Black boots and eclectic ensembles flooded Atlanta, Georgia’s Piedmont Park September 18th through 20th for the 13th annual Shaky Knees Festival. The three-day event brought rock, alternative, and indie music fans together for an all-star lineup including Turnstile, Gorillaz, LCD Soundsystem, and more. 

Friday

The festival opened on a high note, with performances from English singer-songwriter Ben Howard and Georgia’s very own pop band, Cartel, setting the tone for a weekend of diverse bands and musicians. With four stages spread throughout the park, there was plenty of ground to cover. After entering the gates, I spent some time wandering between stages, taking in the layout and getting a feel for how the festival’s different spaces flowed into one another. My walk across the dusty, often hilly grounds eventually led me back to the main stage, Peachtree,  to watch the final stretch of Hot Mulligan’s set. It was my first time seeing the band live, and their performance was loud, fast, and full of energy. While the main pit drew plenty of attention, smaller pockets of moshing had formed farther back in the crowd, with groups of friends creating their own circles and throwing themselves into the band’s sound as vocalist Chris Freeman sang. 

Next up was Snow Strippers on the Ponce de Leon Stage. The electronic duo, made up of vocalist Tatiana Schwaninger and producer Graham Perez, kept both the stage and crowd in motion. Fans responded to songs like ‘Under Your Spell’ and ‘It’s a Dream’ with constant movement, jumping and waving their hands along to the beats. 'Night Killaz' soundbites punctuated the transition between songs, giving the set a distinctly club-like energy even with the sun still out. Midway through the performance, Schwaninger stepped offstage while Perez did a solo DJ set for the crowd. As the duo dove into their last few songs, I made my way across the park, catching Geese’s ‘Cobra’ being played out before finding a spot to plant my feet for the anticipated Turnstile performance.

There’s nothing quite like the aura that comes over a Turnstile crowd when the first notes of ‘BIRDS’ begin to play. The slow-motion official video that’s been replayed across social media suddenly became real life as bodies jumped up and down to the pungent, aggressive hardcore track. The Baltimore band’s set included some of their biggest hits, including ‘MYSTERY’, ‘HOLIDAY’, and one of my favourites, ‘BLACKOUT’. I’ve never been in such a close-quartered crowd made up of so many different ages.

Amongst the pockets of fans watching the mosh pits from afar, I saw young families and older fans jumping just as high and banging their heads just as hard as those deep in the middle of the pit. Amid the jumping and moshing, crowdsurfers quickly began making their way overhead, with some reaching the first few rows and others only travelling a few feet before disappearing back into the seas of people.

The fans weren’t the only ones visibly enjoying the show; Turnstile’s members delivered unmistakably strong performances, with frontman Brendan Yates standing out through both his vocals and commanding stage presence. Even from nearly thirty rows back, I could see Yates working the crowd and “breaking the line” between the band and its fans amongst the barriers. As their set came to a close, the band played themselves out with their current closer, ‘T.L.C (TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION)’. 

Next up in Friday’s lineup of hard-hitters was Fontaines D.C., who opened with ‘Boys in the Better Land’ from their 2019 album ‘Dogrel’, followed by ‘Nabokov’ from their 2022 album ‘Skinty Fia’. The buzzing energy from the day’s previous performances had clearly carried over into the Irish rock band’s crowd, with people perched on each other’s shoulders and others hanging arms around friends. 

Lead vocalist Grian Chatten flourished onstage, bringing his distinct vocal style and an intense presence to the performance while rarely standing still. The band drew an eruption of screams when the opening notes of ‘Marianne’ played through the speakers. The electric-leaning ballad was paired with Chatten pointing toward the audience, prompting them to finish the lyrics, and the fans around me made sure they knew every word. The excitement of a song off their upcoming album ‘Dopamine Chamber’ didn’t stop there. Fontaines D.C. played the US debut of ‘Six Shot Morning’, which began with synths before building into a noticeable drum rhythm. The tension of the song continued to rise before hitting a beat drop reminiscent of the final moments of ‘Starburster’. And what’s a Fontaines D.C. show without playing a few fan favourites? ‘I Love You’ made an appearance before closing out their Atlanta night with ‘Starburster’. The sound of the crowd singing the lyrics along with their feral “Starburster gasps” filled the air with every hit of the song’s chorus. 

