By John Flannagan, Bill Foster, Rusty Odom and Matt Rankin
The second day of Shaky Knees was (and will be) the longest day of the festival for the BLANK crew, as the incredible amount of music kicked off early with DEHD at 12:45 p.m. and finished with Nine Inch Nails ending promptly at 11. Saturday ran the gauntlet of musical styles, showcasing more hard rock (Poorstacy, Reignwolf, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Amyl and the Sniffers) and electronic (Djo, Molchat Doma, CHVRCHES and NIN) acts than anything else. While many festivals have experienced post-pandemic struggles, including staffing issues and logistics, Shaky Knees seems to have picked up where it left off in 2019, with everything running like a well-oiled machine. Here’s what we enjoyed the most on Saturday. – John Flannagan
Djo
Joe Keery, perhaps best known as Steve from the hit sci-fi series “Stranger Things,” brought his new solo psych-pop outfit to Atlanta for a fun, early afternoon dance party. While such parties don’t usually kick off at 2 p.m., Djo did its best to buck that trend, running through a set of infectious grooves showcasing synths and jammy rock that were reminiscent of Flaming Lips at times. Shaky Knees has always been kind to the Netflix kids, having showcased Calpurnia, The Aubreys and Post Animal in previous years, a formula that has worked well for both sides. Usually during sun-drenched sets like this one, the crowd can tend to be somewhat lethargic, but there were many energetic folks on hand here, which set the tone for the wild and fun time that was to be had on day two. – JF
Guided by Voices
Alt-rock icons Guided by Voices took over the second-largest stage on Saturday afternoon for a stroll down memory lane. Even at 64 years old, Robert Pollard isn’t showing any signs of slowing down – nor of stopping his patented leg kick as he prowls the stage. The nostalgia was in full effect as the venerable rock group played tunes such as “Alex Bell” and “Motor Away” before ending its 15-song set with the hits “I Am a Scientist” and “Glad Girls.”
Pollard chatted up the crowd between songs, complaining at one point about his allotted time. The band then proceeded to end its set a bit early, but it still checked all the boxes for being a great one. I feel very fortunate for having seen two icons in the alternative world already this year, as I was able to cross Mike Watt off the bucket list last month at Big Ears. Shaky Knees is always great for featuring treasured rock icons, though, satisfying the tastes of its older patrons while also turning its young attendees on to these legendary acts. – JF
Gang of Youths
If a band from Australia plays Shaky Knees, you go see it. That’s just all there is to it. Several years ago we discovered Pond at this festival, and a couple years later it was Parcels that took home top-show honors. Gang of Youths were the current representatives from Down Under, along with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Amyl and the Sniffers. The latter two were incendiary, as you’ll go on to read in this recap, but Gang of Youths represented, as well.
The six-piece crafted an uproariously fun show that beamed with talent and lacked self-importance. It’s the best kind of mix. Changing tempos but maintaining a steady output of energy, singer/guitarist David Le’aupepe led the band and the crowd with an “aw shucks” attitude between songs and a “get out if you’re not going to dance” tenor during them. He even dapped up the camera guys after the show. He was great throughout, but so were the other pieces of the band. I can’t wait to see Gang of Youths again. – Rusty Odom
Reignwolf
Fighting through some pandemic rust that halted the flow early on in Saturday afternoon’s set underneath the Ponce tent, this Seattle outfit overcame what seemed like sound/gear/confidence issues to deliver an assured set of hard-rocking, modern blues. There was enough independent spirit to roughen up the edges of the duo’s familiar sound, but the material proved to be plenty palatable to the dense crowd that had assembled underneath the Ponce pavilion well in advance of the start time. Riffage was the daily special, and the pair were more than willing to dish it out. From the moment near the beginning of the set when a riser was exploited for maximum plumage-exposition until the last kick-ass note, Reignwolf brought undeniable attitude and energy with enough musical dexterity to match. – Matt Rankin
Molchat Doma
On rare occasion, a hotly anticipated festival show will exceed expectations – even those of folks who assume only the best about a relative unknown’s potential to excite. This previously mysterious Belarusian trio, its members striking an imposing posture at Criminal Records on Saturday evening yet also demonstrating rare stage presence and an uncanny knack for melody, solidified itself as legitimate talent within the Shaky Knees conscience by producing an immaculate-sounding and surprisingly danceable set of Iron Curtain bangers.
