Tag Archives: music festival etiquette

Music

Wherein a middle-aged couple spends the weekend in Atlanta at the Shaky Knees Music Festival

2 Comments

Rockford and I gave each other three-day passes to the Shaky Knees Music Fest in Atlanta for our anniversary this year, and it was exhausting, exhilarating fun. We stayed at the Glenn Hotel right next to Centennial Park, where the festival was held. It was a quick walk to the gates, and we could hear the soundcheck for one of the stages from our bathroom.

Savages

Savages lead singer Jehnny Beth singing while crowd surfing at Shaky Knees 2016, in probably the best picture I'll ever take at a concert.
Savages lead singer Jehnny Beth at Shaky Knees 2016, in probably the best picture I’ll ever take at a concert.

I only knew one of their songs, but it’s a song that Rockford really likes so we went. Their performance was wild and intense, and the lead singer sang/yelled directly into Rockford’s face from about a foot away at one point.

Jane’s Addiction

Jane's Addiction at Shaky Knees 2016
All of my pictures at the Jane’s Addiction show were blurry.

I heard a lot of people afterward complaining that Perry Farrell didn’t sound as good as he used to, but I thought they were great. Also, he gave me an encouraging nod and a smile during “Mountain Song,” and I have the image tucked away in my heart for use in future instances of panic and/or anxiety. Thanks, Perry Farrell.

Strand of Oaks

Strand of Oaks at Shaky Knees 2016
Rockford is considering going as Strand of Oaks lead singer Timothy Showalter for Halloween.

It makes a show so much more enjoyable when the musicians are having fun, and these guys were clearly very happy to be there. The fact that their music is great didn’t hurt either. I’m hoping they’ll tour soon so we can see them again.

Deer Tick

Deer Tick at Shaky Knees 2016
The bassist for Deer Tick looks like Anthony Michael Hall.

I didn’t know anything at all about Deer Tick beforehand. Rockford wanted to stake his claim for the My Morning Jacket show, though, and that’s the stage Deer Tick was playing on. So we watched them. I’d classify them as Yacht Rock, which is a genre I am not opposed to. They were pretty good, and their wardrobe was amusingly quirky.

Huey Lewis and the News

Huey Lewis and the News at Shaky Knees 2016
I still can’t get over how great Huey Lewis and the News sounded.
I was most excited about seeing Huey Lewis and the News play the entire “Sports” album, but I was also a little nervous. Sometimes these nostalgia acts aren’t quite so sharp anymore, you know? But they far exceeded my expectations. They were on fire, and they seemed genuinely surprised and elated that a great field full of 20-somethings (and the occasional 30-something, ahem) was joyously singing every word along with them. It was my favorite performance of the weekend.

My Morning Jacket

My Morning Jacket at Shaky Knees 2016
I found confetti from the My Morning Jacket show in my purse when we got home yesterday.

This was the Main Event for Rockford, and they did not disappoint. It was very loud, the crowd was thrilled, and there were fireworks and confetti cannons.

It was a great weekend (despite the inevitable appearance of several Music Festival Ne’er-Do-Wells. I see you, Guy Who Holds Front-Row Spots For SIX Friends Who Don’t Show Up Until 30 Minutes Before The Show We’ve Been Waiting Five Hours To See, and you, Guy Who’s Been To Every Other Festival On The Planet And Found Them All Superior). The organizers did a great job keeping things punctual, the food-truck options were varied and reasonably priced — I mainly subsisted on King of Pops popsicles — and every act we saw in person or heard from afar was enjoyable.

We were both so tired after Friday and Saturday that we skipped everything on Sunday and came home. We’ve already decided that we need to book the hotel for Sunday night, too, so we can make it all the way through Shaky Knees 2017.

How was your weekend? What’s the best concert you’ve ever seen?