Onto the first headliner of the weekend, The Strokes took to the main stage just minutes after Fontaines D.C. They opened with ‘Dine N’Dash’, ‘Hard to Explain’, and ‘Ize of the World’. I watched from atop the hill as the band kept the crowd mesmerised. When technical difficulties hit toward the end of ‘Take It or Leave It’, I decided to head out of the festival grounds early to beat the crowds and hopefully give my ankles a fighting chance of making it through the rest of the weekend. 

Saturday

The intensity of Friday’s heat was definitely felt on Saturday, with many people, including myself, getting a later start to the festival’s second day. Some of the early afternoon sets included Boston-based rock band Sophie’s Body, UK-based Villanelle, and Georgia’s very own, Hotel Fiction. 

By late afternoon, crowds had congregated at the main stage, where indie pop band Peach Pit began their hour-long performance. The band played several popular hits, including ‘Alrighty Aphrodite’ and ‘Shampoo Bottles’, but the standout moment came when they covered ‘What Once Was’ by the late duo, Her’s. Though the rendition is a frequent part of the band’s setlist, the choice still caught the attention of listeners, potentially introducing new audiences to the late band’s music. 

As Peach Pit’s set came to a close, Blood Orange took to the adjacent stage where it seemed hundreds of people were waiting in the scorching sun. The crowd erupted when British singer-songwriter Dev Hynes took to the stage, kicking off the set with ‘Somewhere in Between’. Soon after, a hush fell over the crowd during a stripped-down, emotional cover of Bjork’s ‘All is Full of Love’, with Hynes accompanying his melodic vocals on his cello. But fewer than 3 songs into the set, the sounds of ‘Sutphin Boulevard’ were abruptly cut short by an announcement from Shaky Knee’s organisers that severe weather would be delaying performances. With thunder claps and lightning striking in the near distance, all festivalgoers were asked to evacuate the park immediately. 

Massive crowds began making their way uphill and downhill to the exits as the storm came in full force. Flash flooding filled Atlanta’s streets as festivalgoers hid under tree canopies, some even seeking shelter in a nearby parking garage.

With little to no confirmed updates following the evacuation, the festival announced around 8:45pm that gates would reopen for only the day's headliner, Twenty One Pilots. The announcement came with mixed reactions, as the remaining acts, Pierce the Veil, Pavement, The Prodigy, and Psychedelic Porn Crumpets had their sets cancelled completely. Twenty One Pilots, however, was welcomed by a massive crowd as a sea of fans reentered through the park’s gates. Many fans were sporting red and black outfits and Tyler Joseph’s signature black-painted neck. The band managed to squeeze in roughly 15 songs, including ‘Heathens’, ‘Stressed Out’, and ‘Drum Show’ before the 11:00pm sound curfew brought the festival’s dramatic second day to a close. 

Sunday

There were puddles throughout the pits to start off the last day of the festival, with the aftermath of Saturday’s hectic weather. Overcast skies quickly transitioned into another day of extreme sun and Atlanta heat, but with one last full day of a knockout lineup, Shaky Knees visitors were already packing Piedmont Park by noon.

Over on the Criminal Records stage, Minneapolis indie-rock band Porch Light brought the energy. Lead vocalist Jackie Uhas immediately captured the crowd’s attention with her sharp vocals and captivating stage presence. The set started with popular songs from the band’s 2025 EP, ‘Navy Blue’. ‘Fall Back’ brought a laid-back, beachy feel, with guitar riffs that had the audience swaying along with Uhas. To everyone’s excitement, Porch Light played several songs from their new album, ‘Hush’, released just this past week. ‘Under’, one of the album’s 11 tracks, garnered a massive and energetic response from the crowd. Uhas stepped down from the stage, getting up close and personal with those on the barricade as she belted the song’s chorus with both passion and power. ‘Under’ wasn’t the only intense song of the set. ‘Oxygen’, a fan favourite and the band’s second-to-last song, brought more head-banging and enthusiastic hand waving from the crowd. 

