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PHOTOS: The Best of Lockn’ Festival 2018

RVA Staff | August 29, 2018

Topics: Big Something, Blues Traveler, Butcher Brown, Dead & Company, Erin & The Wildfire, George Clinton & P-Funk, John Mayer, Keller Williams, Lettuce, Lockn Festival, Matisyahu, Moon Taxi, music festival, People's Blues of Richmond, rva music, Sheryl Crow, Umphree's Mcgee, VA music

This past weekend, thousands of jam band fans, deadheads, festy fiends, and music lovers of all kinds flocked to Infinity Downs Farms in Arrington, Va. to see their favorite national, regional, and local acts perform at the annual Lockn’ Festival. Over 25 bands and musicians filled the bill for the four-day jam and rock music fest, which launched back in 2013, including major acts like Umphrey’s McGee, Lettuce, Dead & Company, funk legend George Clinton, Sheryl Crow, Matisyahu, and Widespread Panic. Of course, the usual suspects were there as well, with multiple performances by Keller Williams, along with Bob Weir and friends.

Lockn’ saw several Richmond acts take the stage including the psychedelic rock circus that is People’s Blues of Richmond and instrumental funky jazz group Butcher Brown, along with Charlottesville’s Erin & the Wildfire and Disco Risque. Although the music is what brings in attendees, the sense of camaraderie, good vibes, activities, and overall camping experience is what keeps them coming back year after year. All throughout the day, people could be seen doing yoga, riding around the campgrounds on bikes, hula-hooping, swimming in the Tye River, and dancing into the wee hours to late-night sets. A newer addition to the festival was Garcia’s Forest, a late-night dance party with DJs blasting the music of the Grateful Dead legend himself.

Also, new this year, was Hamageddon, a 14-inch high metal pig sculpture that cooks a pig-on-a-spit in its “belly” and shoots fire from both ends. LOCKN’ partnered with Chef Craig Hartman at Virginia’s BBQ Exchange to serve Hamageddon pulled pork sandwiches all weekend long. Yeah, you missed out if you weren’t there.

Photo Courtesy of Lockn Festival

RVA Mag was there to capture all of the great performances, barefoot dancing, chill vibes, and more. Below, check out what you missed, or relive the magic from Lockn’ Festival 2018:

John Mayer and Bob Weir
Lettuce
Butcher Brown

People’s Blues of Richmond
Tim Beavers, People’s Blues of Richmond
George Clinton

Erin Lunsford of Erin & The Wildfire

Sheryl Crow

Photos By: Branden Wilson and Darienne Skye Montgomery, Intro by Amy David 

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Hoopla Returns to Devils Backbone with Outdoor Adventures, Music, Beer & Camping this Weekend

Amy David | September 28, 2017

Topics: Charlottesville, craft beer, Devil's Backbone, Hoopla, music festival, Nelson County, outdoors, RVA On Tap, virginia craft beer

If you’re just looking to go walk around and drink a beer, you go to a brewery or craft beer festival, if you want to just listen to some good tunes, you go to a music festival or head to a show, but if you want that, but also crave a little more action and excitement, Devils Backbone Brewing Company’s Hoopla is the place for you this weekend.

Now in its second year, Hoopla offers a weekend of camping, outdoor activities, workshops, kid-friendly events, yoga, music, beer and more for those adventure-seekers out there. The multi-day festival aims to give attendees a different experience than a run-of-the-mill festival according to DB Chief Operating Officer Hayes Humphreys.


“The world doesn’t really need another beer or music festival,” he said. “We set out to ensure that Hoopla offers something unique, and we made that happen by leveraging the amazing venues we have at Basecamp, tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains. Steve and Heidi Crandall founded Devils Backbone here because it’s at the crossroads of a slew of amazing adventures: hiking, biking, kayaking, wine touring, skiing…”

Devils Backbone, in Nelson County in Charlottesville, up until this year, held the Virginia Craft Beer Festival on their grounds and they also host the three-day music festival, The Festy Experience. While the former two cater to the craft beer enthusiasts and music lovers, Hoopla is meant to draw people together to craft their own adventure.

“Hoopla was created out of our desire to make an event that lets Devils Backbone drinkers immerse themselves in and celebrate our culture,” he said. “We’ve held a number of great festivals at Basecamp over the years but they were all created and directed by outsiders, and we wanted something that was a comprehensive reflection of everything Devils Backbone is about.”

Humphreys said the organizers planned Hoopla around seven values that represent the brewery: “Adventure”, which consists of field trips from the brewery; “Beer Positivity”, where the craft beer comes in obviously, “Family”, featuring a slew of activities for all ages, “Passion”, the musical programming aspect; “Humility” the educational programming component; “Integrity”, which consists of sports and games; and finally “Stewardship”, where the festival offer opportunities to make a positive impact on the environment.

Returning activities to this year’s festival include a Pop-Up Beer festival and a Beer Dinner, hiking, biking, touring Nelson County, and panel discussions, which Humphreys said were a big highlight of last year’s Hoopla.

