This past weekend, the festival vibes returned to the heart of Atlanta. Shaky Knees just finished its thirteenth active year, its second year at Piedmont Park, and the vibes were off the charts. Anticipation for this event was palpable, starting at the beginning of the year when the lineup dropped, with The Strokes, Twenty One Pilots, and Gorillaz as the headliners. But for an alternative rock-centered festival, there was plenty of variety to keep the crowd engaged between acts, and each day of the festival carried varying vibes amongst the masses of attendees.
Day One - Friday, September 18th
Friday's schedule was simultaneously the shortest day of the festival and the most stacked with its lineup of artists. The gates opened around 4 pm, giving festivalgoers enough time to file their way through the starting acts, including Goldford on the Ponce De Leon stage, and power-pop kingpins Hot Mulligan taking on the festival's biggest area, the Peachtree Stage.
As the bands kept playing, the unfiltered energy was already radiating throughout the park. The anticipation spiked amongst the general admission section the moment Hot Mulligan frontman Nathan "Tades" Sanville took a moment to curse out the VIP section for not being as into the setlist as the other attendees.
As people were trekking their way to the other side of the field towards the Piedmont Stage, Hot Mulligan was finishing their set just in time to make way for Geese's performance.
The Brooklyn rockers took the stage at around 6:30 for an unforgettable setlist, featuring most songs from their latest album Getting Killed and a few from 3D Country. During 2122, Cameron Winter pulled out his cell phone speaker towards his guitar strings before proceeding to blast Rich Homie Quan's "Lifestyle" before diving headfirst back into the madness.
The attendance for Geese, from all the dancing, the sing-a-longs, and massive mosh pits during "Taxes" and especially "Trinidad," felt like one of the most interactive audiences at the festival. Everyone in the crowd singing felt like they knew each other just because of how connected they were to the band and their music. There were a few crowds that displayed true cohesion and inclusiveness during the three days, but this one stood out for all the right reasons.
Suddenly, it was time to walk right back to Peachtree to the sight of the mass of people waiting for Turnstile, and the chaos started from the jump as they broke out with force right into "BIRDS." From there, given their range of influences, from pop-punk and power pop to more dream pop and even shoegaze permeating their sound, the masses of watchers stood around for the entire loud ride that the Baltimore band provided. Moments like "TLC" and "Blackout" felt like the real ragers of the show, while slower and more sentimental moments like "Never Enough" succeeded at bringing the crowd closer together for an immaculate part of the show. The band has shown a significant uptick in their widespread popularity, and the sheer scope of the performance definitely reinstated their staying power.
And from that moment, it was time to get weird. During the 8:30 slot, Danny Elfman and his massive ensemble of bandmates, strings, and background vocalists took the Ponce De Leon Stage for a chaotic set that was stylistically all over the map. He performed songs mainly from his solo catalogue, including the most recent Big Mess album. But that didn't stop Elfman from traveling down different and unpredictable roads, from metal-adjacent material and noise rock to Oingo Boingo covers, to even his own orchestral work, including themes from Batman, The Simpsons, and Beetlejuice. It was enough new material to keep the younger crowd engaged, but he did a fantastic job of weaving nostalgia throughout his set, making the performance more holistic and all-encompassing.
Slated at the same time was Fontaines D.C., who spent their set lighting up the Atlanta skies with immaculate and pristine vibes. The Irish art-rock group spent their set covering all points of their catalogue, with the main focus on their latest album Romance, and even teased some newer material from their upcoming Dopamine Chamber project, due next month.
The performance was more straightforward, as the band ran through all their songs without too much of a pause or time to speak to the crowd. There was one moment where Grian Chatten took the stage to introduce a song dedicated to the children suffering in Gaza, which felt like a more grounded, down-to-earth moment of the setlist. But they managed to save the big hits for last, including "I Love You" and the smash hit "Starburster."
And finally, Friday's headliners, The Strokes, took the Peachtree Stage a bit after 9:30 to provide the swarms of people with a tight 90-minute performance. And although there were varying vibes and reactions to the newer material off Reality Awaits, the cuts they played from the album sounded tighter than ever, instrumentally and vocally. But everyone was really there for the hits, and did they ever deliver. For the majority of the set, the band performed their 2000s material, and everyone in the crowd was going word for word with Julian and even beat for beat with the guitar solos.
The band played songs like "Someday," "12:51," and "Juicebox," sounding exactly like their studio versions. Say what you will about their catalogue, but these guys have never lost the tightness and cohesion that they perfected so early in their career.
There unfortunately was one moment where Albert Hammond Jr'.s amp broke for around five minutes, which caused Julian to rant to the crowd about the dangers of A.I. and whatever else was on his mind. But once the technical error was fixed, the show was in full swing again, and the interconnectedness between the crowd was something to behold. Even though the set had to end early because of the technical issue and the hard curfew, they cut their set short by ending with "Reptilia," but for what fans were offered during their set, it felt like the perfect combo of everything the festivalgoers love about the band, and more.
