted in 1992 with Widespread Panic, Phish, Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors and Col. Bruce Hampton & Aquarium Rescue Unit). Wetlands is also where Frey’s fellow Lockn’ co-founder Peter Shapiro cut his teeth as a young clubowner, after taking over for Larry Bloch in 1996.

Shapiro himself invokes this connection as he observes, without any prompting, “Who would have thought from Wetlands that Dave Frey and I would end up in the Blue Ridge Mountains?”

It’s been quite a ride and one that took a bumpy turn in 2015 when a freak storm tore through the site with winds that reached 70 miles per hour, resulting in the cancellation of Thursday’s music. Still, by all accounts, the event bounced back in fine form, during a year that included such notable sets as the Mad Dogs and Englishmen reunion led by Tedeschi Trucks Band, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady celebrating 50 years of Jefferson Airplane, two animated performances by Robert Plant, and appearances by the Core Four members of the Grateful Dead following their reunion at Fare Thee Well (an event that Peter Shapiro had spearheaded).

“The fact that we were able to recover from that microburst on Wednesday was a big testament to the effort of many, many people,” Shapiro acknowledges.

Frey adds, “We’re lucky to have the audience that we have. Other audiences might not have been as forgiving.”

As for highlights from 2015, Frey points to the Mad Dogs set, the Jefferson Airplane tribute, as well as “Just spending some time with Robert Plant and having him share the lore of the music in an area where he knows more than I do.”

​Shapiro identifies last year’s debut performances in the Woods, as well as Carlos Santana’s appearance with Phil Lesh and Friends, as among his favorites.

One change this year from previous Lockn’s is that rather than two adjacent main stages, in 2016 the music will originate from a single spot. Still, the segues from band to band will come quick thanks to a new turntable stage that has been installed, which will allow the crew to set up the next act while one group is still performing and then rotate the stage.

“This way people in the audience won’t need to turn 65 degrees to see one band and then turn back 65 degrees to see the next one,” Frey offers.

When asked to name the group that he’s most excited to see this year, Shapiro notes, “What’s cool for us is we’re fans of Phish and it’s rare to have them at a festival like this where they’re playing for two nights, two sets a night.”

He also expresses enthusiasm for Garcia’s Forest which will feature live music from the Jerry Garcia and Grateful Dead catalogs played at concert volume with full production.

DJ Jerrbrother (aka Brett Fairbrother) will take command of the forest sounds and he’s stoked for the opportunity. “It’s gonna be epic. In past years when we did this at the Garcia’s Tent, people told me that three in the morning at the Jerry party was the hardest they danced all weekend. Every night will be a big night this year but Sunday will be a BIG night. On Sunday I plan to keep going until the sun comes up and I hope there’s plenty of people who will go there with me.”

Ben ‘Jammin’ Strebel from San Francisco’s Jammin on Haight adds, “It’s going to be really special. We have brought together a collective of art: ambient lighting, lasers and a video show. You will find yourself submerged in the visuals that went hand in hand with the music of the late great jerry Garcia.”

Of course Lockn features plenty more than musical offerings. New additions include the spectacle that is the The Medicine Show by TooFar Media. The Family Hang is back, as is Participation Row (stop by the Qello Concerts Lounge at 5:30PM today to meet members of Umphrey’s McGee). The Wheelhouse returns, offering opportunities for bike riders of every level and the trails have been upgraded courtesy of world class trail architect Dave King (meanwhile, thanks to Red Bull, celebrated bikers Nico Deportago-Cabrera and Marla Streb will be here to guide interested folks).

In the spirit of blending old and new on site, back in 2013 area residents/artists/dreamers Ben Thomson (The Rock Barn) and Jeremy Hale (Nelson Recycling, Old Cold Storage Architectural Salvage) collaborated on a sculpture—a seed—which was then planted in the ground. Over the ensuing years, new tree sculptures have sprouted, as the seed continues to grow, and this year all four pieces are on display.

Thompson is the point person on food and beverage at Lockn’ and he is particularly enthusiastic about the local offerings in both categories. He also explains, “It’s neat to see how a family has developed. We have a consistent team of people who go out into the world and do what they do and now we come together each year at Lockn’.”

While such familiarity and a familial vibe is a Lockn’ hallmark, the festival continues to move forward as well.

On the musical side, Peter Shapiro points to groups such as Twiddle and Vulfpeck, who are making their debuts at the event this year and represent the next generation of acts.

Dave Schools is part of a select company that has performed at every Lockn’ (along with Phil Lesh, Chris Robinson, Keller Williams, Joe Russo, Michael Travis, Jason Haan and the members of Tedeschi Trucks Band) and he supports this evolution.

Schools explains, “Neal Casal and I were just talking about this. The Dead guys aren’t going to be around forever and neither are the Panic guys or the Phish guys. But Peter Shapiro and Dave Frey they understand the intent behind the music, the reason we get up on stage and do what we try to do every night. They get it.

“That’s why I think it’s great that Hard Working Americans is playing this year and is why I think it’s great that Chris Robinson Brotherhood is playing this year and why I think it’s great that Tedeschi Trucks Band is playing this year. It’s a lineage. It’s a pedigree. It’s a Bruce Hampton thing, it’s our intent. It can be labeled as death metal or EDM stomp livetronica, I don’t care but whatever you call it, the intent is something that’s shared and it feels like Frey and Shapiro are trying to fertilize that ground and keep it welcoming for new people, which is great.”