BY YVONNE ZUSEL
The rain held off as long as Shaky Knees Festival goers could have hoped for on Saturday, but the downpour started right as Conor Oberst finished his set and The Replacements and Jenny Lewis were set to start theirs. Paul Westerberg & Co. took the stage about 10 minutes late, by when you’ve waited more than two decades to see a band play, what’s another few minutes?
Fans of the band didn’t even seem to notice the rain as they talked about their favorite Replacement songs, seeing the group at one of their first reunion shows last year at Riot Fest in Chicago and memories of the last time they played Atlanta. There was little talk about the fact that the “reunion” was only frontman Westerberg and bassist Tommy Stinson – other founding members have either died, got sick or moved on from music. But to big fans, the guts of the band were still in place.
“You don’t even understand how big of a deal this is for me,” one guy told a couple of women standing next to him who didn’t look to be a day over 23. “I’ve waited 27 years to see this.”
When the band finally took the stage and launched into “Takin’ A Ride,” the rain had finally slowed to a drizzle and the fan singalong could begin. The group looked punk prom-ready, with Westerberg sporting a baby pink button-down shirt with suspenders and Stinson wearing a green plaid suit jacket. The boys showed their age on a few songs -- Westerberg had to stop one song because it was in the wrong key, had to take a seat during “Androgynous” and briefly forgot the words to “Alex Chilton,” -- but it was clear they were enjoying performing, and Westerberg, his voice just a little thin in a few places, can still carry a nice tune.
Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong joined the group on guitar after a couple of songs, and wisely stayed in the background, knowing the crowd was there to see Westerberg and Stinson. The smile plastered on his face through the set made it clear he was just as big a Replacements fanboy as most of the rest of the crowd.
More musical highlights:
Tokyo Police Club: Our neighbors from up north produced some serious power pop, dance-y fun on "Argentina," "Be Good" and "Favourite Color" (how can you not have love in your heart for a band that references KC & Jojo?). Frontman David Monks' charisma and desire to get the crowd into the set served the band well.
Lord Huron: The band from Michigan has gotten attention over the past year for its dreamy sound and interesting alternate reality game album concept, and for good reason. Group leader and Ben Schneider delivered some seriously pretty, plaintive tunes in the form of "The Man Who Lives Forever" and "I Will Be Back One Day." It would have been even nicer if the crowd could hear Schneider – the low mic volume had his vocals drowned out by the instrumentation.
Dawes and Conor Oberst: Dawes played double duty at Shaky Knees, playing their own soulful set and also serving as the backing band for Conor Oberst (perhaps better known as the mastermind behind Bright Eyes). Both acts were big crowdpleasers, with Dawes delivering old favorites ("Time Spent In Los Angeles," "Little Bit of Everything" ) and new tunes ("Right on Time"). Oberst, breaking out from his emo indie god persona, focused on his newer Americana-tinged songs, with some Bright Eyes songs thrown in for good measure. The mix suited him well -- he sounded as good as he ever has.
Cold War Kids: The band played opposite Portugal. The Man, and clearly drew the short straw when they picked stages. Yes, it would have been nice to watch Cold War Kids without having to throw elbows to get a decent view of the stage, but by the end of the set – including a soulful rendition of "Hospital Beds," a bouncy "Audience of One" and the new "Hot Coals," you almost forgot how crowded it was.
Modest Mouse: Because of the weather, they took the stage about 20 minutes late, but that didn't stop Isaac Brock's group from playing nearly 90 minutes of solid, quirky rock tunes that made the seven-year absence of new music from the band even more deeply felt. "Ocean Breathes Salty," "Whale Song" (during which Brock's amp broke) and of course "Float On" turned the area in front of both the Piedmont and Peachtree stages into a giant dance party. It was a tight, high-energy set from start to finish, and a perfect cap to a full day. Seriously guys, when's that next album coming?
On the docket for today: Deer Tick, Blitzen Trapper, Iron & Wine, The Hold Steady, Local Natives, Violent Femmes, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, the Alabama Shakes and a bunch more. Who are you planning to see?
Check out a recap from Friday, what you need to know for Shaky Knees and photos from the fest.
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