By John Flannagan, Bill Foster, Jesse Fox Mayshark, Matt Rankin and Rusty Odom
We could gush more about Piedmont Park and the general layout of the festival here, because that’s all we’ve wanted to talk about to our friends in person, but we’ll save that for our final roundup after the final note has been played.
For now, we’ll stick to the music.
The people of Shaky Knees don’t typically have to stretch too far in terms of musical styles, but Saturday offered a wider variance of genres that it typically does.
From the wild-eyed energy of Die Spitz to a legendary hip-hop clinic from Public Enemy to the vaudeville parade of My Chemical Romance, Shaky Knees delivered yet again.
The grounds are split evenly between Criminal Records and Ponce De Leon on one side of the festival while Piedmont and Peachtree reside on the other. At first it seems like the walks are difficult, but after making the trek a few times, the journey is more of a breeze than a pilgrimage. Any complainers should be tarred and feathered.
Decisions had to be made, though. Shaky Knees often features some of the most brutal conflicts in the festival game, and day two was a perfect example of that.
Some folks chose to see what many expected to be a comeback show from The Black Keys while others chose Public Enemy. And even though they were unopposed, My Chemical Romance offered a chance for an early exit for some. Most, though, chose to take in the spectacle. While BLANK editor Matt Rankin and I were unfamiliar with the band and the show kinda went over our heads as a result, the biggest crowd of the weekend took in what many described as a life-changing blend of theater and music. One of the the people who leaned closer toward the latter was Jesse Fox Mayshark, who drove down from Knoxville for the day to catch the loaded lineup. Below, he talks about his experience with the headliner. Mayshark is publisher of The Progressive South, which amplifies progressive voices and values across the Southern United States. Give it a look after you read his recap if you dig his style. It’s important, and it’s great.
Let’s get right to it. Here are our favorites from day two of Shaky Knees 2025. – Rusty Odom
Die Spitz
Ausitn quartet Die Spitz (German for the feminine version of “the sharp”) has quite the buzz right now based on the sharp songwriting on their debut record, “Something to Consume,” and their explosive live shows. The four 22-year-olds are all friends in real life, and their friendship shows up onstage. I don’t think a band I saw yesterday had as much fun as these guys did. The smaller Criminal Records stage is known for hosting loud bands and encourages crowdsurfing and moshing. As Die Spitz got going, the scene was classic Shaky Knees: loud guitars, snarling vocals, crowdsurfers passing by and a raging pit. All four members sing and write, and their songs are subtly political but full of grit, fire and youth. This was the best show of the day for me and one of the top five of the festival for sure. – Bill Foster
CMAT
Irish singer Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, better known as CMAT, played a beautiful late-afternoon set on the Criminal Records stage Saturday. Touring behind her latest effort, “Euro-Country,” released just last month, CMAT performed several numbers from the album, including the jangly country tune “When a Good Man Cries” and “Take a Sexy Picture of Me,” her most successful song to date. The artist managed to flow from style to style, weaving in country with rock and pop with a little humor sprinkled in. I had every intention of catching only half of this set before seeing the end of TV on the Radio; however, the good-time vibes the excellent-sounding CMAT were radiating captivated me completely and kept me at Criminal for the entirety of the show. I felt terrific about the decision and have no regrets. – John Flannagan
Bilmuri
While researching the artists on this year’s lineup, it was initially incredibly difficult to wrap my millennial brain around the amalgamation of disparate genres and inspirations that is Bilmuri. The juxtaposition of emo sensibilities, nu-metal riffage, bro-country choruses, ADD-addled transitions and Clarence Clemons-esque sax simply did not compute. On paper, the fusion should not work, but repeated listens got me to a point where I now understand the music and – dare I say it? – actually kind of love the product the band is selling.
Probably the most appealing aspects of the group’s aesthetic for me personally are the joy and optimism it projects. Hope is a valuable commodity these days, and Bilmuri seems to have in its reserves enough of a supply to meet the demand. While the good vibes are present in recorded efforts, they are manifested a thousandfold in a live environment. When he wasn’t delivering heartfelt lyrics, loquacious frontman/project architect Johnny Franck was busy hyping up the crowd gathered at the Criminal Records stage, talking up the players in his band and generally promoting love, unity and the importance of helping others.
