Photos via Charlie Timberlake 

Shaky Knees celebrated its fifth anniversary this past weekend, May 12-14th, 2017, at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Georgia. Over 60 bands performed to around 50,000 fans on three Atlanta street themed stages – Peachtree, Piedmont, and the Criminal Record’s sponsored Ponce de Leon.

Friday got started with performances by Portugal.The Man, Cage the Elephant, and one of the more veteran acts of the weekend, The Pixies. Headliners LCD Soundsystem closed day one down with a massive dance party. With their physical response, it was clear that Shaky Knees attendees were very happy that the band reunited last year. They played their new singles “call the police, “american dream” and ended the night with “Dance Yrself Clean” and “All My Friends.”

As the chance of rain was high, Day two brought the crowds out prepared with their rain gear. In the early afternoon at the Piedmont stage, Mariachi El Bronx woke the sleepy crowd with not only their heavily costumed theatrics, but their diversely layered sound – synthesizers, horns, and traditional mariachi elements fused with their punk roots.

Shovels & Rope, husband and wife Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, came ready to work in matching navy coveralls on the Peachtree stage later in the day. That stage being the largest at the festival, Shovels & Rope’s small stage setup looked as like they were about to play a NPR Tiny Desk concert. But it soon became clear that they do a whole lot with a little. At one point Trent threw a drumstick away to drum with his left hand and play the keyboard with his right. They then flipped the script, her taking over percussion and keyboard and Trent at points playing both keyboard and guitar. The rain started pouring as they started their bluegrass-esque rock ballad “Birmingham” leaving Hearst asking, “Did the rain start because we are playing a sad song?” Often deemed a “folk duo,” Shovels & Rope smashed the quiet image conjured by that moniker with Hearst’s searing voice and Trent’s workshop of sound.

After a quick downpour, The Revivalists got started on the Piedmont Stage as Shovels & Rope was closing out (Yes, Shaky Knees Festival Organizers – you could often hear the crossover of sound – especially awkward on Sunday when Bleachers was frantic during their 20 minute bout of technical difficulties and the fans in front of their stage were singing along to Third Eye Blind songs in the interim. But other than that – a very well run festival.)

Back to the The Revivalists, lead singer David Shaw’s electric presence was felt as he ran all over the stage, jumping into the crowd as they played “Wish I Knew You.” Their take on the Beatles’ “Hey Jude” got the crowd loudly singing along – they know how to connect with an audience.

Their second appearance at Shaky Knees, Moon Taxi played their new single “Two High” for the first time at a festival to a very positive response. When asked about their forthcoming album, lead singer Trevor Terndrup expressed excitement because “like Mountains Cities Beaches, we took over producing duties again so we feel back in the driver’s seat …which can get interesting with all five of us trying to drive…but really loving having a lot of control and impact on our sound” Moon Taxi jammed out for a while playing “Suspicious” blending it into a cover of the Eurhythmics’’ “Sweet Dreams.”

The xx closed out the night to the largest crowd of the day by far. Combined with their bold look and stirring melodies they entranced the audience. Romy Madley Croft’s breathy, evocative vocals on “I Dare You” were goose bump inducing. Croft and Oliver Sim’s vocals temper The xx’s often dance club beats bringing in more of a pop rock element. They really get into their element with their synced head bobbing and almost engage in a slow dance him on bass and her on guitar. Closing out the night with “Intro” and “Angels” they had the crowd captivated from start to finish.

The last day of the festival brought sunshine and that famous Georgia heat after two ominously overcast days. The day featured performances by J. Roddy Walston and the Business, Saint Motel, Warpaint, and the Fruit Bats holding their own on the Criminal Record’s Ponce de Leon stage.

It was no surprise that Third Eye Blind gathered a huge, nostalgic crowd for their performance. They launched immediately into fan favorites “Never Let You Go,” crowd requested “Motorcycle Drive-By” and of course closed out their set with “Semi-Charmed Life.”

Ryan Adams surprisingly played the smaller Piedmont Stage with some crossover with The Shins on the Peachtree Stage. Compared to his Shaky Knees performance back in 2015, he brought not only more stage props (cats and TVs) but also a lot more enthusiasm for his loving audience. He played a few songs from his new album, Prisoner, “Do You Still Love Me?” and “Doomsday,” but mostly dipped into his past catalogue wooing the crowd with “To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High), “New York, New York,” and ending an excited set with “Come Pick Me Up.”

Phoenix concluded the weekend with a visually stunning performance, creating the atmosphere of an otherworldly dance club on the stage. With their highly orchestrated light show and a massive mirror hung above them (reflecting and making everything about their big sound bigger) they were able to build anticipation with light and synthesizer manipulation. Their ethereal, almost flowy sound was elevated with the bold colors and the band members new wave inspired stage groove. As they played their third encore song, it was evident that lead singer Thomas Mars was having a great time not ready to leave – climbing into the crowd and up some scaffolding saying “thank you” to the crowd over and over again.

Shaky Knees covered the gamut of what is considered rock music in America today. With headliners like LCD Soundsystem, the xx, and Phoenix it is clear that synth-pop, new wave, and electronic genres have heavy influences on the scene right now. Will that be the case from here on? As the festival has evolved with the changing American rock scene, we will have to see what Shaky Knees part VI has in store next year.