After two days filled with groovy tunes and plenty of guitar solos, Shaky Knees Music Festival in its fall iteration kicked off its final day Sunday afternoon before it returns to Midtown at the end of April.
The Central Park festival was announced and planned for 2020 but canceled entirely along with numerous other festivals across the nation, including Music Midtown that was held at Piedmont Park in September. With the long-awaited return of the festival, cheerful crowds hunker down along mosh-pit barricades and rock melodies vibrate through city streets.
With back-to-back sets and a total of 18 acts to catch all within 10 hours, you might find yourself out of breath running between the four stages across Central and Renaissance parks. A competitive schedule headlined by the band that essentially revived the garage-rock sound in the early 2000s, The Strokes will wrap up the three-day festival. Other renowned artists including All Them Witches, Phoebe Bridgers, Modest Mouse, Black Midi, O.A.R. and The Aces will perform on various stages later in the afternoon with Bartees Strange greeting festival-goers an hour after gates opened.
A slightly cooler day ahead and lots of movement between the two parks, fans did not disappoint with their colorful festival outfits and beaming smiles.
Bartees Strange
Kicking off Shaky Knees on the Piedmont stage, Bartees Leon Cox Jr., known by his stage name Bartees Strange, is an English-born singer who was raised in Oklahoma. He began his music career in the 2010s as a member of the post-hardcore band “Stay Inside” until releasing his first solo EP, “Magic Boy,” in 2017 and first full-length album, “Live Forever,” in 2020.
Currently on tour and performing in New York on Monday, Bartees Strange opened up his set with a pretty decent crowd considering it was the first performance of the day. Starting it off with “In a Cab” from his newest album, Cox’s soulful voice mixed with the keyboard and heavy electric guitar immediately got every head in the crowd nodding.
Sporting a full black outfit, Cox was not one bit put off by the fall heat and headbanged all across the stage. Jumping straight into “Weights,” an alternative tune featuring heavy strumming and a sudden break in the middle, Cox made eye contact with each fan.
Breaking into “Flagey God” halfway through his set, white lights shimmered overhead and Cox spread out his arms between strums as if embracing his fans. The song was well received with screams following the final strum and hands thrown up into the air. Announcing his final song of the set, “Boomer,” Cox played a little trick on the crowd.
“I have to go, we can’t play another song,” Cox said. “It’s cool, we’ll be back another year.”
With some folks falling into the trap and walking to another stage, others knew Cox would not do them dirty like that. The dramatic song set in and fans swayed for its entirety.
Joy Oladokun
Joy Oladokun is a Nashville-based, Nigerian-American artist whose music spans the genres of folk, R&B and pop. Identifying as a queer, Black woman, Oladokun began by writing and recording countless songs in her Los Angeles apartment. Her debut album, “Carry,” was released in 2016 and Billboard touted it as one of the “Top 10 Best LGBTQ Albums of 2020,” according to her record label, Republic Records.
Her most recent album, “In Defense of My Own Happiness,” features 24 songs over the course of an hour. Oladokun took her breathtaking voice and heavy, drum-filled songs to the Peachtree stage Sunday afternoon.
“Sorry we’re 20 seconds late, my bassist had to pee,” Oladokun said with a giggle before breaking into the first song, “If You Got A Problem.”
Playing a black electric guitar with gold accents that reflected under the sun, Oladokun expressed her thanks for people showing up to her party and opened up about having anxiety before every show before jumping into “Smoke.”
Getting personal, Oladokun told the story of how she got her heart broken after a three-year relationship and put the pieces back together with her song “Sorry Isn’t Good Enough.”
As one of the most personable artists to perform at Shaky, Oladokun took every opportunity to talk to her fans, sharing stories about her life along with her political views. Referencing race and the killing of George Floyd, Oladokun expressed that “we’re the only country who calls itself civilized and kills so many citizens.” Then she broke into “I See American.”
Growing up in church while also struggling with her sexuality, Oladokun explained that she believes God just wants us to take care of everyone and “doesn’t care who we kiss,” which was her inspiration for the song “Jordan.”
