Written by: Brad Lee

Atlanta was privileged to a heavy dose of indie-rock over the weekend, as Shaky Knees Music Festival returned for its second year.  In its inaugural year, the festival brought roughly thirty indie bands to two stages in Old Fourth Ward Park, as well as the main stage at Masquerade Music Park.  Other festivals that have offered this brand of alt-rock (like Sasquatch or Big Guava) have peppered in some electronic acts and notably some huge, heavy-hitting headliners with mass appeal.  This is what sets Shaky Knees apart, as the festival embodies the true spirit of indie rock without any attempt at “selling out”, and stays true to its vision.  Ultimately, in an age of big-budget festivals backed by giant corporate sponsorships, Shaky Knees sticks out like a sore thumb.  And for indie-rocking Atlantans, that’s a good thing. The relocation to Atlantic Station is however ironic.  Midtown Atlanta’s premier luxury outdoor shopping mall, Atlantic Station is saturated with big business retailers, the sort of institutions that are very anti-indie-rock.  On site however, every effort was made in arranging the footprint to shelter festival-goers from all of the enormous, intrusive logos and sappy commercialism.  All irony aside, the site proved a perfect location to accommodate the growth from last year’s festival.  Whereas 2013 was set across three stages over two days, 2014 was set to encompass four stages over three days.

The most significant area of growth however is in the artist lineup, which more than doubled from last year’s.  Twenty bands performed each day for a total of sixty on-site acts, while several more (and some of the same) performed late-night sets at various clubs around Atlanta.  Terminal West, The Masquerade, The Earl, Vinyl, and Center Stage all participated in Shaky Knees, giving the festival a true city-wide feel. The stage set-up allowed for some very efficient programming, as the four stages were split into two pairs at different areas of the site.  The main staging area occupied the bulk of the land showcasing the Peachtree and Piedmont Stages, while the Boulevard and Ponce De Leon Stages were set at a slightly smaller scale somewhat isolated from the bigger stages.  This made for minimal spill-over in sound from the two staging areas.  The names of the stages represent four of Atlanta’s most highly trafficked roadways, another tactful ode to the locale.  Piedmont and Peachtree sat side-by-side, bookended by stacks and stacks of high performance amplifiers.  While the band on Peachtree was playing, Piedmont was setting up for the next band to play.  Literally moments after the band ended on Peachtree, the next band cranked it up on Piedmont.  The beauty of this setup is that both sets of speakers amplified the sound from both stages, so theoretically one could plant themselves in a spot with good sightlines to both stages and never have to leave, unless to check out the other stages.  Boulevard and Ponce were set up in a similar thematic, except that the stages sat opposing each other instead of adjacent to each other.  If not for this clever configuration, orchestrating twenty performances in a ten hour timeslot would have been nearly impossible.

Friday Highlights

Day One kicked off with a plethora of great bands.  With a chance of rain later in the evening, festival-goers embraced the afternoon.  At 2:15 The Whigs stormed the Ponce stage, bringing their raucous brand of gritty rock.  Athens, Georgia natives, these rebels-without-a-cause brought every ounce of rock they could muster as the crowd slowly and sparsely trickled in.  Playing to a Friday afternoon crowd is a little less demanding than Saturday or Sunday knowing that many attendees may still be at work or in transit, but that didn’t stop The Whigs from bringing their A-game. At three o’clock, right as The Whigs were ending, Austin foursome White Denim took the Peachtree Stage.  This set was certainly a highlight of the afternoon, as White Denim brings a very unique blend of psychedelic indie-rock.  Their sound is sort of a hybrid between indie-rock and jam-band rock, as they seamlessly weave their songs together in a non-stop fashion.  The guitar interplay between the three strings-men is something to behold, as they can layer melodies in quite a complex manner.  The effects utilized also lent a very psychedelic feel, and not just the guitar effects but also the vocals.  James Petralli‘s lead vocals were filtered through a sort of loop pedal that made for some very interesting crescendos.  White Denim’s newest album Corsicana Lemonade was dominant throughout the setlist, which is as follows:

