A Look Back at 2019 Shaky Knees Music Festival

The lights flash upwards. A huge roar can be heard–it’s the crowd, screaming and cheering as one. On the black and white side-screens, hundreds upon hundreds of festival-goers watch Matt Shultz walk out on stage in an outfit made almost entirely of fishnets clinging to his body…oh, this isn’t a Cage the Elephant review?

Shaky Knees Festival was a crazy weekend full of great music, awesome food, and just enough rain to keep everyone cool. In case it wasn’t obvious, the highlight of my weekend was Cage the Elephant. Who can take their eyes off Matt Shultz, in any situation? Other headliners like Beck and Tame Impala killed it as well. And Tears for Fears was just the nostalgic come-together moment we all needed. During the festival, SCAD Radio also made time for artists Peach Pit, Taylor Janzen, Liily, and Caamp’s sets before getting the awesome chance to interview them!

A big highlight for many festival-goers was the food. We’ve been used to “carnie-food” at festivals for years, and while there were definitely moments when I was craving a funnel cake, I can’t say I was anything less than thrilled about the fantastic food trucks that could be found all over the festival grounds. The Patty Wagon? Best fries I had in Atlanta, hands down. There were also plenty of water tents to keep everyone hydrated all weekend long.

Overall, Shaky Knees Festival was a blast, and if you missed Deerhunter and Tash Sultana, I’m sorry to hear it. The loud music, delicious food, and buzz of excitement did indeed keep us shaking our knees, but one thing’s for sure: all of the intoxicated dance moves kept us shaking our heads.