Atlanta celebrated music with its fifth annual Shaky Knees Music Festival on May 12-14 at Centennial Olympic Park. The much-anticipated event highlighted rock, country, indie and alternative, and did not disappoint. Over the weekend, the festival featured several stand-out performances:
1. Cage the Elephant
The popular Kentucky-born band kicked off the weekend with a bang. With a rich mix of energy and emotion, the pure liveliness of the group was so present that it was practically tangible. Vocalist Matt Shultz’s interaction with the crowd, particularly his hug given to the security guard, made the audience go nuts and only added to the fun vibe.
2. LCD Soundsystem
After some time out of the spotlight, it was a welcome treat to see this rock band steal the show. Providing a good amount of energy that everyone could get down to, the band truly stood out visually thanks to a massive disco ball. It proved to be a nice touch and helped give this performance a great sense of life.
3. The xx
The acclaimed English band created a very different mood than most of their usual performances, ultimately helping them stand out from other performers. Their synth sound along with their stellar production quality helped bring the show together. It was rather welcoming to see the group depart from their heavy style to create such a different kind of energy.
4. Con Brio
In what was probably the most fun performance of the festival, Con Brio brought a level of upbeat charm and energy that was unmatched. It was almost like no one could stay still for the entire performance with the band constantly dancing around, working off one another and the audience, and showing off their vocal skills like nobody’s business.
5. Saint Motel
With one of the biggest crowds, it was clear that Saint Motel had quite a bit of hype around their performance and for good reason. The scope of this performance was enough to make it worth seeing with more interesting props and set pieces used for the show. It certainly made the charisma of the band members and the tone of their music shine through and really resonate with the audience.