Pretty Green, Corsicana Lemonade, River To Consider, A Place To Start, Anvil Everything, I Changed My Mind, I Start To Run, Come Back, At Night In Dreams, Mirrored And Reverse, Drug, At The Farm, All You Really Have To Do, Mess Your Hair Up

After White Denim some of the crowd meandered over to the Ponce stage to see Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, instead of sticking around for Band of Skulls on the Piedmont stage.  Charles Bradley brought a great deal of flair, and his Extraordinaires were without a doubt the funkiest band to play the festival.  A true veteran of the scene at sixty-six years old, his showmanship was unparalleled.  Drawing from influences such as James Brown and Otis Redding, Charles and his band were certainly the outliers of the whole lineup. As the clock approached 5:00, an audience was building around the Boulevard stage in anticipation for Man Man.  Hailing from Philly, Man Man’s sound pushes the envelope of accessibility in any and every way imaginable.  Frontman Honus Honus and his crew emerge onstage donning full-body skeleton costumes.  Honus however lead the troop in wardrobe obscurity as his attire was subject to change at any given moment.  From full-length hooded wing-suit to bright white fur coat, the antics onstage never dulled.  At one point he was even wearing a bright blue coat a la Sgt. Pepper, while his band of skeletons traded saxophones, trumpets and synths.  This act truly experiments with sound, throwing conventional rules of songwriting out the window.  Man Man succeeded in whipping the crowd into a furious frenzy just in time for the inevitable rain.  After teetering all day on the edge of torrential downpour, the bottom finally fell out and the crowd at the Boulevard stage couldn’t have cared less.  If anything, the rain added to the theatrics of Man Man’s performance, which ended shortly thereafter. As the rain disrupted production for a brief spell, the Shaky Knees population was divided into two groups; those who sought shelter, and those who endured the rain and remained on-site for Foals, The Airborne Toxic Event, Cage The Elephant and Graveyard.  Of those seeking shelter, some fled to nearby retailers while the majority took refuge in the parking garage that sits underneath Atlantic Station.  This segment of the evening was an awesomely chaotic scene as thousands of drenched, adrenalized subterranean dwellers mixed with the high-end shoppers who in no way were prepared for what was happening around them. By the time the rain let up Cage The Elephant was finishing their set as Spoon was gearing up to perform.  Spoon’s set at Shaky Knees was the Austin band’s third performance in two years, as frontman Britt Daniel has been busy with side-project Divine Fits, amongst other things.  It was truly remarkable seeing the band back at it and rediscovering their momentum.  They displayed an even mix of material from their latest three albums, while rarely digging any deeper into their catalogue.  The band sounded as fresh as if they were in the middle of a tour.  The setlist was full of nonstop crowdpleasers:

Don’t You Evah; Small Stakes; Who Makes Your Money; The Fitted Shirt; The Way We Get By; The Ghost of You Lingers; The Beast and Dragon, Adored; Got Nuffin; My Mathematical Mind; I Turn My Camera On; You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb; Trouble Comes Running; I Summon You; Don’t Make Me a Target; Rhythm and Soul; Jonathon Fisk; The Underdog; Black Like Me

After Spoon closed out their set, there was a fifteen minute grace period until the Friday headliner took the stage.  During this time, the audience around the Peachtree and Piedmont stages grew until everyone in attendance had their gaze affixed to the Peachtree stage.  Right at 9:30 The National announced their presence with a warm reception.  Led by Matt Berninger, the Cincinnati group brings a seriously brooding brand of indie to the masses.  Their recent release Trouble Will Find Me earned them a Grammy nod for “Best Alternative Album” and it is clear that they are still riding that momentum.  As they kicked off their set with the first single from their newest release “Don’t Swallow The Cap”, watching the melancholic baritone frontman Berninger pace around onstage in between verses creates a kind of tension that truly captivates the audience.  Another pleasing aesthetic is the high production quality of the show, as the backdrop behind the band displayed an array of colors and images of indescribable weight.  As they championed “Bloodbuzz Ohio”, the first single from High Violet, blood-red imagery oozed on-screen.  The band demonstrated an even mix of material from Alligator, Boxer, High Violet, and Trouble Will Find Me:

