LOCKN 3.0

The problem they run into with the “Big Fest” is that it’s hard to appeal to enough people to fill the field. What one group considers “Headliners”, another group doesn’t & they don’t have crossover appeal to those audiences.

Their options for 2023 are probably:
1.) Stick to Single Bands Weekends that can sell. I.E. a Billy Strings, Avett’s, WSP, SCI, maybe Phil & then The Phish 40th Anniversary Festival in August. Also they need to poach things like Tumbledown, Domefest, DSO Jubilee, etc away from places like Legends Valley.

2.) Or move away from the jam acts as headliners. Put jamgrass in the afternoon & the Jambands late night, with more popular acts in the Headliner spots. Bands like Pearl Jam, Springsteen, Eddie Vedder & The Earthlings, MMJ, DMB, RHCP, etc… also they could change the “nostalgia” aspect from the 60’s-70’s hippie vibe to the grunge era of the 90’s. I’d like to see Beck, a Nirvana Tribute, Smashing Pumpkins, etc…

The big thing they have to control is the price, they need to keep the “all in” price (ticket, camping, fees) to under $300 total for GA.
Personally, I like the smaller fest, focused around one band but my favorite aspect of Lockn are the “one off” sets and I’d hate to see those go. That’s they’re “thing”, the worst years we’re the Dead & Co year & The Phish year, cause it lacked that aspect both years. Maybe the Mayer sit in with Lettuce qualifies but that was late night so… I just hope they make it happen again one way or another.

Another big thing they need is infrastructure… they need premenant bathrooms at the show field & at the camp grounds, they need bath houses. I think block houses, all concrete (even the shitters), so it can just be hosed down with pressure washers and can’t be vandalized too bad. They need a “midway” type thing too, fuck a shakedown or vendor row. Have carnival games, rides, a slip n slide, if weed’s legal then a dispensary, dudes giving tattoos, bearded ladies, pregnant Native American Midgets, you know… cool shit. Also, they need the biggest steel sided pole barn type thing imaginable in the middle of the campgrounds, like spokes around a hub, have 24/7 food in there, charging stations, a general store, medical cots, free water, wooks busking for change, tables, couches and TV’s for people to chill and the big thing Air Conditioning… if they’re gonna charge $500 a person then make the place a spot you have to go to. Make it the wook Disney Land.

Nershi, lol. Wook Disneyland got me, love all those suggestions too. Especially the pole barn part.

Single band weekends might work but not at the Phil and certainly not Phish level. Having them back to back helps costs. 

Given the distance, why not two DSO type fests, with one at Lockn'? We'd need to know the distances the audience travels, an unknown quantity to us but known by management.


"Bands like Pearl Jam, Springsteen, Eddie Vedder & The Earthlings, MMJ, DMB, RHCP, etc"  No way (except MMJ). These bands (and Phish) cost too much and can sell out a shed twice as big without the set-up headaches.

Lockn' needs to admit that it will always be a small festival and work that model.

I will buy early bird/presale/in the dark/no idea whos playing tickets for an exorbitant jacked up price and be happy about it...