Graphics By Madeline Rosemurgy
Not even a perpetual torrent of rain could extinguish the good vibes at the inaugural Shaky Knees Music Festival in Atlanta over the weekend. The first day of the two-day festival (Saturday) saw crowds build to around 8,000 by the end of the long, messy day, and by Sunday afternoon, the festival sold out. The 28 bands that played the festival were greeted by over 14,000 keyed up fans all within the confines of the shiny (not anymore), new Historic Old Fourth Ward Park and the adjoining Masquerade Music Park. There were never more than two shows happening at the same time, and the size and design of the spread made it easy to catch both bands within the same time slot.
Acts performing on the main stage were the only ones playing at their allotted time, and it was obvious they both appreciated and deserved the full attention of everyone there. I encountered not one unkind staffer or fan the entire two days, despite conditions and/or fatigue, which is…weird. All variables considered (location, staff, fans, performers, weather, etc.), the overarching theme of the first Shaky Knees Music Festival would have to be positivity. It was the positive vibes radiating from both sides of the stages, the unique locale, the energetic/friendly volunteers, and the adept organizers that both held us there for the duration and will guarantee my return next year.
The setup: A local, longtime promoter, Tim Sweetwood, wanted to bring a different type of festival to Atlanta, one that would focus primarily on indie rock, so he created Shaky Knees (named after My Morning Jacket lyrics). The plan was backed by both the city’s Mayor, Kasim Reed, and Councilman, Kwanza Hall, who also supported the creation of the new park in which it was held. There were three stages — two in the Historic Old Fourth Ward Park and one at the back of The Masquerade, a popular music venue converted from an old mill. The North Ave. stage showcased more up-and-coming bands, while the Masquerade Music Park and Old Fourth Ward Park Stages seemed to share the more well-known acts.
Weather: 100% rainy and chilly all day Saturday, but sunny and in the 60s all day Saturday until around 6pm. Some people were better prepared for Saturday than others, but everyone seemed to adopt an “oh, well” attitude by the late afternoon — due mainly to killer performances and gratuitous amounts of alcohol. Mud slip-sliding (again, alcohol) and other storm shenanigans ran rampant by late Saturday, allowing for a true Southern throwdown (“Hootenanny”? Also, mudding is an actual thing down here). Those who stayed all day are, in my opinion, true festival warriors who should receive recognition for their tenacity, dedication, and/or their alcohol capacity.
Sunday was gorgeous, but not warm enough to dry or even harden the mud, so there were varying depths of it throughout the entire festival, some of it so deep that shoes were lost and faces were planted. Early Sunday evening when the rain returned, photographers were once again swaddling their cameras like newborns and the audience was a veritable rainbow-colored sea of ponchos, but, like I stated earlier, the vibes were good. So, for a visual, think the Swamps of Sadness, except it’d be Swamps of Stupid-Happy with no dead horse and Jim James as Falcor — he literally said “I can feel your spirit” to the audience during his set (more on this later).
Food/drink/shopping: There were three drink areas, one of which had a coffee bar which was a godsend for those cold, soggy breaking points. All the drinks were pretty overpriced, but people still, of course, partook, and the food was somewhat reasonable. (Note: The festival itself was cheap in comparison! Only $99 for a two-day pass! This sort of made up for food and drink prices.) The assortment of food trucks was ace – pizza, roti’s, gourmet fries, paninis, smoothies, funnel cakes, BBQ, quesadillas, and local favorite popsicle vendors — King of Pops (You guys- Mango Mojito, Pomegranate Margarita, Cookies & Cream, Thai Tea, and Chocolate Sea Salt are just some of their amazing flavors. Shout out!). Also, if you wanted to forego the festival offerings, there were lots of restaurants and an awesome coffee bar, Dancing Goats Coffee Bar, within walking distance and re-entry was easy. There was also a clothing stand selling oversized flannel shirts for $10 — brilliant! Pretty sure she made a killing. There was also Deck Specs who make sunglasses out of recycled skateboards, a neato poster company, and a large merch booth for the bands.
MVP: The attendees! Everyone was super chill. There was even a hula-hooping taco girl. Runner-up — ponchos!
Best jam session: Gary Clark Jr. did a seemingly endless jaw-drop Hendrix jam at the end of “When My Train Pulls In”.
Best bands I saw for the first time: You Me & Apollo (think a lighter version of Alabama Shakes), Oberhofer (experimental pop sweetness), The Orwells (garage rock played by kid-faced boys, with a singer who may or may not have a Kurt Cobain obsession — they ruled hard), The Antlers (nothing you’ve ever heard/seen before: see below)
Best fans: All the babies with protective head gear (duh). The middle-aged lady who attempted to crowd surf during The Orwells, but couldn’t figure it out. The lady who half-flashed the chubby drunk guy screaming about never having a girlfriend during The Antlers to shut him up.
Best overall performance: Jim James and The Antlers! The former drew a huge audience, even though he wasn’t on the “Main Stage”, because most of them were expecting something like My Morning Jacket. Instead, we got something else entirely. He was charismatic and chill one minute, and then in the next, he’d pick up his V-shaped and bang his beautiful mane in an interval jam in Greek godlike fashion. I exaggerate because I have to. James played out his recent record with flair and wrapped the audience like few other performers I’ve seen. The Antlers are a band I’ve listened to on and off since Hospice, but had never seen live. Seeing them far exceeded my fantasies, complete with supreme musicianship and moments that defined why experimental music totally works when done right. The guitarist stepped out into the rain for the last song which drew quite a noise from the drenched fans. They were everything I expected and more, and I look forward to the day I see them dry.
Most energy: Ritzy Bryan of The Joy Formidable. She was lively and colorful at just the right time on Saturday when everybody needed a pick-me-up. Plus, the girl can rock a guitar like a mother.
Most endearing performance: Shovels & Rope have the best chemistry, not just with each other, but with the audience as well. The duo just seem like really down people and maintain their high level of energy and magnetism the entire time when performing.
Audience favorite: Dr. Dog. It seemed to me that every fan within a few states radius was present, and that they were able to win over more new fans than any other band. Everybody was into it, and the connection was obvious.
Best performer/audience moments: (1) When the sun came out briefly during The Joy Formidable and everybody gasped collectively, pointing and laughing as if we’d never seen it before. (2) When the guitarist from The Antlers purposefully stepped out into the rain for the jam ending of the last song. (3) When The Lumineers opened their set with Creedance Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?”. We had.
PHOTOS BY REBEKAH GOODE-PEOPLES
