The LOCKN’ Festival has revealed two special collaborative sets scheduled for this year. Over the weekend of Aug. 23-26, saxophonist Branford Marsalis will sit in with Dead & Company and drummer Jason Bonham will join Umphrey’s McGee.

This will mark Marsalis’ first outing with Dead & Company, but not his first time sharing the stage with Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann or Mickey Hart. Marsalis performed with the original Grateful Dead four times, most notably in the late-era high watermark of Spring 1990. Marsalas first performed with the band on 3/29/1990 at Nassau Coliseum. Originally, Marsalis was supposed sit-in for one song, but he meshed with the band so well that he played the entire second set. After that fateful night, Marsalis played with the original band on New Years 1990 as well as 9/10/91, 12/10/93 and 12/16/94. Later in life, he also sat-in with ​the The Dead in 2009 and Furthur in 2013.

​“As I’ve always said, if we’re not having fun, we’re not doing our job,” Bob Weir ​“told Rolling Stone.”:https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lockn-grateful-dead-members-branford-marsalis-reunite-w519696 “With Branford, at LOCKN’, I’ll expect we’ll be working overtime.”

​“I still remember fondly my time playing with the Dead in 1990,” Marsalis added, “and this latest iteration of the Dead aesthetic is filled with great musicians. I look forward to making music with them.”

​Jason Bonham will also break new ground at LOCKN’ 2018, performing with Umphrey’s McGee for the first time. Through his career, Bonham has collaborated with Slash, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck and more. He also played in place of his father—the legendary John Bonham—at the historic Led Zeppelin reunion in December 2007. Additonally, UM’s love for Led Zeppelin is well documented; over their 20 year history, they have covered the English rock band countless times.

​“They’re one of our biggest influences,” guitarist Brendan Bayliss explained to Rolling Stone. “We technically have three drummers in the band, and I guarantee you that all three would say John Bonham taught them more about rock & roll than any other drummer. Getting the opportunity to play with Jason is another example of Pete asking, ‘How can we make this place go off?’”
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In addition to Dead & Company and Umphrey’s McGee, LOCKN’ 2018 will include acts like Tedeschi Trucks Band, Widespread Panic, Sheryl Crow, Toots & The Maytals, Blues Traveler, George Clinton & P-Funk and Keller Williams.

​For more information, including tickets, visit the festival’s ​official website.