The opening day of the 11th edition of the Shaky Knees Music Festival roared to life in downtown Atlanta’s Central Park.
Music fans from all over once again migrated to Atlanta’s Central Park for what has become a must-see festival on the summer circuit. Friday was headlined by one of the hottest names in current pop music, Noah Kahan.
Indie-folk artist Mali Velasquez started off the day with a laid-back and introspective set at the Criminal Records Stage. Velasquez’s vocal delivery causes you to listen more intently than you might normally. It really makes you process the song in a way you might not with another artist. The Nashville artist’s debut album I’m Green is available now from Acrophase Records.
Following Velasquez was the straight-ahead punk band Winona Fighter. Frontwoman Coco Luther was a revelation, stalking the stage with a megaphone, guitar, and sometimes just a microphone. “You Look Like a Drunk Phoebe Bridgers” got the crowd moving (and surfing) with great lead guitar work by Dan Funson. Despite the shorter set time, they also managed to foreshadow a song that would be heard later in the weekend, The Offspring’s “Self Esteem.” Winona Fighter is touring the Midwest throughout the summer. Odie Leigh was up next on the Peachtree Stage. The Baton Rouge, LA native showcased songs from her debut EP How Does It Seem To You? while being right at home on the festival’s largest stage. Leigh also played some tracks from the upcoming Carrier Pigeon, no doubt generating additional interest for the upcoming release. A standout from these was “No Doubt” with the anthem-like outro that’s built to sing along to. Leigh’s debut full-length, Carrier Pigeon, is out July 12th on Mom+Pop Music. El Paso, TX-natives Late Night Drive Home turned the volume up and the tuning down during a powerful 45-minute set. Singer/guitarist Andre Portillo was the first (but not the last) person to take the stage in a mask over the weekend, but eventually shed it to match his bandmates. The four-piece’s songs are sad and gripping, proving to be a great change of pace for festival-goers. The band’s latest EP, Believe Me (Even If I’m Lying), is out now. After technical difficulties with drummer Aurora Evans’ mix which led to some nice back and forth with the crowd, including what Evans described as “panic,” Wine Lips launched into a blistering old-school rock set. Leading with “Eyes” from 2021’s Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party set the bar high for everything that followed. The band mixes the sounds of psych rock, punk rock, and garage rock perfectly. Their music is fast, loud, and raw… but it grooves. That’s a powerful combination. Rock veterans Metric anchored Friday’s mid-day with an energetic performance. Despite moving past the midway point of their second decade as a band, the Canadian quartet has not lost a single step. Emily Haines continues to thrive when put in front of an audience, commanding the crowd’s undivided attention. Audience favorites included “Help I’m Alive” and “Breathing Underwater.” One of the real breakout stars of Shaky Knees Day One was Australia’s Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. Frontman Jack McEwan, clad in camouflage overalls with hair covering his face, provided the crowd with a fast-paced assault of psych rock noise that took no prisoners. Closing things down with the amazingly named “Hymn For A Droid,” those who weren’t fans of this band when they arrived probably left with a new catalog to listen to. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets is touring North America for the rest of May. Nashville’s All Them Witches slowed things down a bit, but what they lacked in speed they make up for in tone. The blues-rockers aren’t afraid to veer into jam territory from time to time, and the crowd at Shaky Knees was more than happy to go there with them. The band channeled the greats of 70s guitar rock (think Black Sabbath or early Led Zeppelin) in a searing performance of “When God Comes Back.” Guitarist Ben McLeod was a real highlight here with amazing solo work. No band does “cool” quite like Interpol. The presentation, the suits, the vibe, and the sound are all part of the full experience. Singer/guitarist Paul Banks’ mirrored sunglasses reflected the crowd that was packed into the Peachtree Stage area. They played classics dating back to their debut, Turn On the Bright Lights, through their most recent release, The Other Side of Make-Believe. The biggest reaction had to be for the staccato guitar intro of 2002’s “Obstacle 1,” one of the best songs in an amazing career catalog. Arcade Fire knows how to put on a show for an audience. The crowd was given the full concert experience from the performance, the interaction, and the music. Before the music even started, lead singer Win Butler was in the crowd with the people, getting them going for the show that was to come. With a setlist that featured more recent releases (2022’s We) as well as throwbacks to earlier work (2004’s Funeral), there was something for all Arcade Fire fans, both new and old. In one of the most heralded sets of the entire weekend, Arcade Fire delivered. It’s very clear why the band’s current tour is called Real Fun. Nobody entered the weekend on more of a hot streak than Friday night headliner, Noah Kahan. Kahan stated that Shaky Knees was the largest festival show he had ever done, and the anticipation from fans was palpable. Fans who stormed the rail when the gates opened at 11 AM were still there when the set kicked off at 9:30 PM.The crowd makeup trended a bit younger, but the passion they displayed could not be matched. It seemed as though every song played was a crowd sing-along, with a sea of fans belting out every word in unison with Kahan.
Kahan’s backing band was a star in their own right, showing the polish that time on the road behind a big album can bring. Noah Levine’s guitar work was exceptional, along with multi-instrumentalist Nina de Vitry (violin/guitar/banjo/vocals).
Songs from 2022’s Stick Season dominated the set, with only a few callbacks to earlier work. Noah Kahan continues the Stick Season Tour throughout 2024.
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