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.

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For those attending the following 3 full days of music and fun, I’m going to do my best to familiarize you with some headliners and some up-and-comers playing at Atlanta’s 7^th Shaky Knees Festival! The list may be on the longer side, but if you’re not sure exactly where to go when you’re not seeing the 4 bands you came for, keep reading.

The Big Names:

Beck

            Since the early 1990s, Beck has been combining diverse genres to create his own unique independent style. He’s got 2 albums listed on Rolling Stone’s “500 greatest albums of all time”,  2015’s Grammy for Album of the Year, and a new single, “Saw Lightning”, co-produced with Pharrell Williams. Look out for his performance this Friday and new album Hyperspace this summer!

Incubus

            Originally from California, this band has been traveling the world since 1991! Famous for their alternative rock music, Incubus is going to be so much fun to see live at Shaky Knees. Their last album, 8, saw a world tour in 2017, and we can’t wait to see them Friday, right here in Georgia.

Cage the Elephant

            There’s just isn’t an alt. rock fan or former emo middle schooler who doesn’t know all the words to Cage the Elephant’s song “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked”. Although they’ve only been around since 2006, Cage the Elephant have made a huge name for themselves. Their latest album Social Cues dropped on April 19^th of this year, and I don’t know about you, but they’re one of the bands I’m most excited to see on Saturday!

Tame Impala

            All the way from Australia and first conceived in 2007, Tame Impala is the youngest headlining band on the Shaky Knees lineup! In 2012, their album Lonerism was nominated for the Grammy’s Best Alternative Music Album, and more recently they’re currently teasing their 4^th album with featured songs “Patience” and “Borderline”. Catch them with us, Sunday Night!

Familiar Artists You’ve Heard Here on SCAD Radio:

We’ve been playing these artists throughout the past few years, so you know they’ve got a special place in our hearts!

Tash Sultana

            This Australian “one-person band” has been active on Bandcamp since 2013 and in 2017, headlined a sold-out world tour! Be sure to check out the 2019 song “Can’t Buy Happiness” this Friday!

Foxing

            In my household, we love a band formed in my Mom’s hometown of St. Louis, Missouri! Foxing gives us plenty to love with their indie rock style and most recent album Nearer My God. Catch them Friday at Shaky Knees Festival!

Interpol

            At SCAD Radio, we’re very excited to see Interpol because their 2019 song “Fine Mess” is playing on our current rotation! You can see them this Saturday, and don’t miss their upcoming EP A Fine Mess, comprised of some songs written and recorded for their previous album, on May 17^th!

Soccer Mommy

            Soccer Mommy, or Sophie Allison, is definitely a recurring artist on SCAD Radio. We love when she releases new music almost as much as we love when she comes to town! You can listen to her newest song “Be Seeing You” when she performs on Saturday, or right here on SCAD Radio.

Maggie Rogers

            I personally love a great pop song and if you do too, Maggie Rogers is your girl. Her latest album Heard It In a Past Life is fantastic and she’s a must-see for me this Sunday!

Phosphorescent

            Matthew Houck has been performing under this name since 2001 and we can’t get enough of him—it’s only partially because he started in Athens, GA. See him back in the area in Atlanta this Sunday!

Deerhunter

            Speaking of locals, Deerhunter formed IN Atlanta and they’re back for Shaky Knees Festival 2019! You can hear quite a few songs from their latest (eighth) album Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? on SCAD Radio. We’ll be kickin’ it at their Sunday performance, so you should be, too!

Calpurnia

            Known to many people as Finn Wolfhard (of Stranger Things)’s band, Calpurnia is an awesome up-and-coming alt. rock band. They formed recently in 2017, but their 2018 album Scout makes us hope they’ll be around for much longer. Although we can’t wait for new music, we’ll settle for seeing them this Sunday!

The Nude Party

            Perhaps the least well-known of this list, The Nude Party is a North Carolina band with a 60’s vibe and a cheeky, fun rock sound. Don’t miss them this Sunday!

Our must-sees:

I know this list is getting long, so let me wrap it up with a few artists that I personally wouldn’t miss for the world, and you shouldn’t either.

Tears for Fears

            You know them for their Billboard Hot 100  #1 hits “Shout” and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, and the nostalgia is still strong with this one. They’ve got almost 4 decades of experience and are playing Friday night at Shaky Knees Festival.

Dashboard Confessional

            Okay, I was emo. I still consider myself emo, on the inside. Dashboard Confessional? Emo. But if you’re at art school with me, you probably had an emo phase yourself so you know Dashboard Confessional is a must-see band. I’ll be there on Friday and let’s face it, so will you.

Peach Pit

            One of the two lesser-known artists on my must-see list, but on here for a reason: their sound and image are unique, and even though they aren’t from around here, y’all know we love peaches in the peach state. Don’t miss them this Friday.

Slothrust

            Although they’re from Boston, a city I admittedly have personal beef with, Slothrust’s grungy alt. rock style is undeniably appealing. Their late-2018 album The Pact is a personal favorite. If you’ve got some spare time on Sunday, head on over to listen to some great alt. rock from this amazingly-named band.

            To conclude our 2019 Shaky Knees Festival Pre-Show Guide, here’s some basic information for your festival adventure:

The festival will be held Friday, May 3^rd to Sunday, May 5^th, at Central Park 400 Merritts Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30308, with gates opening at 11:30AM each day.

You CAN bring: a small purse, drawstring bag, binoculars, blankets, nonprofessional cameras, empty reusable water bottles/hydration packs.

You CANNOT bring: backpacks, aerosol containers, coolers, professional recording equipment/cameras, drones, glass/metal containers, umbrellas, pets, selfie sticks.

For the FULL list of things you can and can’t bring, as well as answers to questions you didn’t even know you had, head on over to shakykneesfestival.com/information!

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