Don’t Swallow the Cap, I Should Live in Salt, Mistaken For Strangers, Bloodbuzz Ohio, Sea of Love, Afraid of Everyone, Conversation 16, Squalor Victoria, I Need My Girl, This is the Last Time, Abel, Slow Show, Pink Rabbits, England, Graceless, About Today, Fake Empire, Mr. November, Terrible Love, Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks

Saturday Highlights

A weary and weathered crowd returned for Day Two of Shaky Knees, all the more prepared for the rain that continued well into the afternoon.  Saturday saw a greater turnout than Friday, despite said weather restraints.  The early afternoon showcased an array of dynamic indie-rock bands.  British Columbia outfit Wake Owl brought their brand of indie-pop to the Piedmont stage at 12:45, while Fly Golden Eagle played the Ponce stage.  Nashville natives Apache Relay took the opportunity to demo their folksy flavor of indie-pop, rich with violins and lush harmonies.  “Katie Queen of Tennessee”, their latest single defines the band as a hopeful sextet with a bright future on the horizon. The early afternoon at Shaky Knees seems prime time for some of the folkier artists to showcase their relaxing vibes.  At 2:15, Gregory Alan Isakov graced the Ponce stage with his acoustic stylings, opposite Hayes Carll who brought his country infused songwriting craft to the Piedmont stage.  Rising Pennsylvania group The Districts took the Boulevard stage at three o’clock, followed by The Lone Bellow on the Ponce stage.  Lord Huron was an afternoon highlight, as their whimsical folk-rock grabbed hold of the audience, a perfect opening act for Dawes who took the Peachtree stage at 5:00.  By the time Dawes was winding down, the crowd was amping up for what was sure to be a highlight: Portugal. The Man. Hailing from Anchorage, Alaska, Portugal. The Man brought their undeniably unique blend of indie-rock to the Piedmont stage at six o’clock.  A cross between Electric Light Orchestra and MGMT, Portugal. The Man is another one of those indie bands whose live performances resemble that of a jam band in the sense that they creatively segue song into song, a non-stop medley of sorts.  Although their song structures remain accessible and very album-friendly, their live renditions certainly showcase some free-form explorations in bridging their cuts together.  Another trait they share with some jammier bands is their affinity for the cover-song, as they paid tribute to Pink Floyd near the end of their set, as well as cult-comedy television show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (“Dayman”).  The success of their previous two albums In The Mountain In The Cloud, and Evil Friends inspired the bulk of material from the following setlist:

Purple Yellow Red and Blue, All Your Light, Evil Friend/Dayman, So American/People Say, Hip Hop Kids, Atomic Man, The Sun, Senseless, Modern Jesus, Creep in a T-Shirt/Someday Believers, Smile, Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2, Purple Yellow Red and Blue (Reprise)

Immediately following Portugal. The Man on the Peachtree stage was Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst, joined by backing band Dawes.  This was certainly a treat for Oberst fans, as Dawes proved the perfect accompanying band to complement Oberst’s folky trademark sound.  Conor took the opportunity to showcase some new material from his latest album Upside Down Mountain. A reigning highlight of the weekend came in the form of The Replacements,

who were joined by Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong for the majority of the set.  The legendary Minnesota punk-rock outfit took the festival by storm as one of the most enthusiastically enjoyed performances of the weekend.  Even as the last of the rain hailed over Atlanta, the excitement factor that the classic-punk combo brought was unparalleled.  While paying tribute to rock n’ roll legend Chuck Berry and punk pioneers The Ramones, The Replacements performance was a testament to the true spirit of Shaky Knees:

Takin’ a Ride, Love You Till Friday, Maybellene, I’m in Trouble, Favorite Thing, Nowhereis My Home, Color Me Impressed, Kiss Me on the Bus, Achin’ to Be, Androgynous, I Will Dare, Merry Go Round, Judy Is a Punk, I’ll Be You, Left of the Dial, Alex Chilton, Swingin’ Party, Can’t Hardly Wait, I Don’t Know/Buck Hill, Bastards of Young, Customer, I.O.U.

