Lockn’ is still an interminable two months away. If you’re as impatient as we are for the third installment of the music festival, to be held this year from September 10-13 on Oak Ridge Farm in Arrington, there’s good news. Rockn’ to Lockn’ is on, and it features a new and improved format.
The event that launched last year to allow fans to pick a local representative at the festival has now been expanded and reconfigured with a bracket format—a Music Madness, if you will. Four bands will compete in four cities over four weeks, with one emerging victorious in each region to play a leadoff set during the festival. Charlottesville’s chance to determine an opener via fan voting will come July 24, when The Judy Chops, The Sally Rose Band, The Mad Anthonys and Lord Nelson duke it out for their spot in the limelight.
“Lockn’ was really formed as a way for musicians to collaborate, and it was formed with a real sense of locality,” says Jared Stone, a local music promoter who helped launch Rockn’ to Lockn’ in 2014. Festival founders Dave Frey and Peter Shapiro “strive hard to keep the local citizens involved as much as possible,” he says.
Last year’s Rockn’ to Lockn’ featured opening rounds in Richmond and Charlottesville and a final face-to-face for the winners on the Jefferson stage. The idea was to find just one great band to play a set at Lockn’, and Erin and the Wildfire emerged victorious overall after first taking down Kings of Belmont, Steal the Prize and We Are the Design in the C’ville opening round. That assured singer-songwriter Erin Lunsford and her crew their slot, but the second place band, People’s Blues of Richmond, was so good in its losing effort, it was invited to perform a Lockn’ set as well.
“There was always a premise of having a Virginia band open each day,” Stone says. “Instead of randomly choosing, we decided to bring all sorts in and give them an opportunity to showcase their talent and spread the Lockn’ message throughout the state.”
Indeed, while Erin and the Wildfire has seen its star rise considerably since last year’s contest and Lockn’ appearance—the band secured a management deal with Red Light and subsequently toured throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast—Stone says People’s Blues has arguably seen the greater popularity bump, scoring its own management deal and a record contract with Sony.
“They both have done well,” Stone says. “It certainly helped elevate them, and we’re proud of that. It’s nice to be able to help.”
Stone says this year’s four-part contest will only bring more prestige to local musicians, Virginia’s yet-to-be-discovered diamonds in the rockin’ rough. In addition to Charlottesville, Virginia Beach, Falls Church and Richmond were tapped to host contests. The event in Virginia Beach, held on July 10, saw Roosterfoot rock out over 8 armed OcTopuS, Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos and Seth El Chivo Stainback.
Stone says the July 17 band battle in Falls Church would be pretty much wide open, but he had a few predictions for the July 31 Richmond and July 24 C’ville shows.
“In Richmond we have the Southern Belles,” he says. “They’re pretty popular across the state; they could go to any of the areas and do well.”
Stone pointed to two bands that might have an upper hand here in town: The Sally Rose Band and The Judy Chops. He expects Sally Rose’s “way of expressing her musicality” to be a big draw and suggested her “interesting, eclectic group” of drummer Benjamin Jensen, bassist Chris Dammann and guitarist Pete Stallings will appeal to a wide variety of folks. Meanwhile, seven-piece The Judy Chops—featuring William Howard and Molly Murphy on guitar, Sally Murphy on banjolele, Anna Matijasic-Hennessy on violin, Jess Bergh on percussion, Richard Adams on horns and Jim Hinkle on upright bass—will bring its brand of progressive Americana to the stage fresh off an appearance at the Red Wing Roots Festival.
It would certainly seem a mistake to count out the rising star of Southern rockers Lord Nelson, anchored by brothers Kai and Bram Crowe-Getty on guitar and drums and Henry Jones on trombone. The band recently headlined Fridays After Five and seems to have a growing following. And what of The Mad Anthonys, a five-piece out of Waynesboro headed up by Anthony Wayne? Could the band, which is set to share the Southern Cafe and Music Hall stage with The Southern Belles on August 8, upset the favorites?
Regardless of who comes out on top, Stone says Charlottesville projects to be the epicenter of excitement for both Lockn’ and the festival’s battle of the bands. Last year, Rockn’ to Lockn’ was able to sell out the Jeff, and he expects this year will be no different.
“The festival is local, and there’s more interest in the C’ville-Nelson County area,” Stone says. “You get to see four bands play for 40-50 minutes. Who wouldn’t want to see that?”
That is a lot of rockn’ for just one set at Lockn’.
Which local band will you be rooting for at Rockn’ to Lockn’?
Tell us about it in the comments below.