“Last year, I sat in on an amazing panel discussion with several Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers that was totally eye-opening…,” he said.

In addition to that, there will be a campfire cook-off challenge, brewery tours, a guided mountain bike ride, a tie-dye workshop, instrument making, cornhole, a 5k, Backpacker Magazine AT Through Hikers Panel, two stages of live music featuring 20 bands and more. Check out DB’s “How to Hoopla” Guide here for the complete rundown of events for the weekend.

“The Daypack Games, which was a whole separate festival last year, has been condensed and will be a fun mini-Olympics within Hoopla this year.”

The musicians and bands are mostly from around the state, with The Dharma Bombs representing Richmond along with fellow Virginia bands Lorn Nelson, Chamomile & Whiskey, Disco Risque, Travis Tucker and Elliot Rogers, Bryan Elijah Smith & The Wild Hearts, Gold Top County Ramblers, along with the Cville All-Stars. Rainbow Kitten Surprise, The Hip Abduction, Blitzen Trapper, and Langhorne Slim will headline the festival. Check out the full lineup here.

“I think the music is another differentiator for us,’ he said of the acts. “We have some awesome string music and some rock, indie, alt-country, and lots more. All the acts are tied together by their high energy and how much fun they are on stage.”

And if you’re wondering about the beer, don’t worry, Devils Backbone made sure to create some festive brews just for the occasion.

“For this year, we’ve brewed two special Hoopla beers with two of the bands set to play,” Humphreys said. “Lady Lie PA is a bright, fresh, exciting IPA featuring a slew of fruity, juicy hops. The Keeler is a light and refreshing Golden Ale brewed with and for Larry Keel. Larry told us he wanted something he could pound!”

Last year, Hoopla saw 1,500 festivalgoers and Humphreys said with ticket sales, they are expecting about 2,000 for this year’s event. Camping, parking and all of the activities and adventures taking place are included in the ticket price except for the beer dinner on Saturday night which benefits the Nelson County Pantry.

The three-day festival kicks off this Fri., Sept. 30 and runs through Oct. 1. Weekend passes including camping as well as single day passes are available.  Tickets range from $15 for one day up to $120 for a four-day camping pass with a number of options in between. You can grab yours here.

 

Music returns to Mayo Island with inaugural music & arts fest, ‘Jam Sandwich’ on Saturday

Amy David | June 29, 2017

Topics: Dalton Dash, Dead Frog, Ellwood thompson's, Jam bands, Jam Sandwich, Mayo Island, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Moon Taxi, music and arts festival, music festival, Rikki Shay, RVA bands, rva music festival, Strangways Brewing, Three One One Productions, yoga

Festieheads rejoice, a new music & arts festival will bring life back to Mayo Island this Saturday.

Jam Sandwich, put on by Richmond’s Three One One Productions, is a one-day event bringing live music, arts and crafts, yoga, and more to Mayo Island this weekend.

Headlining the festival are Michael Franti & Spearhead and Moon Taxi, along with locals Dalton Dash, Rikki Shay, and Dead Frog, and Atlanta’s Chelsea Shag rounding out the rest of the bill.

Founded about eight years ago, local event company Three One One Productions is behind most of the festivals in town including the Scott’s Addition Pumpkin Festival, Carytown Watermelon Festival (in partnership with Carytown Merchants Association), Shamrock the Block, Hops & Barley Fest and more.

President Micki Long said after attending and working at major music festivals like Camp Bisco and Langerado (now defunct) over the years, she liked the idea of bringing a similar concept to Richmond on a smaller scale.

“I’ve always really liked the vibe of those kind of festivals and attended a lot of them; not only worked a lot of them so it’s always been in the back of my mind it was just a matter of finding the right place, the right time, and the right bands,” she said. “I also want to showcase a lot of our good local stuff…I think that’s important too finding ones that fit in this sort of music festival vibe, I see it as not just music, but as a whole experience.”

Throughout the last year, Long has been working with the owners of Mayo Island getting permits in place for a location that she has had her eye on from when she first had the idea.

Image may contain: one or more people, crowd and outdoor

“I think that’s a really cool little secret spot in the middle of downtown Richmond that’s still got grass on it and trees, but still has a great urban vibe, you have the railroad tracks that go across it, you have a big abandoned warehouse you can use for shade,” she said. “And it’s in the middle of the James River.”

It worked out too that reggae/hip hop/funk artist Michael Franti & Spearhead and Nashville’s prog rock band Moon Taxi were available to headline the festival, and by getting RVA’s folk quartet Dalton Dash, rock group Rikki Shay, and blues-rock band Dead Frog on board, Long was able to bring her vision for Jam Sandwich to life.

“All of the pieces seemed to fall in place this year and I really think the culture of the city of Richmond is a great place for this type of experience festival, not just music,” she said. “It’s a lineup that has a little bit of all kinds of different things in it.”