The band comprises individually brilliant musicians, each contributing a slice to the whole pie with specific flair. Drummer Xavier Ware is a monster behind the skins, and saxophonist/vocalist Gabi Rose wails on her instrument; both shone brightly Saturday beneath the twilit sky. Even the debuting member fit in seamlessly. The spasticity of the compositions was reflected in the performance, which featured tons of movement, audience engagement and a stunning backlight display. Coming into the show, I didn’t have any preconceived notions about what it would entail, but it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable and entertaining sets of the weekend thus far. – MR
Fat Dog
As the BLANK team was sitting on the front porch of our Airbnb writing about day one, we could hear the first bands playing. My intention was to head over there in time for Die Spitz, but I heard what sounded like NIN covering Hank Williams and rushed in early to catch some of Fat Dog’s set. The London five-piece was formed during COVID and released their debut album just last year, after becoming known for their rowdy live shows. When I arrived, singer Joe Love was already down in the audience where he remained for the half hour I saw. The rest of the band were equally showy and fun while the impossible-to-describe music encompassed techno and klezmer and country, all with a punk edge. These guys are fun, and I’m sure we will be hearing more from them. – BF
The Beaches
The Beaches are one of those “only in this era” stories. They actually formed as teens in Toronto back in 2009 but have released only three albums. With connections to Broken Social Scene and a handful of Juno Awards, they did well in Canada but were unknown here until their song “Blame Brett” went viral on TikTok last year and introduced them to a younger audience. They had a big but not overwhelming crowd at the second largest stage of the festival. Comparisons to The Chicks are unavoidable and not unwarranted, but they are poppier and more indie-sounding. There is a lot of clever songcraft hear (“Touch Myself” was the first I noticed). I enjoyed this show a lot, and I will definitely be digging into their catalog. – BF
The Linda Lindas
The Linda Lindas (taking their name from a Japanese film, not from Spanish) are an all-female quartet from LA playing pop-punk. They were discovered by Amy Poehler and have released two albums. This was as fun a show as I have seen, and it looked just as fun for the band. Their banter was entertaining and funny. All four members took turns singing lead. Bassist Eloise Wong bounced between the two Garza sisters, and all three posed and jumped and kicked. “Racist, Sexist Boy” closed the set, and a cover of Talking Heads’ “Found a Job” was also a highlight. – BF
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr seemed to have as great a time performing Saturday afternoon at Peachtree as the fans in attendance did watching him. Marr proved his status as a living legend, as his voice and classic reverb-drenched guitar licks sounded perfect throughout the set. Marr smiled and got lost in his improvisation at times while tearing through a perfect setlist of solo material as well as songs from his time with The Smiths and Electronic.
The highlight of the set was when Marr went on a run of three consecutive Smiths songs that began with a blistering version of “This Charming Man” followed by a beautiful acoustic version of “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want,” before ending it with an extended version of “How Soon Is Now?” From there, Marr delivered Electronic’s “Getting Away With It” before closing the spectacular set with the iconic Smiths tune “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,” which sent the masses onto their next shows satisfied. – JF
The All-American Rejects
Someone at Shaky Knees might have made a slight miscalculation because the crowd at the smaller Ponce de Leon stage for The All-American Rejects was EPIC. Easily twice as big as any other crowd at the stage that weekend. There were thousands of people just sitting behind the tree lines who couldn’t even see the stage. The Oklahoma four-piece has been together for 31 years, and it shows. They were relaxed, joking, professional and tight, roaring through a dozen hits and one of Tyson Ritter’s solo songs. Ritter was engaged with the crowd, one time having an inflatable giraffe surf all the way to the stage and all the way back to its original owner. This is one of the shows that every festival needs. It’s not a new discovery or an emotional catharsis, just great entertainment in a nice spot on a beautiful day. – BF
TV on the Radio
I traversed the grounds in front of Peachtree seeking an auditory sweet spot for TV on the Radio – a seminal band during my burgeoning musical erudition in the mid-aughts that still occupies a regular place in my listening rotation – but was unable to find one. Sadly, the only conclusion I can draw is that this show on a scorching Saturday afternoon just didn’t sound all that great. It wasn’t for a lack of effort or ability, as there is no denying the intensity of the performance or the quality of the musicianship. But songs that should have popped in the late-afternoon heat came across a bit flat. Burying its most popular single fourth in a 10-song setlist was a bold, confident move by the group, but the fact that “Wolf Like Me” seemed to barely register recognition from the decently sized yet unenthusiastic crowd was telling.