A much needed breather was awarded to the audience after The Replacements in preparation for Saturday’s headliner.  Some took the chance to catch the very end of child-actor-turned-rock star Jenny Lewis‘ set, as The Postal Service singer delivered fan favorites throughout.  Finally at 9:30, the Peachtree/Piedmont area was swelling with fans, as every last patron made their way over for the final act of Day Two.

Modest Mouse took the stage right on cue, warmly welcomed by the devoted mass.  Frontman Isaac Brock led his crew through a whirlwind set of hits as the audience bobbed and weaved to every energetic punch the band delivered.

Gracing the crowd with a fair mix of material spanning from The Moon & Antarctica to Good News For People Who Love Bad News, while sporadically referencing their latest release We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank.  The enthusiasm was palpable from start to finish of their seventeen song set:

Dark Center of the Universe, I Came as a Rat, Paper Thin Walls, Dance Hall, Dashboard, Dramamine, Bukowski, Be Brave, Ocean Breathes Salty, Float On, The World At Large, Sugar Boats, Tiny Cities Made of Ashes, The View, Fly Trapped in a Jar, Satin in a Coffin, The Whale Song

Sunday Highlights

The first ever Day Three was also the first ever rainless day in Shaky Knees history, which for many was ironically taxing as temperatures reached the high eighties.  The site offered little to no shade, so the afternoon’s softer style of indie-rock was refreshing.  Again, timeslots during the day proved much more ripe for the folkier side of the spectrum of indie than did the night.  Mason Jennings‘ bright, acoustic folk-rock was the perfect soundtrack to the two o’clock hour alongside Langhorne Slim & The Law playing across the site on the Piedmont stage.  Langhorne Slim was followed by Green Hill, Alabama’s Jason Isbell who brought his celebrated brand of country to Midtown.  Former Drive-By-Trucker, Isbell’s performance was highly anticipated and he did not disappoint his loyal fan-base.  Opposing Isbell on the Piedmont stage was Portland-based Blitzen Trapper, who’s alt-country-twanged indie-folk is not shy on edgy, rocking undertones.  A good example of this edge was displayed in their set closer, a riveting cover of “Ramble On”. The pinnacle of the afternoon’s indie-folk showing spanned across two performances.  Iron & Wine‘s set on the Peachtree stage was a true highlight of acoustic folk, while succeeding act Trampled By Turtles followed with their bluegrass blend of indie-folk.  Samuel Beam, aka Iron & Wine is a true pioneer in the indie-folk/singer/songwriter genre.  His set was compact yet meaningful:

God Made the Automobile, Boy With a Coin, Carousel, Muddy Hymnal, Naked As We Come, Tree by the River, Low Light Buddy of Mine, Grace for Saints and Ramblers