Prior to Jam Sandwich, there have only been just a handful of festivals over the years at the 13-acre island that gives access to Shockoe Bottom and downtown to Manchester by way of the 14th Street Bridge.

Country on Mayo, a country music festival took place there in 2013, and prior to that, Queens of the Stone Age performed there in 2000 and the island has been pretty much a ghost town musically otherwise.

“That was the last one that I went to on Mayo Island,” she said referring to the Queens of the Stone Age concert. “It hasn’t been used in many, many years they stopped renting it out, it’s just been sitting there.”

Jam Sandwich is taking the “jam” theme and running with it beyond musical acts. Ellwood Thompson’s is making a signature PB&J sandwich just for the event, Strangeways Brewing will be there serving up jam-inspired brews as well as some of its flagships, and the festival will also be selling a raspberry “Jamtini” provided by Titos. Belle Isle Moonshine will also offer cocktails.

Tapping into the Coachella-like atmosphere, Jam Sandwich will feature everything from free festie face painting to yoga.

“We’ve got a yoga garden where were going to have yoga instructors,” she said adding that they will open the gates an hour prior to the music to host a yoga class in the field. “Throughout the day in the Zen garden we’ll have lavender towels and cushions to sit on.”

Attendees can also spray paint inside the warehouse on the property, enjoy cotton candy and check out a fabric art installation by Function Form among other interactive elements.

“We’re just trying to make it slightly different so it’s not the same generic street festival, which is nothing wrong with them I do them all the time,” she said. “I just wanted to bring something slightly different to Richmond that has the same vibe as a Firefly or a Coachella without the camping at a much more affordable price in the middle of the city.”

And while there’s no camping this year, Long did hint at the possibility in the future along with making Jam Sandwich an annual event.

“We’re going to do one day this year and start growing it on from that,” she said. “That’s definitely something I’d like to see in the future its growing it as it is and getting Richmond to embrace it, and once they embrace it, its finding a place I have the room so we can move to that next step.”

Jam Sandwich kicks off this Sat., July 1 at Mayo Island located at 501 South 14th St. with music from 12-8 pm. Gates open at 11 am. General Admission tickets are $30 in advance, $45 the day of, and a viewing platform option is for sale for $135 which includes on-island parking and a few other treats. Get yours here. On island parking passes are $7 or attendees have the option to park in the surrounding lots which are within walking distance.

 

Twelve Richmond acts head to Maryland’s Shadefest this weekend

Amy David | June 20, 2017

Topics: Big Mama Shakes, Burning Fire Reggae Band, Dalton Dash, Josie McQueen, Jouwala Collective, Keith Setter, Maryland music festival, music festival, People's Blues of Richmond, Shadefest, Sid Kingsley, South Hill Banks, The Folly, Too Indecent, Toxic Moxie

The third year of the Avenue, MD., festival known as Shadefest kicks off this weekend, and a slew of Richmond acts are on the bill.

People’s Blues of Richmond, along with 11 other local acts including Jouwala Collective, Sid Kingsley, The Folly, Dalton Dash, South Hill Banks, Big Mama Shakes, Burning Fire Reggae Band, Toxic Moxie, Josie McQueen, Too Indecent, and Keith Yetter are scheduled to play.

Perpetual Groove, Litz, Electric Love Machine and other nationally touring bands and musicians will be performing. Check out the full lineup here.

In addition to three days of live music, the festival will feature food vendors, camping, art, and swimming.

Until then, jam to your favorite RVA bands in the following videos and snag your tickets below.

Shadefest 2017 kicks off this Fri., June 22 and runs through Sun. June 24. GA Camping is  $90 and VIP Shade Camping: $225. Grab yours here.

 

Catch nine RVA bands and other acts at this weekend’s 8th Annual Pink Moon Festival in West Virginia

Amy David | September 15, 2016

Topics: Headless Mantis, Imaginary Sons, Josie McQueen, music festival, Pink Moon Festival, RVA bands, Southern Belles, Suneater, The Congress, The Folly, Toxic Moxie, Venus Guytrap

Rock Camp, West Virginia’s Pink Moon Festival kicks off its eighth year today and will run through the weekend, bringing four nights of camping, music, and arts.
[Read more…] about Catch nine RVA bands and other acts at this weekend’s 8th Annual Pink Moon Festival in West Virginia

LAVA Fest Spotlight: Examining the prevailing growth of Virginia Beach’s Ladada

Amy David | May 27, 2016

Topics: Ladada, LAVA Fest, music festival, Norfolk

The second annual LAVA Fest is upon us, and with it brings several artists worthy of any type of musical adulation from national touring acts like Charles Bradley down to RVA favorites like No BS! Brass. There are plenty of reasons to make this a festival a focal point of your Memorial Day weekend, but one you may not have considered — and you absolutely need to — would be the opportunity to take in the golden music of Virginia Beach act Ladada.
[Read more…] about LAVA Fest Spotlight: Examining the prevailing growth of Virginia Beach’s Ladada

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