The Brook & the Bluff
The four-piece band from Alabama that has been recognized for their vocal harmonies and soulful tunes released their debut album, “First Place,” in late 2019 and kept the energy high on the Piedmont stage. The Brook & the Bluff began with lead singer Joseph Settine and guitarist Alec Bolton and eventually added in drummer John Canada and bassist Fred Lankford.
The band just released their second album, “Yard Sale,” on Oct. 8 that features acoustic melodies and soothing, airy vocals. Taking it a few years back, The Brook & the Bluff began their Shaky set with “Straws” as festivalgoers trickled in from other stages. Setting a groovy mood and making it easy to rock back and forth, the band led into their more recent song, “Misnomer.”
A guitar solo in “Don’t Go Slipping Away” had all eyes on Bolton and plenty of headbangers finding the beat as yellow lights moved across the stage. Leading into “Everything is Just a Mess,” Settine said with a chilled voice, “we’re getting real sweaty up here, I hope you’re getting real sweaty with us,” prompting some listeners to start jumping and himself to twirling across the stage.
“Alright you’re here, you stuck around, … it’s time we teach you a little dance,” Settine told the crowd, guiding them through a simple step-touch to their song “Off The Lawn.” Although an easy enough move, fans did not disappoint and kept the high energy through the whole song and well into the epic guitar solo.
Tennis
Tennis is an indie pop band from Denver, Colorado, made up of wife and husband Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley. The band formed in 2010 and they released their first full-length album, “Cape Dory,” in 2011. Tennis will be touring the U.S. starting early November after postponing their 2020 tour for the release of their newest album, “Swimmer.”
Their 1990s style music and Moore’s bouncy, blonde curls took to the Peachtree stage and the duo kicked off their set with “I’ll Haunt You.” Riley playing on a psychedelic electric guitar, Moore wowed the crowd with her soothing vocals and keyboard skills.
“Alright, I’m not getting paid to talk. We’ve got a lot of songs. Let’s get to work,” Moore said as Riley looked at her from across the stage with dreamy eyes. Then they broke into “Runner” with a roar from the crowd.
Keeping it groovy and slow, Tennis serenaded the crowd with “Needle and a Knife” then led into “I Miss That Feeling,” a song about “anxiety, which I’m sure no one understands at all,” Moore said with a straight face, receiving a chuckle from the large crowd. A yellow tambourine in hand that matched Moore’s boots, the band played through “Superstar” until finishing their set with “Need Your Love.”
The Backseat Lovers
Comprised of guitarist and vocalist Josh Harmon and Jonas Swanson, drummer and vocalist Juice Welch, and bassist KJ Ward, The Backseat Lovers is an indie band from Utah. They released their first and only album in 2019 and are currently on tour across the U.S. with numerous sold-out shows.
The Backseat Lovers performed at the slightly smaller but shaded Ponce de Leon stage and had fans already clapping before they began with the punk-rock song “Just a Boy” that features careless vocals and a heavy guitar. Moving into “Pool House,” a well-known song among fans, the crowd sang along and threw up rock-and-roll signs.
A fan sporting a brown, sunset T-shirt sat upon a friend’s shoulder and amped up the energy even further. With the sight, Harmon expressed his gratitude, “all I can say is — wow, thank you,” and broke into “Picture.” A song full of highs and lows, fast and slower paces, fans head-banged and swayed to the changing beats.
“If you couldn’t tell, we’re having a lot of fun,” Harmon said with a broad smile. “Thank you for being so nice to us.”
With a huge roar from the crowd after the first hint that the band was going to play “Kilby Girl,” fans went wild, clapped sporadically and screamed every lyric. The mosh pit moved up and festival-goers filled every crack to get a better look at the artists who could not stop thanking the crowd for their energy and vibe.
Ritt Momney
Another artist reigning from Utah, Jack Rutter performs by the name of Ritt Momney, which is meant to recall U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney. The folk artist released his first album, “Her and All of My Friends,” in 2019 and recently released his EP, “Sometime.”