With a smooth baritone deeper than the Mariana Trench, vocalist Egor Shkutko channeled Ian Curtis with his monotone yet sumptuous and emotive croon. Bauhaus and Depeche Mode also are obvious reference points, but make no mistake: This is no throwback or tribute-esque act, and the group’s bouncy material, both positively radiating and radiating positivity, was far from ever approaching menacing or dour territory. While the songs gestured toward an uplifted future, the solemn intensity of the performance was a tangible reminder of how much music can transcend boundaries and bridge the gap between customs, cultural trends and sociopolitical differences. – MR
Kurt Vile and the Violators
Few artists have straddled the line between laid-back and accomplished quite as proficiently as Kurt Vile. The Philly musician, an unabashed guitar fiend, consistently offers more on his albums and in his live performances than what his appearance or demeanor might suggest is possible. With his trusty backing band in tow during golden hour in Atlanta, Vile ensured that enlightenment was within grasp of anyone who ventured within earshot of Piedmont.
For those who had the leisure time in their schedules and the inclination required to withstand lengthy buildups and delayed payoffs, their labors eventually bore fruit. Even if the killer Silver Jews cover didn’t do it for them, the slightly countrified, heavily improvised rendition of “Wakin on a Pretty Day,” which culminated in an electric freak-out of epic proportion, probably did. The setlist, comprising new material, recognized hits and favorite deep cuts, seemed tailor-made for the festival crowd, just another indication that Vile is more than meets the eye. – MR
Amyl and the Sniffers
This grizzled festival veteran doesn’t often get to the front row of shows these days, but when I do, it’s because of bands like Aussie garage-punk outfit Amyl and the Sniffers, who absolutely blew the Criminal Records stage away with their evening set. Frontwoman Amy Taylor, looking like Iggy Pop at times with her mannerisms and raw energy, never let up, dropping rocker after rocker off of the group’s latest effort, “Comfort to Me.”
Kicking off the set with arguably their best song (“Guided by Angels”), it didn’t take long for me to venture up front to better see and feel the energy Amyl and the Sniffers were bringing. Prancing and prowling on the platform and stagediving into the crowd, Taylor looked up at one point with a wry, blood-soaked smile. They delivered a run or hard-charging songs at a blistering pace to close out Saturday at Criminal Records and set the stage for King Gizzard at Piedmont and, later, NIN at Peachtree. – JF
CHVRCHES
These Scots seem to understand the festival dynamic better than most, performing shows that tend to grow in strength as they progress. Moving from mild-mannered numbers to spine-tingling, body-rattling anthems, Lauren Mayberry and company reestablished themselves as reliable top-tier talent during this main-stage set. At this point in its existence, the band boasts an impressive catalog from which it can draft setlists, and Saturday’s selections were on point. Drawing a warm synth bath as thick as the humid Atlanta air, it blew through 13 electro-pop jams in an hour, the back-to-back pulsating punch of “The Mother We Share” and “Clearest Blue” rounding out the action and sending the happy crowd dancing into the night in anticipation of the headlining set by Trent Reznor, who Mayberry dubbed a consummate “seasoned gigsman.” – MR
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
While just a third of the nine-song setlist performed by these prolific Aussie rockers featured tracks culled from their latest (and best) album, “Omnium Gatherum,” those three songs were – no pun intended – instrumental to Saturday night’s proceedings at Piedmont. Following the opener, old favorite “Planet B” preceded the metal romp of “Gaia,” the breakdown of which detonated into a searing, compelling guitar solo that found cathartic resolution with the resumption of pummeling drumbeats.
Next up was the record’s first single “Magenta Mountain;” seeing as to how the studio version is iconoclastic, that the live rendition superseded it seems significant. “The Dripping Tap,” a captivating, 20-minute suite that opens the album, functioned admirably here as a parting note, the exhilarating alternating segments linked by an earworm of a repeated melody. This band is simply operating on a completely different level than most right now; with absolutely no disrespect to Shaky Knees, it will be headlining bigger festivals than this one sooner rather than later. – MR
Nine Inch Nails
Shooting Nine Inch Nails from the photo pit while they played “Wish” and “Less Than” was a watershed moment for me. NIN is one of the most important bands in my life. I shot them back in 1988 and haven’t seen them live since, so the opportunity was incredible, and that they played two of my favorites while I was that close was truly amazing. They busted out “Heresy” for the first time since 2009, put “Only Way” into “Closer,” played “Sin” and “March of the Pigs” and “Gave Up” and “The Hand That Feeds.” It was just perfect. – Bill Foster