Down the hill, pop-infused vocal duo The Two Lips took to the stage with loud cheers from fans who seemed to have posted up at the barricades specifically for their set. The duo delivered a dreamy and unique sound that stood out from much of the festival's lineup. Their performance showcased impressive vocals paired with synchronised dancing. ‘It’s complicated’ and ‘talk’ caught my attention, with catchy hooks that first-time listeners could quickly sing along to.

A quick trek across Piedmont Park and down a steep hill lined with concertgoers lounging on picnic blankets brought me to Violet Grohl’s set, which was already underway. The daughter of The Foo Fighter’s frontman Dave Grohl, Violet Grohl is beginning to carve out her own space beyond the famous surname with her moody, silky voice. Songs off her grunge-infused album ‘Be Sweet To Me’ caught the ears of those passing by to get to Coheed and Cambria on the main stage. I watched several festivalgoers stop in their tracks to listen intently to songs like ‘THUM’ and ‘Cool Buzz’. A welcome surprise in the mix, a cover of Squirrel Bait’s ‘Sun God’. There’s no denying that Violet Grohl will continue to put an unmistakable mark of her on the genre. 

A personally nostalgic band for me, Jet, took to the same stage an hour later. The band kicked off their time on stage with ‘Last Chance’ and ‘She’s a Genius’, and by the time ‘Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is’ played, crowd surfers were already making their second trips toward the front. Band frontman Nic Cester stepped down from the stage and onto the lower stage equipment, serenading the audience with ‘Look What You’ve Done’. In what felt like a complete vibe switch, the band launched into a cover of AC/DC’s ‘It’s A Long Way To The Top’, prompting someone several rows behind me to ask, “Isn’t this in School of Rock?”. 

As Jet’s ‘Rip It Up’ played off in the distance, I quickly made it over to the adjacent main stage for Santigold. A relatively new artist to me, singer Santi White stepped onto the stage with a presence that could be felt throughout the audience. ‘Hold the Line’ and ‘LES Artistes’, though familiar, immediately made me a fan. Flanked by two identically clothed backing singers, Santigold was a mesmerising performer to watch. With her second-to-last song, ‘Creator ’, she hand-picked audience members to get up on stage for a dance competition. The atmosphere among Santigold’s fans was infectious, and I left not only a fan of her music, but also her presence as a performer. 

While many festivalgoers headed toward Modest Mouse, I chose to stop by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to catch them perform ‘The Crossroads’. From there, I made my way back to the farthest and smallest stage for FCUCKERS. The stage size meant little as singer Shanny Wise had fans dancing and jumping in the blazing sun to ‘Mothers’, ‘Beatback’, and ‘LUCKY’.  Wise’s vocals were velvety and hypnotic, fronting a fast beat among all their songs. Their 15-plus song set brought an outdoor dance party to the far corner of Piedmont Park. 

After the high-energy set from FCUCKERS, I made my way back toward the two main stages as the festival entered its final stretch of performers. I caught the first three songs of LCD Soundsystem’s set, including ‘I Can Change’, before heading off to find a spot for Gorillaz.

Closing out Shaky Knees is no small feat, but Gorillaz brought the long weekend to an end with an unforgettable hour-and-a-half performance, filled with their signature animations across the stage screens and several special guests. The group’s singer Damon Albarn was met with an eruption of screams from fans as he and the band stepped out onto the stage, kicking off the set with ‘The Mountain’, ‘The Happy Dictator’, and ‘Tranz’. A mix of both familiar and surprise guests joined Albarn onstage, including Kara Jackson to sing ‘Orange County’, 6LACK to perform ‘The Pink Phantom’, and DRAM for ‘Andromeda’. Albarn even made his way to the front barricades at one point, shaking hands with excited fans. He delivered a strong and commanding performance, closing out the festival with some of Gorillaz’s biggest hits, including ‘She’s My Collar’, ‘Feel Good Inc.’, and finally ‘Clint Eastwood’. The band gave Shaky Knees a fitting finale, one that left the crowd with plenty to remember after the long weekend. 

Sam Russo

@sam.rrusso

Image: Official Shaky Knees Lineup