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Hats off to Dave Frey, Peter Shapiro & Co.
Sept 25, 2014 1:02:49 GMT -5
Sneake, suebhunny, and 8 more like this
Post by Dylan on Sept 25, 2014 1:02:49 GMT -5
Honestly, this should have been the first thread I started.
Dave Frey, Peter Shapiro, and everyone else involved with this festival are doing a hell of a job cultivating an absolutely remarkable music festival.
Just some of my talking points:
We were all very anxious about arrival, waiting to get in, etc. AND THEY FUCKING NAILED IT.
Although the gates opened just a little bit late (6:00 am was a bit optimistic, as they had to wait for daylight to break), the entrance process went smoothly, quickly and fairly. Once the line started moving, I saw steady progress all the way to my campsite. Arguably the best festival entrance I've ever encountered. Bonnaroo leaves me on the side of a major highway, where I'm essentially trapped in my car for an indefinite period of time. Lockn' parks me in a nice, safe field. There were restrooms available, I could get out of the car to stretch and socialize - it was a "lot," not a "line".
Moving the campgrounds was a huge improvement.
Their decision to buy that property was a wise one. Honestly, they did us a huge favor in doing so. I had one of the longer walks to the venue (I was in Car Camping, not far from the Triangle Stage) and I absolutely cannot complain about my walk to the venue. If I hustled, I could get to the entrance in 10 minutes. That's more than reasonable in my book. The campgrounds felt like more of a community this year, and I think the centralization obviously contributed to that.
In addition to the reconfiguration, they made significant upgrades to the campgrounds.
There were more vendors, more sinks, plenty of bathrooms, basically there was more of everything. It felt more like a 24-hour carnival than last year. There just seemed to be more to do and considerably more food options available at all hours of the day. This was a big difference for me, personally. Year one the campgrounds didn't feel like a "festival" campground, year two certainly did.
Latenight Sets? Sure. Wake-up Sets? Yeah, we've got them too.
I'm used to a festival with a latenight scene, but a show at 11:00 am? Can't say I've seen one until Lockn' this year. Music from 11:00 am to 4:00 am? We have reached maximum capacity. I'm not sure there is another place in the world where you can digest that much live music in a single day. Stacked-up against any other festival in the country, Lockn' absolutely wins in the Music per Minute breakdown (when analyzed from a viability standpoint).
The Triangle and Shakedown Stages
So, while I'm on the subject - those two side stages were absolutely amazing. The Triangle and Shakedown stages hosted many of the musical highlights for me. I'm not sure I would change a thing. They were incredible venues in their own right. Latenight at the Triangle was absolutely surreal. The mornings at the Triangle were remarkable in their own right - they felt incredibly organic. Shakedown was such a perfect natural amphitheater it was ridiculous. There was plenty of standing room (on level ground) for people who wanted to stand-up, followed by a massive hill with room for a few thousand people to lay out and take in the show. I really hope they can keep the bonfires going.
These stages deserve their own threads, which I'm sure I'll start in due time. I am a huge, huge fan of both side stages.
In addition an outstanding lineup, they provided numerous unique/one-off musical events.
I love it when a festival finds ways to present artists in a capacity that is different from a normal tour-stop. Lockn' is excelling at providing me with shows that I could never see anywhere else on the planet. Steve Winwood backed by Widespread Panic. A 2-hour set from Taj Mahal, completely solo, in the middle of the woods. Keller Williams Grateful Gospel. String Cheese and the Gang. Derek Trucks playing an full set with an acoustic guitar?!? Christ. I can't even talk about all of my musical experiences at Lockn' without sounding like a braggart.
I'm not without my criticisms or critiques. And when you see my more critical posts in other threads, know that they come from a place of love. I think this is an outstanding festival and all of my comments are aimed at improving upon a quality product. This festival is still in its growth stage, and I aim to provide as much feedback as I can.
The promoters of this festival seem genuinely interested in taking feedback from its patrons and creating a festival that truly is about the fan experience. They are giving us an incredible gift, and I am eternally grateful for the memories they've already helped create, not to mention any that might be forthcoming.
So, to Dave Frey, Peter Shapiro, and anyone else who helped make Lockn' happen:
Thank you!
