The Strokes, Twenty One Pilots, Gorillaz and more shake Atlanta up at Shaky Knees
Photography by Annabelle and Madeline Foster
Words by Grace Moioli
Enduring Georgia’s late summer swelter is always worth it for a killer lineup. The hot pink hair dye sweating down the neck of a fan who braved the heat for a peak spot in the crowd proved as much. On its thirteenth anniversary, Atlanta’s premier rock festival brought a compelling mix of niches that left no ticket unsold. This year’s headlining acts drew massive appeal, but the undercard packed an equally appealing collection of artists. Among the notable players, Geese, Turnstile, Fontaines D.C., The Rapture, Minus the Bear, Peach Pit, Blood Orange, Geordie Greep, OK Go, Santigold, and LCD Soundsystem.
On Friday afternoon, Piedmont Park came alive with the tens of thousands who showed up to kick off Shaky Knees. About every fifth person in a given crowd was wearing the day one headliner’s classic logo tee. That metallic lettering meant to mimic Magna cigarettes’s original typeface has been a cultural signifier since the band’s near instant rise to fame almost thirty years ago. With the release of their latest album, Reality Awaits, The Strokes proved they refuse to fade from relevancy. The band excels at keeping long-time fans on their toes, while managing to recruit a new cohort with each record. Every flash of the logo in my periphery hit me with a pang of excitement for the closing show to come.
At doors, fans stormed the park gates and sprinted toward their target barricade. Many landed at the Piedmont stage to catch Ben Howard, English singer-songwriter known for his sun-soaked indie folk sound. At the Peachtree stage, Hot Mulligan were first to perform. The Michigan based emo band drew a dedicated crowd of die-hard fans who erupted into a mosh pit as though they’d been containing it all day.
For me and for many, the NYC-based band of the moment, Geese, were a major draw of this year’s lineup. Following the success of their 2023 album, 3D Country, the indie band (if you had to place them) shot to an unprecedented level of hype with the 2025 release of their latest, Getting Killed. They’ve since gained notoriety and drawn intrigue for their distinct and, at times, strange sound. While potentially divisive, for Geese, this quality seems to be one of their strongest appeals as they’ve successfully achieved a devout cult following. Followers who showed up for their set at Shaky Knees were enlightened with tracks from these latest two albums. Frontman Cameron Winter’s shaggy hair and Ray-Ban teashades gave him a vague resemblance to a 70s John Lennon, adding to his cult-leader charisma.
In the scorching direct sunlight, they performed “I See Myself,” “Cowboy Nudes, Crusades,” and “2122” from 3D Country and “Taxes,” “Trinidad,” “Cobra,” and “Bow Down” from Getting Killed. During a brief intermission, Winter pressed play on his phone and held it against his guitar strings, projecting an excerpt of “Lifestyle” by Rich Gang to the crowd’s delight.
Just after sunset, Turnstile turned it out for a huge crowd of hyper fans gathered at the Peachtree stage. The set design featured bright blocks of color backdropping the punk band as they transmitted their infectiously danceable sound. Frontman Brendan Yates made use of the entire stage, jumping and kicking his way through each head-banger. Notably, the performance featured “DON’T PLAY” from their 2021 album GLOW ON.
Back at the Piedmont stage, the Dublin based band, Fontaines D.C., put onlookers in a trance with their hypnotic rock. The group’s latest album, Romance, was a standout among 2024 releases and drew them massive acclaim. Under the glowing stage lights, frontman Grian Chatten delivered entrancing performances of “Bug,” “Favourite,” “In the Modern WorId,” and “I Love You,” before closing with fan favorite, “Starburster.” Their set also featured lead single “Marianne” from their upcoming album, Dopamine Chamber, set to release on October 16.
Finally, it was time for the park to convene at Peachtree for the night’s final show. Opening with “Dine N’Dash” - arguably the strongest track on Reality Awaits - The Strokes embarked on a journey through their entire discography, excluding (to my dismay) anything from their 2011 or 2013 albums, Angles and Comedown Machine. A rare pull for them, “New York City Cops,” was met with intense excitement from the portion of the crowd who reminisced on its release in 2002. Other highlights included “You Only Live Once,” “What Ever Happened,” “The Adults Are Talking,” “Hard To Explain,” and “Someday.” Unfortunately for us, guitarist Albert Hammond Jr.’s amp was rendered unusable for several minutes, causing frontman Julian Casablancas to take to the mic stand-up style. He gave flowers to the artist who performed before them, and expressed gratitude for his band being “the dessert.” Before passing the mic to bassist, Nikolai Fraiture, he joked “Nickel for your thoughts?” Crickets. Nikolai praised the crowd, saying “There’s so many of you, but it feels like we’re playing in a small club.” The amp was fixed, and the band ended their set on a high note with “Reptilia.”