Iron & Wine’s hour-long timeslot was the perfect precursor to Trampled By Turtles whose army of strings rang over the crowd as they watched in quiet awe.  Hailing from Minnesota, Trampled By Turtles is comprised of a fiddle, banjo, mandolin, acoustic bass and acoustic guitar, and were pleasantly calming as the sun beamed down overhead.  As they concluded their set with “Wait So Long” off of their release Palomino, the crowd took notice of two falcons gracefully soaring over the audience as if announcing their approval of what was happening onstage.  As the song ended, the Peachtree area began expanding as the crowd gathered to witness one of the greatest performances of the weekend. Los Angeles group Local Natives switched gears from the light folk that was prevalent throughout the afternoon to grace the crowd with their louder, yet deeper form of indie-rock.  Only two albums into their career, Local Natives performed as if they were seasoned veterans of the scene.  Their most recent release Hummingbird has surely given the act the onstage confidence  they need to convey such depth found in their albums.  Their songwriting is genuinely inspired, and varies in form.  They have an almost triumphant undertone in their work which emits a vague sense of hopefulness.  Basically, everything that The National was on Friday, Local Natives were the opposite of.  Towards the end of the set, they treated the audience with a never-before-heard cover of a never-before-heard Johnny Cash song, as well as supplementing the inception of the tune.  Apparently, Johnny Cash’s son called the band inviting them to cover a song his father had written in the 80’s, yet had never shared with the world titled “Out Among the Stars”.  Immediately following the debut, Taylor Rice again took the time to address the crowd, dedicating the next song to his mother who had passed a few years earlier.  This gesture proved a very powerful moment as Day Three of Shaky Knees also happened to be Mother’s Day.  Their setlist was an even balance of material from their first two releases:

Wooly Mammoth, Breakers, World News, Wide Eyes, You & I, Camera Talk, Airplanes, Out Among the Stars, Colombia, Heavy Feet, Who Knows, Who Cares, Sun Hands

Following Local Natives came another highlight of the weekend, as attendees were forced to choose between Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes or Violent Femmes.  Edward Sharpe took the Piedmont stage just before eight o’clock, as the sun was nearing the horizon.  Edward Sharpe’s performance was powerful to say the least, with several exciting interruptions met with tremendous roars of approval.  First and foremost, it’s important to note that by this point in the festival a good portion of the crowd stood sun burnt and dehydrated, yet devoted and dedicated all the while: carriers of the flame if you will.  Edward Sharpe took notice of this and descended into the crowd from the stage while interacting with as many fans as he could.  One lucky fan was even granted the opportunity to propose to his longtime girlfriend onstage while thousands cheered him on, while another lucky fan shared a sentiment during “Home”. Upon Sharpe’s conclusion came the highly anticipated headliner Alabama Shakes, who entered the scene in 2009 to wide acclaim.  Alabama Shakes are instantly classic.  Only one album into their career and they have already piqued the interest of the rock scene nation-wide.  Lead singer Brittany Howard‘s voice rings out with such intensity that she has been compared to the likes of Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin.  The Athens, Alabama band has the potential of becoming mega-stars but have wisely taken their time.  With a new album underway, Brittany made it a point to mention to the crowd how this show was the last of their tour before finishing their highly anticipated sophomore effort.  Their set was plush with material off of their debut Boys & Girls, as well as showcasing some new material.  “Always Alright”, a song recorded for the Silver Linings Playbook soundtrack made an appearance, before the hugely successful single “Hold On”.  The crowd sang along to the lyric, “Come on Brittany, you gotta come on up!” with such fervor and support, as if to personally root her on in her journey to ascend the ranks of rock stardom.  Several more new tunes made their way into the set, as the band tightly jammed together in a soulful fashion, including a tune about a guy named “Ricky ‘Stay Outta Jail'”.  Brittany then thanked the audience for letting her get that off her chest, to wide applause.  The setlist never dulled and was full of soul.

Rise to the Sun, Hang Loose, Always Alright, Hold On, Miss You, Heartbreaker, Gospel Song, Be Mine, I Don’t Wanna Fight No More, I Ain’t the Same, The Greatest, Gemini I & II, On Your Way, Gimme All Your Love, You Ain’t Alone, Heat Lightning, Heavy Chevy

The success of this year surpassed the success of Year One, leaving the audience excited for the next installment.  Atlanta seemingly has a new springtime tradition of honoring the indie-rock spirit as well as paying tribute to the locals who embrace it.  With so many new festivals entering and exiting the scene, Shaky Knees is sitting on a winning formula for success by honoring its vision and offering some of the most talented and dynamic rock bands on the circuit.  Year Two undoubtedly captured the spirit of true indie-rock and propelled some budding young indie bands to a new phase in their career, as well as leaving Atlantans salivating for next year.

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