While the day was stacked, fast-paced, hot, and tiring, it was an exceptional taster for what the rest of the weekend would bring. Even if there wasn't a band people were previously not huge into, all the artists performed like the whole crowd was meant to be included. It was a grand get-together of rock fans of all different ages and groups that felt inclusive. There was hope that the Saturday could rival the incredibly strong start to the weekend. But it seemed that different plans were lurking around, giving us a very different day two.
Day Two - Saturday, September 19th
Starting much earlier with the gates opening before noon, Saturday's festivities began with music from Songs for Kids, a Downtown Atlanta foundation that supports kids with mental illnesses and disabilities. From there, acts began filling up the festival environment as soon as more people filed their way through the gates. The newer, smaller acts at the beginning of the day included bands like Old Mervs, Sophie's Body, and Vilanelle, as well as dedicated singer-songwriters like Elio Mei and Sir Chloe.
Geordie Greep took the smallest stage at the festival, Criminal Records, at 3:45 for an incredibly tight set full of unfiltered madness and controlled chaos. He and the band only ran through a few songs during their 45-minute set, but they made the most of each selection. The band started with an intro jam coasting into a ten-minute off-the-rails version of "The New Sound," which led fans headfirst into a tumultuous yet enthralling musical journey.
And for the rest of the set, the energy between the band and the rowdy crowd didn't falter once. They ran through "Walk Up," "Blues," Terra," and "Holy, Holy" in seamless fashion and included a few surprises along the way. For one of the most fast-paced sets at the festival, while his avant-jazz-prog sound might not be for everyone, Geordie's bandmanship and camaraderie onstage and love for experimenting are what made his set so captivating for all watching.
At 4:30, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets took the Ponce De Leon Stage for a loud, booming, and electrifying set that drew in the masses with their heavy-psych sound. They ran through a good mix of their catalogue, with a specific focus on the two albums the band dropped last year, and everyone was absorbed in their aesthetic and onstage chemistry, even if they weren't aware of their music beforehand. They were originally scheduled for two sets, on account of Jimmy Eat World pulling out of the festival at the last minute, so this left people with a great deal of anticipation for what was to come.
Peach Pit played a set during that same time over at Peachtree. Despite only making it big in the late 2010s, the band drew in a huge crowd for their mainstage slot, spreading their trademark dream-pop sound throughout the speakers and lighting the crowd up on a wide scale.
Back at Criminal Records, it was time to make way for Congress the Band, a small group hailing from South Carolina that's made a pretty rapid following in the last few years. They mainly played originals, with their sound rooted in alternative rock and power-pop aesthetics, while sneaking in two covers, including "Valerie" by Amy Winehouse and "Midnight in Harlem" by Tedeschi Trucks Band.
By the end of their set, however, the festival was on alert. At about two songs in from both Blood Orange and Taking Back Sunday, thunder and lightning were in the area, and the festival had to be evacuated. People were still lurking around the structures to see if the festival had any chance of continuing its schedule as planned. But then five minutes later, the downpour began as the entire park and streets surrounding it were becoming flooded. Staff were telling attendees to get out of the festival grounds for their own safety, and people were leaving under the impression that the rest of the day was done and there was no way they could continue.
However, over two hours later, the festival posted an official update regarding the forecast and the rest of the day.
Thank you for your patience. We are working to prepare the grounds to welcome you back into Piedmont Park. Doors will reopen at 9:20pm. Due to the weather delay, Twenty One Pilots will be the only remaining performance this evening and the show will end at 11pm.
This rain delay ended up cutting the rest of Blood Orange's and Taking Back Sunday's sets, and canceled the planned performances from Pierce The Veil, The Prodigy, Pavement, and the second Psychedelic Porn Crumpets set.
But by 9:30, Twenty One Pilots were able to put on a full headlining set, starting and ending promptly, drawing in a massive crowd despite the severe weather delay. They mostly played songs from their two newest projects, while managing to cover the hits like "Stressed Out," "Car Radio," and "Jumspuit." Even though there were only a few tracks that had to be cut for time, it felt like fans were given the proper show they deserve. Through all the stress and uncertainty, the festival still ended with a memorable headlining performance and left fans with anticipation for a full final day.
Day Three - Sunday, September 20th
Returning to the muddy festival grounds for a final time, the third day started with an early entrance time and another opening performance from the Songs for Kids foundation. From there, beginning acts were spread out all over the park, including performances from Porch Light, Showing Teeth, Sunday Mourners, and Cardinals.
Near 2 pm, Violet Grohl performed on the Piedmont stage with a loud ensemble of musicians to back her up. For only releasing her debut album earlier this year, the turnout for her set was significant. The dreary, downtrodden post-grunge atmosphere that she and her band conjured onstage felt like the perfect match for the grueling hot day. She had a natural swagger while playing and drew a huge crowd for an early performance.
