Bulk of evening program canceled due to inclement weather
At least the brutal scheduling conflict between Pavement and The Prodigy resolved itself.
And if not for Columbus, Ohio, duo Twenty One Pilots coming up clutch with a dynamic, energetic performance after severe thunderstorms swept through Midtown Atlanta, forcing the cancelation of two and a half blocks of subheadlining sets, thousands more disappointed festivalgoers would have trudged off from Piedmont Park than what already had.
Weather patterns are unpredictable, especially in the South when the heat of the day can produce violent downpours, and planning an outdoor event is always a crapshoot. Festival organizers must think about the safety and well-being of attendees, and Tim Sweetwood and company made the correct decision to pull the plug before conditions placed anyone in immediate danger.
Unfortunately, that meant that Blood Orange and Taking Back Sunday squeezed in just a couple of songs apiece before having to abandon their respective stages, and highly anticipated sets by Pierce the Veil and the aforementioned Pavement and Prodigy never materialized. A second Psychedelic Porn Crumpets show was also annulled, but the Aussies had already slayed Ponce De Leon earlier in the afternoon.
A saving grace was that the early program was incredibly strong. Hotel Fiction out of Athens, Georgia, announced itself with a thoroughly engrossing set at Criminal Records. Up-and-comers Fat, Evil Children and Villanelle dazzled on the secondary stages. And Rum Jungle, The Rapture, Geordie Greep and Minus the Bear especially entertained with tight, generally fun performances.
Thanks to our headquarters being in a primo location along the southern boundary of the festival grounds, we were privy to a morning soundcheck by Pavement that included a spectacular full rendition of “Grounded” that suggested the venerable indie band’s set would have been special. Later, the ample awning of the Airbnb provided refuge to a select group of folks seeking shelter from the storm. While our hosts were understandably not thrilled at the prospect of complete strangers huddling around their porch, they gratefully allowed us to offer them refuge until the worst of the weather had passed.
In that brief period, we forged quick friendships with those folks, a good chunk of whom happened to be fellow East Tennesseans. While the circumstances in which we met were less than ideal, such a chance encounter with like-minded individuals is a natural byproduct of Shaky Knees (and festivals at large), where interactions are encouraged and communal vibes are frequently forged. That these particular connections were made at the expense of the one thing that brought us all together is a pity, but the experience will last in our collective memories in the same manner that the forsaken musical performances would have.
Even if that and a surprise reopening of the gates for an abbreviated yet riveting set by a worthy headliner are all that I recall, I would be satisfied with this noteworthy Saturday. – Matt Rankin
The Rapture
The Rapture brought their signature, razor-sharp dance-punk energy to Peachtree on Saturday for a sweltering late-afternoon set that doubled as a time machine. Though the band hasn’t released a studio album since 2011’s “In the Grace of Your Love,” the familiar rhythms and rawness came with total ease. Frontman Luke Jenner was in peak form; his distinct, piercing voice sounded timeless as he delivered a heavy injection of early 2000s nostalgia to a hyped-up crowd.
Shaky Knees has always done a fantastic job of balancing legacy acts with fresh up-and-comers, making The Rapture’s placement on the bill a seamless fit. The group packed its daytime slot with high-octane favorites, but the undeniable peaks came during the groove-heavy “No Sex for Ben” and explosive closer “House of Jealous Lovers,” a track that transformed the festival field into a giant, sweaty dance floor.
With two weekend performances in the bag, it remains to be seen if this renewed momentum will finally coax the group back into the studio for a long-overdue record. In the meantime, Saturday’s set successfully transported the crowd back to a simpler era, serving as a reminder of exactly why The Rapture remains a pivotal, unmatched force in the history of the dance-punk scene. – John Flannagan
Geordie Greep
Black Midi played Shaky Knees a few years back. It was the only time I’ve ever seen a ferocious mosh pit break out at a jazz show. When I heard that Geordie Greep, one of that band’s founders and its frontman, was playing this year, I had no idea what to expect. What we got was an indescribable mashup of math rock, prog, jazz and Tin Pan Alley-like material by a set of musicians as good as I have ever seen. The show was straight-up Big Ears in the best possible way. Microtonal, avant-garde guitar solos merged with melodic long keyboard work, all backed by the best drummer I have heard this weekend, along with Greep’s signature vocals, which are not quite spoken word, not rap exactly and not sung, either, but are imminently listenable. – Bill Foster
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
In a show of generosity and the spirit of the festival, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets volunteered to play an extra set to fill in for Jimmy Eat World, who had to drop out for health reasons. They were magnificent, loud and jammy. Part of the Western Australia scene that gave us King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Tame Impala and Pond, the band has been around for a decade and a handful of albums. They are fronted by three lead guitars with a strong rhythm section. English-born Jack McEwan does most of the heavy lifting by singing, addressing the crowd and soloing. PPC aren’t as well-known as some of their more famous countrymen, but Saturday’s set made a strong case that they should be. – BF
Congress the Band
I certainly did not have Congress the Band on my Shaky Knees bingo card going into the weekend. However, after witnessing two stellar, high-energy sets by The Rapture and Minus the Bear, a pivot was desperately needed – if only to find a brief reprieve from the sweltering Atlanta heat.
I decided to take in the Charleston, South Carolina, outfit from the shade of the front porch directly across from Criminal Records. It was a maneuver that paid immediate dividends.
The classic Southern rock and blues-infused numbers that the band churned out hit all the senses. It provided a beautifully chilled-out, soulful soundtrack just before the absolute chaos of the evening’s thunderstorms that rolled through. Fortunately, Congress managed to get its entire set in before the weather took a downturn, treating the crowd to a pair of fantastic covers: a powerful rendition of “Valerie” by The Zutons followed by a sprawling, bluesy take on Tedeschi Trucks Band’s “Midnight in Harlem.”
Frontman William Bennett was engaging throughout and repeatedly expressed how thankful the band was to be playing Shaky Knees. In return, it delivered what turned out to be one of the most surprising, satisfying and memorable sets of the entire weekend. – JF