You've already given me two of the best weekends of my life and I'm definitely on-board for many weekends to come. I cannot wait to see what the Lockns of the future hold! Keep up the tremendous work.
Dave Frey, Peter Shapiro, and everyone else involved with this festival are doing a hell of a job cultivating an absolutely remarkable music festival.
Just some of my talking points:
We were all very anxious about arrival, waiting to get in, etc. AND THEY FUCKING NAILED IT.
Although the gates opened just a little bit late (6:00 am was a bit optimistic, as they had to wait for daylight to break), the entrance process went smoothly, quickly and fairly. Once the line started moving, I saw steady progress all the way to my campsite. Arguably the best festival entrance I've ever encountered. Bonnaroo leaves me on the side of a major highway, where I'm essentially trapped in my car for an indefinite period of time. Lockn' parks me in a nice, safe field. There were restrooms available, I could get out of the car to stretch and socialize - it was a "lot," not a "line".
Moving the campgrounds was a huge improvement.
Their decision to buy that property was a wise one. Honestly, they did us a huge favor in doing so. I had one of the longer walks to the venue (I was in Car Camping, not far from the Triangle Stage) and I absolutely cannot complain about my walk to the venue. If I hustled, I could get to the entrance in 10 minutes. That's more than reasonable in my book. The campgrounds felt like more of a community this year, and I think the centralization obviously contributed to that.
In addition to the reconfiguration, they made significant upgrades to the campgrounds.
There were more vendors, more sinks, plenty of bathrooms, basically there was more of everything. It felt more like a 24-hour carnival than last year. There just seemed to be more to do and considerably more food options available at all hours of the day. This was a big difference for me, personally. Year one the campgrounds didn't feel like a "festival" campground, year two certainly did.
Latenight Sets? Sure. Wake-up Sets? Yeah, we've got them too.
I'm used to a festival with a latenight scene, but a show at 11:00 am? Can't say I've seen one until Lockn' this year. Music from 11:00 am to 4:00 am? We have reached maximum capacity. I'm not sure there is another place in the world where you can digest that much live music in a single day. Stacked-up against any other festival in the country, Lockn' absolutely wins in the Music per Minute breakdown (when analyzed from a viability standpoint).
The Triangle and Shakedown Stages
So, while I'm on the subject - those two side stages were absolutely amazing. The Triangle and Shakedown stages hosted many of the musical highlights for me. I'm not sure I would change a thing. They were incredible venues in their own right. Latenight at the Triangle was absolutely surreal. The mornings at the Triangle were remarkable in their own right - they felt incredibly organic. Shakedown was such a perfect natural amphitheater it was ridiculous. There was plenty of standing room (on level ground) for people who wanted to stand-up, followed by a massive hill with room for a few thousand people to lay out and take in the show. I really hope they can keep the bonfires going.
These stages deserve their own threads, which I'm sure I'll start in due time. I am a huge, huge fan of both side stages.
In addition an outstanding lineup, they provided numerous unique/one-off musical events.
I love it when a festival finds ways to present artists in a capacity that is different from a normal tour-stop. Lockn' is excelling at providing me with shows that I could never see anywhere else on the planet. Steve Winwood backed by Widespread Panic. A 2-hour set from Taj Mahal, completely solo, in the middle of the woods. Keller Williams Grateful Gospel. String Cheese and the Gang. Derek Trucks playing an full set with an acoustic guitar?!? Christ. I can't even talk about all of my musical experiences at Lockn' without sounding like a braggart.
I'm not without my criticisms or critiques. And when you see my more critical posts in other threads, know that they come from a place of love. I think this is an outstanding festival and all of my comments are aimed at improving upon a quality product. This festival is still in its growth stage, and I aim to provide as much feedback as I can.
The promoters of this festival seem genuinely interested in taking feedback from its patrons and creating a festival that truly is about the fan experience. They are giving us an incredible gift, and I am eternally grateful for the memories they've already helped create, not to mention any that might be forthcoming.
So, to Dave Frey, Peter Shapiro, and anyone else who helped make Lockn' happen:
Thank you!
You've already given me two of the best weekends of my life and I'm definitely on-board for many weekends to come. I cannot wait to see what the Lockns of the future hold! Keep up the tremendous work.
