The LOCKN’ Festival has announced that its eighth year will act as an 80th birthday celebration for legendary Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh.
The event – which is traditionally scheduled for late August – will also make a move to mid-June in 2020, with official dates being June 19 to 21.
“Obviously celebrating Phil’s 80th is going to be awesome,” festival co-owner Pete Shapiro told Relix. “And we are also excited to move the event earlier in the summer to June. The weather is great in the Blue Ridge area that time of year and it will be fun to get to kick off the summer this way.”
And while it is billed as a three-day event, LOCKN’ 2020 will include a special “Steal Your Thursday” pre-party on June 18.
Lesh’s last appearance at the Arrington, Va. event was in 2017, where he performed Terrapin Station in its entirety alongside Bob Weir, Nicki Bluhm and the entire Terrapin Family Band.
Other historic Lesh/LOCKN’ moments include a Phil & Friends set with Carlos Santana and Warren Haynes in 2015 as well as a pair of back-to-back 2016 Friends sets on Saturday (Jon Fishman, Page McConnell, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Anders Osborne, Joe Russo and the Infamous Stringdusers) and Sunday (Chris Robinson, Gary Clark Jr.)
Currently, there’s no further details on any additional performers for 2020, and it remains to be seen whether Lesh will appear with the Terrapin Family Band, a revolving troupe of Friends or both.
‘LUMNI Tickets for LOCKN’ 2020 will be available starting Friday, Nov. 8 at 8:08 a.m.
For more information visit LOCKN’s official website.
Watch a clip of one of LOCKN’ 2019’s most memorable moments – Trey Anastasio and Tedeschi Trucks Band’s recreation of Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs – as well as Lesh’s 2016 Friends collaboration with Tedeschi and Trucks below:
6 Comments comments associated with this post
WOODMAKER
November 8, 2019 at 11:12 amI’m predicting this is the beginning of the end for this once fine festival. #1 was the best (and most affordable) and its been downhill since then. Interesting to see if Phil will step on stage with Dead & Co and break the FTW “never again will these 4 play together” promise. I’m betting so… BTW, $happy will take your money in $19.95 drips and drabs (for a fee) for the deadhead struggling to make ends meet…
Panicninja
November 7, 2019 at 6:57 pmPhil’s b-day is march… All BULLSHIT for dead and co most likely. Lame, Shappy your 3 months late, going cost you another million. Register your wrist bands kids, we are watching from drones! HAPPY BIRTHDAY PHIL!
Woodmaker
November 7, 2019 at 9:10 amPhil’s birthday is in March…
Merchant
November 7, 2019 at 8:23 amWow hard pass. Phil is super old and trotting our the family band for 2 shows and if we’re lucky an unpracticed “Q”
Payment plans at 19.99 (((Shappy)))is helping you
Darb
November 7, 2019 at 6:33 pmWtf does this even mean?
you2
November 8, 2019 at 1:00 pmLet’s break it down….
-Phil is super old and will croak-sing his way through far too many songs. He can still play but should never be allowed near a mic.
-You’ll be paying to see Phil’s kid and his friends “play” mediocre versions of Dead songs. Prob multiple sets, too.
-If you’re lucky, you might get the Q…just w/o rehearsal
-Payment plans start at 19.99
…see, it’s not that hard now is it?