Lenny Kravitz, Deftones perform: 7 highlights from Shaky Knees Day 1

Shaky Knees resumes at 11:30 a.m. Saturday with acts including Girl Tones, Michigander, Fat Dog, The Linda Lindas, TV on the Radio, The Black Keys, Public Enemy and My Chemical Romance.

Fronted by Elijah Hewson (yep, Bono’s son), the band wears its U2 influence proudly in soaring guitar lines and arena-ready choruses. The band’s set leaned on favorites like “It Won’t Always Be Like This” and “My Honest Face,” equal parts polished and vulnerable. It was a hot, sweaty and earnest opener that made showing up early worth it. — Avery Newmark

Jakob Nowell — who serves as the band’s frontman, carrying on the legacy of his father, Bradley, who died in 1996 — brought both nostalgia and a fresh spark to the catalog. Sing-alongs to “Santeria” and “Doin’ Time” stretched across the park, proving those sun-soaked ska-punk anthems still hit three decades later. In true Atlanta fashion, the band shouted out their visit to Clermont Lounge the night before. — Avery Newmark

The set was part punk show, part rally, incuding songs about anti-fascism, addiction and minimum wage struggles. Talbot even led the crowd to “Get Low” before erupting into chants of “Free Palestine.” The performance was chaotic, human, and unforgettable. — Avery Newmark

Their hour was a crash course in alt-rock history, rolling from “Monkey Gone to Heaven” to “Where Is My Mind?” with ease. Older fans swayed with beers in hand while younger ones shouted every word — proof that the Pixies remain one of the rare bands able to bridge generations and time. — Avery Newmark

Lenny Kravitz

At 7:30 p.m., Lenny Kravitz, wearing black shades and leather jacket over a bronze halter top, hit the Peachtree Stage looking every bit the ageless wonder (though, on paper, he’s actually 61). The legendary rocker opened his hour-long set with “Bring It On.” He also performed older hits like “I Belong to You” and “Fly Away,” much to the delight of the crowd.

A child who could be seen on screen holding a sign that read “Lenny Kravitz’s youngest fan” nearly stole the show. The cute moment ended with Kravitz thanking all of his fans, and issuing an important reminder: “We’re not here to judge. We’re here to love.” — DeAsia Paige

The Marias

Later in the night, Los Angeles-based band The Marías performed a quieter set. The hushed tone of front woman María Zardoya (who was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Snellville) carried the crowd for songs like “Run Your Mouth,” “Only in My Dreams,” and “Back to Me.”

For the duration of their show, the stage was adorned with red and blue lighting, which echoed the color scheme of their albums: red for 2021’s “Cinema” and blue for last year’s “Submarine.”