The 10th anniversary of Shaky Knees was a complete sellout – 3 day festival general admission, various shades of VIP status, and single day tickets – all gone well before the festival started. The lineup was built to keep Shaky special among others, focusing on Indie music while respecting the need for a diversity of styles.
Friday was a cool day set to stay in the mid-60’s, but would a forecast of light rain continuing through the day temper attendance? No. Fridays at Shaky Knees are typically a late afternoon or early evening arrival for the masses, given Atlanta traffic and a workday. The crowd arrived earlier than ever before.
Arlie, pop musician from Nashville, greeted festival arrivals at the nearby Ponce de Leon stage. Colorfully costumed, Arlie brought the energy to steer a crowd ready to be led, getting them clapping and waving arms within a few songs. Early hits “didya think” and “big fat mouth” fit right in with his more current material from his last 2022 release. Also, kudos to the festival organizers and/or park owners for removing the prior stage and opening up the space to relocate the stage further back where it can better suit a larger crowd.
Over at the Criminal Records stage, Gringo Star, a local long-running band with seven albums to their credit, shared their good-natured vibe and… what is Indie music anyway? Maybe “tough to pin down a label” applies. Pop rock? Garage rock? 60’s psych rock? A little bit of surf music? Whatever. Jangly guitar riffs, tight harmonies, keyboards to supplement the guitars.. The band has it all. “Shadow” remains a favorite, but give “Hanging Around” a listen off their 2023 EP.
Pop-rockers Spacey Jane are on their first US tour, with two albums behind them and having conquered the Australian charts with their 2022 release, Here Comes Everybody. Their band name way suggest a 60’s psychedelic rock style, but their set revealed a mid-tempo pop band, with strong lead vocals by Caleb Harper, melodious bass lines, and bright guitars. As mentioned, the crowd kept arriving through the rain, and guitarist Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu was ready to show for a big stage, jumping, kicking, spinning… definitely into the crowd scene.
About that Shaky Knees 10th year anniversary merchandise… The relocation of the Ponce de Leon stage made ample room to relocate the merch tent as well. Good thing! Despite the light rain, the crowd was “all in” early to get their swag. The merch includes many Shaky Knees products but also T-shirts and other items from the bands, but you have to get their early. The Flaming Lips, who wouldn’t appear until Sunday, was sold out of their gear by Saturday morning. In fact, the merch lines were far shorter after opening day.
Illuminati Hotties gathered a strong crowd at the Criminal Records stage, a favorite for many due its location at the bottom of a wide, grassy and tree colored hillside. Their music is termed by songwriter/producer Sarah Tudzin as “tenderpunk,” and their songs might also be considered pop-punk given her often tongue-in-cheek but always clever lyrics. For someone who was essentially encouraged by others to release recordings made to showcase her producer skills, she’s a natural on stage – smiles, eye contact, fist pumping… you get it. Standouts included “Freequent Letdown” and “(You’re Better) Than Ever.
Given the energy required to play drums, it’s always surprising to find drummers who sing lead vocals. Dave Grohl, Don Henley, Levon Helm, Phil Collins… Add Nick Rattigan of Surf Curse to the list. Illumati’s “reasons 2 live” and Surf Curse’s “Jaime” share a sentiment in the value of friendships. Neither were played at Shaky, but it shows that “tenderpunk” and “punk-surf rock” can connect to the things that really matter. On the other hand, “Freaks,” their massive hit, mines depression without the suggestion of a helping hand. It’s easy to get caught up in the general feel of “garage” or “punk” in their various stylistic incarnations, but the lyrics can surprise. The band put on a good show, but with two guitarists and a bassist, it’s another surprise that the Rattigan holds the visual energy for a live performance.
“Food fight!” That’s one of the songs played by Be Your Own Pet, a Tennessee band that holds quite a bit tighter to their punk/garage forebearers. What kind of singer do you need for something loud and frenetic? Maybe one like Jenna Pearl, parading back and forth across the stage to get those at the fence and beyond super excited. The band set the high level mark for that point in the day for pure adrenaline rush. Try “Hand Grenade.”
Placebo opened their set with “Forever Chemicals” and “Beautiful James” from their 2022 CD, Never Let Me Go. Their set would include two additional songs from that album, their first since 2013. One of the great things about festivals is that you not only discover new acts but perhaps old ones that you somehow missed, and a post-event pleasure is that I have seven earlier albums to dig into. The band sounds in many ways like the 90’s band that they are, loud and clean guitars and keyboard touches that at times vaguely recalls Nine Inch Nails. Crowd interaction was minimal, but they still put on an engaging show, with tall/slender guitarist Stefan Olsdal active across much the stage. The final song was a slower and darker cover of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” which it turns out they recorded long before her song resurfaced in the last season of “Stranger Things.”
Greta Van Fleet made their second appearance at Shaky Knees. Unabashedly influenced by Led Zeppelin in song stylings, costuming and stage presence, the band features Josh Kiszka on vocals, who can deliver the Robert Plant chops as easily as he greeted the crowd with a megawatt smile. Critics aside, it’s not like it’s easy to write material where Led Zep so readily comes to mind. The band has a horde of fans, and they showed for their set at the Peachtree stage, and they’ll likely headline their next. The set began with “Built by Nations” off their 2021 album followed by “Black Smoke Rising,” the only one covered from their first CD. Included in the ten song set were two new songs, “Meeting the Master” and the unreleased “Sacred the Thread.” With a band fronted by three brothers, it makes one wonder how their walls rattled when they learned their craft.
Descriptions of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs aptly include art-rock, post-punk, and dance-floor friendly, as well as critically acclaimed. The third song of their set, “Y Control,” included a confetti bomb with purple “Y” tissues. A picture tells the story of my favorite performance for the weekend.
The day’s headliner featured The Killers. The intro to The Who’s “Eminence Front” hushed the crowd, its amped volume washing over the thousands gathered. The Killers took the stage and led off with “Mr. Brightside,” by far their biggest hit. If that doesn’t speak of their confidence in the rest of their show, nothing else can. Singer Brandon Flowers roamed the stage, keeping the audience’s hands waving and pumping, as a headliner should. And there was plenty to cheer about, as the 18-song set covered virtually all of their biggest hits. Photos below by Chris Phelps.