That isn’t to say that there weren’t any positives to glean. Traditional opener “Young Liars” built up gradually and deliberately before crescendoing in a glorious coda; sleeper hit “DLZ” was fire despite the wonky acoustics; and the patient, beautifully rendered “Staring at the Sun” made for an effective denouement. Cofounding member Dave Sitek has been noticeably absent from the live lineup since the band resumed touring a year ago, though, and it’s hard to imagine that the studio whiz who has a number of prominent production credits to his name would have allowed for such a messy mix at this high-profile gig had he been in tow. The other cofounder, singer/synth contributor Tunde Adebimpe, expertly steered the proceedings, prowling the stage and pogoing enthusiastically, and Kyp Malone’s backing vocals were easily the best they’ve been in the three TVOTR shows I’ve seen.
I just wish that such a talented, influential and beloved collective had been able to make a better account of itself at a festival that prioritizes and showcases established artists the way Shaky Knees does. – Matt Rankin
Public Enemy
This was one for the ages, dear readers.
I’ve seen the hip-hop legends a couple of times before, but this one was different.
They played the hits, of course, but there was a different feel to this one.
Usually when a band asks the crowd if they mind if they play some new ones, it’s met by disgruntled applause. That’s where I was when Flavor Flav asked, but he’s so charming and fun I thought I’d give it a shot. What I didn’t expect to say, though, is that the best new music we heard from the weekend came from Public Enemy.
I NEVER take out my phone at festivals, and I recorded the entirety of one of the new songs based off of of how much I enjoyed the first one they performed. They played three new tracks in total, and I can’t wait to dig in to the new album, which came out on June 27.
The final song of the show was, of course, “Fight the Power,” and they were joined by cofounder and Atlanta native Professor Griff. He left the group in 1989 but rejoined in 1998 before parting ways again later. It was a beautiful show that ended with a beautiful message form Flav, who urged the crowd to stick together and take care of each other. – RO
My Chemical Romance
I’m not always a fan of tours based around an artist playing an album straight through from front to back – they can come off rote, and they monopolize the setlist, crowding out other songs you might want to hear.
But in touring their 2006 album, “The Black Parade,” the reunited New Jersey band My Chemical Romance conquered both of those challenges.
First, the album was the biggest hit of MCR’s four-album run from 2002-2010. So most of the tens of thousands of people who crowded Piedmont Park Saturday night knew all the words to the deep cuts as well as the singles, and were happy to hear them.
Second, the band outfitted the tour with an elaborate setting and backstory – a fictional dictatorship in the country of Draag, complete with its own alphabet and short Soviet-style propaganda films. “The Black Parade” is already a concept album (about a patient dying of cancer), but the framing added a second concept, turning the band into a group of Draagian musicians playing their old hits and trying to please their impassive ruler. Elaborate and unique pyrotechnics were a bonus.
MCR was always more interesting and ambitious than their emo tag suggested, and “The Black Parade” brings in grand classic-rock gestures a la Pink Floyd, Queen and others – it’s a gothy pop-punk-emo-prog-glam album, with turbocharged rockers like “House of Wolves” alongside sweeping, phones-aloft ballads like “I Don’t Love You.”
After concluding the run through its tracklist – ending with a dramatic murder and suicide “bomb” explosion onstage – the band played a handful of their biggest hits from its other albums. If anything, MCR’s adolescent angst only feels more relevant now than 20 years ago. At least, it was cathartic under current circumstances to be part of a huge crowd roaring, “I’m not OK, I’m not O-f***ing-K.” – Jesse Fox Mayshark
Get more Mayshark at The Progressive South.