Rutter became viral after his cover of Corinne Bailey Rae’s 2006 “Put Your Records On” was widely used by TikTok creators. Rutter, who claims he has never met Romney, performed under the trees at the Criminal Records stage and kicked off the halfway point of the day with “Escalator.” With a slight breeze in the air, many fans sat on the lawn and took in the sound that seemed to vibrate through the ground.
A mellow sound with deep bass, Rutter’s voice dragged with ease through “Not Around” as fans swayed in different directions. Moving into “Command V,” green lights slowly flashed on stage as Ritter sat on the piano serenading the crowd and sang through some rap verses.
Turning up the energy, Rutter broke into “Set the Table” and began to jump around the stage as the lights sped up and fans threw their hand ups. Keeping it with older songs, Rutter moved into “Paper News” and was back on the piano.
Halfway through his set, Rutter sporting a white cap and black headphones paid homage to the cover that blew up his career: “Put Your Records On.” Clearly, the crowd knew the lyrics to the iconic tune. Moving into “Screwtape,” the song was written while the artist was going through darker times. He reminded fans that he is in a much better place and the song’s complex piano melody caused the crowd to wave their arms back and forth. Rutter closed off his set with “(If) The Book Doesn’t Sell” and fans left the artist with a final approving yell.
O.A.R.
O.A.R., short for “Of a Revolution,” is an American band founded in 1996 in Rockville, Maryland, consisting of vocalist and guitarist Marc Roberge, drummer Chris Culos, guitarist Richard On, bassist Benj Gershman, and saxophonist and guitarist Jerry DePizzo. Four of the members grew up in Rockville and attended Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School and went on to study at Ohio State University, where they met DiPizzo.
Their first album, “The Wanderer,” was released in 1997 while their most recent album, “The Mighty,” was released in 2019. With a trumpet and saxophone alerting the crowd that music was going to start, O.A.R. began their performance with “Dangerous Connection” on the Piedmont stage to an enormous crowd that extended into the back hills of the lawn.
The groovy, syncopated beat continued into “Fool in the Rain” and everyone in the crowd suddenly knew how to dance. If anyone knows how to get a crowd hyped up, it’s O.A.R. without a doubt. Jumping into “Hey Girl,” fans twirled in the pit that still had a few gaps and with drinks in hand, yelled the chorus in unison. The star of the song — the epic trumpet solo that had fans going crazy.
Bringing in a little Johnny Cash into the set, which seemed to blend into their songs almost perfectly, the band performed the iconic “Ring of Fire.” They then moved into the well-known, slower song they identify as signifying a “partnership” between two people, “Peace.” With countless hands reaching toward the sky, it would be a surprise if anyone in the crowd didn’t know every lyric.
Finishing off their set, O.A.R. broke into “Missing Pieces,” which fans might feel the first lyrics “I woke up with a headache from the night before” a little too much after a weekend full of heart pumping rock and roll. The band, thankful for being called to perform at Shaky Knees, asked fans to finish off the song with them before saying goodbye with “Delicate Few.”
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse, based out of Portland, Oregon, features members who founded the band in 1992: lead singer and guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green and bassist Eric Judy — along with others who joined later one. The band gained mainstream success with their 2004 album, “Good News for People Who Love Bad News,” and singles “Float On” and “Ocean Breathes Salty.”
Their recent album, “The Golden Casket,” was released in June and features a trippy grass field as cover art and a wide range of rock sounds. Modest Mouse performed on the Peachtree stage and kicked off their set with “(expletive) Your Acid Trip” with a trippy mushroom and rainbow background.
Singing into a gold microphone, Brock set the mood with “Bury Me With It” and a guitar solo midway through made the crowd cheer as white lights fell in with the song against a neon red background. Now a bright yellow background with yet another rainbow, Modest Mouse moved into “We Are Between.” Attracting an overall older and more chilled-out crowd, the band was reminiscent of the classic 1980s rock sound.