At 2:45, it was time to head back to the Peachtree stage for the day's first big act: New York progressive-rock and post-hardcore titans Coheed and Cambria. The four-piece rocked the main stage for an hour of grueling hard prog to an uproarious crowd. They ran through most of their catalogue, including showstoppers from their most recent project, and ended with the crowd favorite "Welcome Home."
Jet and OK Go played at the same time slot and gave fans two completely different experiences. About two songs into OK Go's set, the soundboard crashed out fully. The band had to stop the performance for a while to get the technical error fixed and stable. During that time, frontman Damien Kulash made his way into the crowd with his acoustic guitar and entertained fans with a mini sing-a-long, before returning for the rest of their set.
Meanwhile, Jet ran through their performance without a hitch, drawing in a large mass of people viewing their set from all corners of their field. People were piled up on hills just to get a glimpse of their huge hit, "Are You Gonna Be My Girl," which sounded exactly like its recorded version, and Nic Cester's voice hasn't seemed to age a day.
Back at Peachtree, the sun was blazing over the crowd around 5:30 in time for Santigold. The biggest pop act of the day was met with a huge crowd that was dancing their way through the mud the entire hour. She ran through her material mostly without skipping a beat. There was one moment where her sound cut off due to a barricade issue, plus Santi inviting fans onstage to dance with her. But once the sound came back, things were in full swing. The full set was equal parts electrifying and nostalgic, and her pop prowess still knows how to control a crowd no matter the atmosphere.
An hour later, Modest Mouse played across the field back on the Piedmont Stage. They played a mix of new and old material, including many deep cuts that casual listeners might not have been familiar with. But the band's setup has only gotten larger with time. Isaac Brock's voice hasn't changed since their come-up in the 90s and their sound has only gotten more delicate as the years go by. It was a nostalgic performance for the real indieheads of the festival.
On the other end, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony took the Ponce De Leon stage for an hour of melodic gangsta rap with a boom-bap flair. Being only one of two hip-hop acts of the festival, the crowd for them was massive, as fans were eagerly awaiting to be hit with the same rap nostalgia they grew so fondly with. Fans were vibing, moshing, and crooning along during the set, and their performance proved them to be one of the more versatile acts of the day.
Next, it was time to head up a small hill directly to Criminal Records for Brooklyn dance act, Fcukers, who played through a tight hour long set including material mostly off their new album and their early EPs. The duo was accompanied by two other backing musicians that gave their captivating, playful sound a much more lively aesthetic, which kept the whole crowd moving and dancing for the entire performance.
And then Wu-Tang Clan took on Peachtree during that same slot, with all the remaining members running through the early hits from their 36 Chambers album, as well as each member covering their own solo material. It was a holistic representation of everything the group has worked towards in their storied career and it was a grand getting together of the real hip-hop heads at a mainly rock-centered festival.
The co-headlining slots went to LCD Soundsystem and Knocked Loose, who both performed for over an hour each. Knocked Loose played Ponce De Leon and murdered the speakers with their hard-as-nails metalcore sound. They namely played material from their latest album and EP, but did include some early crowd hits within their set. It was the big boost of chaotic energy that the Shaky Knees crowds desired, and they certainly delivered it on a thunderous scale.
LCD Soundsystem closed the Piedmont Stage, running through hits including
"Tonite," "Pow Pow," "North American Scum," and ending with the cathartic one-two punch of "Dance Yrself Clean" and "All My Friends." They drew in a massive crowd that could have rivaled the size of the headlining set, as viewing their set extended well beyond the stage.
Everyone in the crowd was interconnected with each other through the power of music. Nothing in their set represented that more during the final moments of the show, where the sound cut out and they kept playing "All My Friends," and somehow, the audience knew the rest of the lyrics. Despite the technical issue, it was a powerful moment of the festival that had a much deeper meaning with fans that you'd expect.
Closing out the festival at 9 pm was another headliner, Gorillaz. For 90 minutes, the ensemble ran through a mix of their discography, specifically highlighting songs from their latest album, The Mountain. Damon Albarn and company ran though the mix of tracks without a blip. In the middle of the set, Damon invited some special collaborators from Atlanta, including DRAM during "Andromeda," 6LACK on "The Pink Phantom," and EARTHGANG during "Opium." They ended with the hits including "Feel Good Inc." and "Dirty Harry," and closed the festival by iviting Del the Funky Homosapien on for "Clint Eastwood." And just like that, the festival came to a close.
For being a mostly rock centered festival, Shaky Knees brought something for everyone. They had dance acts, rap, electronic, alternative pop, pop-punk, and more to keep everyone in the crowd engaged with the festival's variety of selections. And despite all the challenges with scheduling, the weather, and technical delays, the festival was still met with overwhelming crowds and memorable sets for all the right reasons.
The versatility of acts was the biggest selling point of the festival and they delivered on that promise. This festival, despite the upredeictable nature and chaos at certain points, was a huge success and hopefully, they'll be able to reurn bigger and better than ever come next September.
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