BY YVONNE ZUSEL
It was a blazing start to the third installment of the Shaky Knees Music Festival, both in temperature and lineup.
Temperatures were already into the 80s by the time Surfer Blood and Blank Range took the stage at 12:30 p.m. But concertgoers, eager to show off their festival chic (fringed vests, wide-brimmed hats and crop tops abounded), didn't seem put out -- this is what you sign up for when you buy tickets to an outdoor festival in Atlanta in May, after all.
And after two straight years of at least one day of torrential downpour at the festival, the heat was a nice change of pace from the heavy rain (the merch table even gave a nod to the event's knack for scheduling on rainy days with a T-shirt emblazoned with "100 percent chance of rain").
And if the heat got to be a little too much, attendees had a few options to escape the heat, including the covered Buford Hwy. Stage, which featured The Mountain Goats and James Blake, and the trees lining the main Peachtree Stage area.
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Indeed, after changing venues for the third time in as many years, Shaky Knees seems to have found its sweet spot at Central Park (also the former home of Music Midtown), which provided enough room between stages so music from one didn't bleed into the other, but which didn't position the stages so far from each other that you felt as if you were on an epic trek going from one set to the next (although it's still about a 7-minute hike from one end of the fest to the other).
And a decent amount of moving from one area of the fest was required if you were going to try to catch most of the bands on Friday's stellar lineup. As is the case with most fests, there were more than a couple of Solomon's Baby dilemmas -- Do you watch The Mountain Goats or TV on the Radio, both playing at the same time, or try to run between stages and catch some of each? How do you choose between Manchester Orchestra and Kaiser Chiefs? There are certainly worse problems than having more than enough great music to make decisions about -- it's a problem that doesn't seem like it'll let up before the end of the fest on Sunday night.
Some musical highlights:
Wavves -- The San Diego quartet fronted by Nathan Williams, whose bratty vocals go hand-in-hand with the surf rock vibe, rocked hard in spite of the heat, delivering on their rapid-fire tunes including the catchy "Post Acid" and the super hooky "Bug," amongst others. They also wailed on two new songs from their forthcoming album, expected this summer.
Mastodon -- "I never thought we'd be invited here," said Troy Sanders in the middle of Mastodon's set. The hard-driving metal act from Atlanta seemed like a slightly odd fit with the rest of the indie rock lineup, but they were a refreshing change of pace from the night's emo and punk rock acts, and musically, they played the tightest set of the day. Sanders and guitarist Brent Hinds brought so much energy to songs including "Ember Cities" and "Black Tongue" that even non-metal fans (my hand is raised) got a rush. The group really seemed to get a kick out of playing for a hometown crowd -- "We live two miles down the road from here!" Sanders gleefully shared -- and they certainly gave their fellow Atlantans something to be proud of.
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Pixies -- It's easy to call the Pixies a nostalgia act -- they've been around for nearly three decades, with a large hiatus built in in the early 2000s. But while the group is visibly older, they still sound as fresh as ever. Black Francis' vocals, and particularly Joey Santiago's guitar, give the impression that they're men half their age on classics including "Where Is My Mind" and "Monkey Gone To Heaven," as well as more recent entries from last year's "Indy Cindy"and brand new songs from a reported forthcoming album. Paz Lenchantin, who stepped in for Kim Deal on bass after Deal left the group in 2013, elevated the set with insistent bass lines, which drummer David Lovering said has improved his own drumming.
The Strokes -- Shaky Knees is one of only four shows The Strokes will play this year, so hopes were high that they'd deliver. And deliver the did, with a tight, hard-charging set that pulled classics from their first two albums, "Is This It", "Room On Fire," and "First Impressions of Earth," as well as dancier numbers from later albums "Angles" and "Comedown Machine." It was a cleanly played, lively set that showcased Nick Valensi's impressive guitar chops and Fabrizio Moretti's drum skills, as well as Julian Casablancas' gritty, lo-fi vocals, complemented by his dirty mullet. The band's encore included the tune "New York City Cops," a timely treat that riled up the crowd and begged for the group to record new music.
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