Saturday marked the first full festival day, with performances starting around noon. When the sun was at it’s peak, The Rapture was banging out nostalgic anthems from the Peachtree stage. Dancing to “Whoo! Alright - Yeah...Uh Huh,” “House of Jealous Lovers,” and “No Sex for Ben” while eating a blueberry lemonade popsicle to combat the heat was a top moment. At the same time, Geordie Greep performed over at the Criminal Records stage at the opposite end of the festival grounds. Opening with the title track of his latest album, The New Sound, was a bold choice that paid off. The almost five minute jazz-infused instrumental number was disorienting and sporatic, a fitting example of Greep’s eccentric artistry.
Later that afternoon, Seattle-born art rock quintet, Minus the Bear, broadcasted their soothing sound from atop the Piedmont stage. Fans were elated. Undoubtedly, some had waited years for this moment as the band just recently returned from an extended hiatus for a limited run of exclusive shows. Having released six albums and a handful of EPs and singles during their 18 year run, the group had a goldmine of material to draw from. Judging by the crowd’s lyric knowledge, these tracks held dear memories for those in attendance. Among them was most of their beloved 2005 album, Menos el Oso, including opening song, “The Game Needed Me.”
Fittingly at the Peachtree stage, Vancouver indie pop band, Peach Pit, cast a chill spell over the crowd. Their laid-back, guitar forward sound made for a sweet soundtrack to the golden afternoon. They played all the hits including “Give Up Baby Go,” “Tommy’s Party,” and yes, “Alrighty Aphrodite.” An endearing cover of Her’s, “What Once Was,”elicited a huge reaction from the entire valley between the Peachtree and Piedmont stages.
As Blood Orange took to the Piedmont stage, some ominous clouds rolled in. At first a relief from the unrelenting heat, the weather eventually led to the evacuation of the festival. Dev Hynes performed “Somewhere in Between,” “Saint,” “All is Full of Love” and part of “Sutphin Boulevard” before being interrupted with the announcement. Unfortunately, the subsequent Pierce the Veil, The Prodigy, and Pavement shows were cancelled.
All was not lost for the fans that were reportedly camped outside the park entrance as early as the midnight before to get barricade for Twenty One Pilots. The storm finally subsided and made way for the headlining show. Uncertainty from the prior hour culminated in a fury of excitement when the gates opened back up. The duo performed “Next Semester” to a moshing crowd, “Trees, Nico and the Niners” and “Heavydirtysoul.”
Sunday promised to make up for the chaos of the day before. L.A. based OK Go performed an electric set at the Ponce De Leon stage. Known for their optimistic anthems and intricately choreographed one-shot music videos, the quirky quartet has excelled at their niche for nearly three decades now. Following some difficulties, lead singer Damian Kulash decided to perform an impromptu acoustic rendition of “Last Leaf”in the middle of the crowd. Sound was quickly restored and Kulash rejoined the band on stage. They performed a mix of old and new tracks and ended, of course, with “Here It Goes Again,” for which the music video earned them a Grammy in 2007.
Santigold’s show at the Peachtree stage was everything I could have asked for and more. She performed her classics, “L.E.S. Artistes, GO!” (featuring Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs), “Say Aha,” “Run The Road,” “Creator,””Unstoppable” and obviously “Disparate Youth.” Throughout her set, she brought dozens of thrilled fans on stage to dance with her. Her determination to turn the show into a party was palpable and so much fun.
If you’re keeping track of the Meet Me In the Bathroom alumni on this lineup (shoutout Lizzy Goodman), LCD Soundsystem is the final name joining The Strokes and The Rapture on this hypothetical list. Their stunning performance was a dream come true. Getting to hear their emotionally charged, euphoric bangers in a crowd of overjoyed fans was surreal. Fans screamed along to “I Can Change,” “Pow Pow (“Advantages, Advantages!”),” “Someone Great,” “North American Scum,” “Dance Yrself Clean,” and “All My Friends.” On stage, the band played under a massive disco ball that created the most breathtaking effect when lit up.
Alas, final and perhaps most anticipated show of the weekend had arrived. Gorillaz are a legendary fictional band created by English musician Damon Albarn (famously also the singer of English rock band, Blur) and artist Jamie Hewlett, though I hardly need to tell you that. Over the course of their trajectory, they’ve amassed a giant following and produced universal hits. As the Shaky Knees closing act, they were perfect. Giant screens projected animated visuals that brought the band to life. Several special guests made appearances, including Kara Jackson and 6LACK. Crowd favorites included “Rhinestone Eyes,” “On Melancholy Hill,” “She’s My Collar,” “Feel Good Inc.,” and “Dirty Harry.”Ending the set where it all began, the band performed “Clint Eastwood” from their debut self-titled album released in 2001.
This year’s iteration of Shaky Knees covered so much ground. It was an outlet to experience the now iconic rock scenes of the 2000s while also featuring some of the most buzzed about contemporary artists on the rise.
