Review and Gallery: Ten Years of Shaky Knees
MUSICIANS FROM AROUND THE WORLD UNITED IN — Atlanta, Georgia to form a special experience for their fans at Shaky Knees this past weekend. Getting a head start to the weekend full of festivities, The Masquerade hosted an aftershow the night before the festival doors opened. An indie-pop band from Nashville known as Arlie opened the show with an excited and eager crowd. Spacey Jane followed Arlie’s performance and set the tone high for the rest of the weekend.
Friday started off with a little bit of gloomy weather and rain. But this didn’t stop the fans from having a good time. Racing to get to the opening gate first, everyone was ready to have a great weekend full of music. Early in the day, upcoming artists such as Matt Maltese and Arlie were able to bring high spirits. Their performances set the stage for the rest of the day.
Dedicated fans roamed throughout the festival, making sure to catch their next favorite artists. Many indie-based bands made an appearance and performed throughout the day. Gringo Star, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Love Joy, and Cautious Clay were just a few of the many indie bands that put on a great performance. Toward the end of the day, Grouplove was able to rally a big crowd in for their most famous song, “Tongue Tied.”
Following these performances, Killer Mike, Cypress Hill, and Digable Planets represented the hip-hop genre on Friday.
In addition, rock bands were a common pattern, foreshadowing the upcoming headliner. Surf Curse, Placebo, Copeland, and many others performed throughout the day. Greta Van Fleet stood out, having many people blown away by their performance. Going on right before the headliners, they brought a lot of character to the festival.
Many people were dressed in rock ’n’ roll–inspired apparel and were rowdy for the popular rock band. The adrenaline in the crowd was obvious after Greta Van Fleet ended their high-quality performance and The Killers took the stage, opening up with their most famous song, “Mr. Brightside.” The unexpected opening sent the crowd going wild. The rest of the performance was a perfect way to end the first night of the festival.
As the weekend progressed, Shaky Knees offered a wide range of artists. Those hailing from Australia, the UK, and the West Coast all gathered to accommodate their fans in Central Park, Georgia.
On Saturday, Olivia Jean, Daily The Great, and Tanukichan kicked off the afternoon. Other artists and bands such as Joey Valence & Brae, The Gaslight Anthem, 311, and Soccer Mommy contributed to the great turn out of the 2023 music festival. Muse performed last, ending the second night of the music festival on a high note.
Sunday brought a great number of people to the festival to bond over various types of music and performances. But just because Sunday was the last day of Shaky Knees doesn’t mean the energy was not there.
The momentum remained high for the last remaining day. Sun Room fans stood in the crowd while many were ready to begin the day with the band’s upcoming performance in the early afternoon. While having better weather circumstances, Father John Misty, Future Islands, and The Walkmen were also some of the highlight performances on the final day.
As time was running down, Hozier stepped onto the stage and created a magical moment for many fans, thousands rushing to experience his performance.
After a long weekend, The Lumineers were the final headliners, creating a feeling like no other. So much time, dedication, and inspiring stories lead to this particular moment. Not only were they the headliners for Shaky Knees 2023, but they were also the headliners 10 years ago, at Shaky Knees’ first festival.
The band put on a great performance, while the stands kept up engagement for the duration of the show. Moving all around, The Lumineers were able to connect with their fans in a unique way — excited fans, tears of joy, and squeals flooded the venue. This was the moment they all have been waiting for. Shoulder to shoulder, fans from all over showered the band with love and support — a perfect way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Shaky Knees Festival, and a perfect way to end the weekend.
A gallery of highlights from the weekend by photographer Zayne Isom can be found below.
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weekly tunes playlist has been updated! new tracks from @furtradeband, @pecqband, @garryfool & more! check it out! https://t.co/ToFU0R6YGo