Wrapping up their set under the sunset, the cloudy sky turned iridescent pink as Midtown buildings lit up while Modest Mouse performed “Leave a Light On.” It was a dreamy sight and was made even more perfect as a fan pulled out confetti from the front pocket of her overalls and tossed it at dancing listeners.
With a fan distributing glow stick necklaces to fellow music lovers, Brock performed “Float On” under the now black and starless sky. The rather iconic song had everyone in the crowd appreciating it — and it was a very massive crowd.
Phoebe Bridgers
Los Angeles-based artist Phoebe Bridgers earned widespread critical acclaim and four Grammy Award nominations after the release of her album “Stranger in the Alps” in 2017 and “Punisher” in 2020. The indie-rock and folk artist with the hauntingly beautiful voice and silver locks began her Shaky set on the Piedmont stage on Sunday night with “Lyrics” under pumpkin orange lights that seemed to light up the pitch-black sky.
“This is the last show of our tour, thanks for making it so good,” Bridgers said after having spent the last two months touring around the U.S.
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
An overall calmer and soothing set compared to the various rock and folk artists at Shaky, Bridgers moved into “Garden Song” in front of a massive crowd that went on for miles.
Chatter filled the open space with Bridger’s angelic voice becoming part of the atmosphere and pastel beams of lights stretched far into the crowd as the melody of “Scoot Street” played softly for those in the back of the crowd.
With a single white beam of light shining into the crowd, Bridgers moved into the slightly upbeat “Chinese Satellite,” which is about her struggle with a lack of religious faith. Jumping into a song that had the crowd screaming, perhaps from the geographical reference, Phoebe wrote “Georgia” after dating a person from the state. The love song had Bridger playing the guitar and singing with two spotlights unwaveringly brightening her all-black outfit.
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Wrapping up her set, Bridgers tried to tell fans the story behind the last two months of touring. Perhaps coming with a slight disappointment, Bridgers said she couldn’t “remember a single thing, it’s like I blacked out.” Despite getting barely any breaks between shows while touring, the singer did not miss a single note or pitch until the very end of her set with “Graceland Too.”
The Strokes
The old-time, New York City-based rock band, The Strokes was a leading group in the early-2000s garage and post-punk rock revival and has maintained their recognizable sound since they got together in 1998. Releasing six full albums since 2001, the five-piece band most recently released their 2020 studio album, “The New Abnormal,” and gave a more than memorable final performance at the Peachtree stage Shaky before heading to Los Angeles to continue their tour.
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
A vibrant magenta, purple and red lit-up backdrop set the trippy, psychedelic mood before the band began with “Hard to Explain.” With every Shaky attendee in the crowd — yes, every attendee — the Strokes had quite a group to impress. They moved through their set with ease and screams of approval followed each melody and chorus of “Lyrics.”
Perhaps one of their better-known songs, the chorus to “Bad Decisions” was obviously widely recognizable by everyone in the crowd by the fact that you could hardly hear lead singer Julian Casablancas. The view was also slightly obstructed with the number of hands shooting up into the air simultaneously. Every song after kept the crowd in a sort of high and was well-received.
Newer but already memorized among numerous fans, “The Adults Are Talking” features a distinct and groovy guitar riff that makes the song immediately recognizable. Jumping to a more garage-rock feel, “Take It or Leave It,” had fans pushing forward into the barricade and the already claustrophobic pit growing with those previously sitting in the hills joining in the fun.
Approaching the end of their set, Casablancas awkwardly asked the crowd, “How’s the festival going?” after being jokingly booed on stage by the crowd before playing “12:51.” Almost skipping the song entirely, the band knew not to take the joke seriously and the crowd went wild when the band began the song again. With an atmosphere of slight exhaustion and sadness for the end of Shaky until late April, The Strokes wrapped up the festival with “Last Nite,” which had some fans jumping up and down and headbanging and others dancing and belting out the lyrics.
- Please return to AJC.com for more photos from Sunday’s performances.
