Shaky Knees 2022 Preview

Shaky Knees returns to its regular spring slot, Friday-Sunday, April 29th to May 1st, at Central Park....
Shaky Knees 2021 Preview
Shaky Knees 2021 Preview

The COVID crisis forced Atlanta’s Shaky Knees to delay their 2020 edition from its usual spring slot to the fall, then cancel entirely – and then the spring ’21 edition was delayed until the fall, but did come off (QRO recap). And now it returns to its regular spring slot, Friday-Sunday, April 29th to May 1st, at Central Park.


FRIDAY, APRIL 29th

Peachtree Stage presented by Verizon

 

Green Day, 9:20 PM – 11:00 PM

Atlanta welcomes one of the most successful punk bands ever, Green Day (QRO photos at a casino). Billie Joe Armstrong, Tré Cool, and Mike Dirnt emerged out of the late eighties/early nineties Bay Area punk scene and burst onto the world with 1994’s Dookie and such earworm singles as “Longview”, “Welcome To Paradise”, and “When I Come Around”, bringing punk rock to the masses. Unlike many of their fellow early nineties alt-hits, Green Day (QRO live review) have stayed highly popular into the twenty-first century. They had their 2004 Bush era rock-opera American Idiot (that was later turned into an actual Tony-winning musical), 2009’s follow-up 21st Century Breakdown (QRO review), and even an honest-to-god triptych, ¡Uno! (QRO review), ¡Dos! (QRO review), and ¡Tré! (QRO review). They come to headline Shaky Knees behind 2016’s political Revolution Radio (QRO review) and 2020’s Father of All Motherfuckers (QRO review), not to mention last year’s massive ‘Hella Mega Tour’ (QRO live review in Atlanta) of actual baseball stadiums.

Green Day
   

Rainbow Kitten Surprise, 7:15 PM – 8:15 PM

North Carolina’s Rainbow Kitten Surprise (QRO photos at a festival), or ‘RKS’, come down to Atlanta behind 2018’s How To: Friends, Love, Freefall and this year’s Mary (B-Sides).

Rainbow Kitten Surprise
   

Highly Suspect, 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM

Cape Cod rock outfit Highly Suspect (QRO photos) come to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) behind 2019’s MCID (QRO photos at a ’22 festival).

Highly Suspect
   

Grandson, 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM

Canadian singer/songwriter Jordan Edward Benjamin comes Shaky Knees as Grandson, behind 2020’s Death of an Optimist (QRO photos).

Grandson
   

Barns Courtney, 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM

Barnaby George Courtney, or Barns Courtney (QRO photos at a festival), has been on “Fire” and become a video game soundtrack favorite, because “Fun Never Ends”.

Also:

Motherfolk, 12:30 PM – 1:15 PM

Songs For Kids, 11:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Barns Courtney
   
   

Piedmont Stage

 

Dropkick Murphys, 8:15 PM – 9:15 PM

Just as no town in America is as Irish as Boston, there’s no band more associated with today’s ‘Celtic Punk’ movement than Dropkick Murphys (QRO photos). They play regular St. Patrick’s Day shows in Beantown – 2013’s (QRO review) featured a guest appearance by Seal Team Six! Of course the Irish-American experience stretches across the country (QRO live review), so expect it to work at Riot Fest as the band (QRO photos) returns (QRO photos at Shaky Knees ’14) to play behind last year’s Turn Up the Dial (QRO review) just don’t wear a Yankees cap (or do a Nazi salute – the bassist clocked a guy doing that at their NYC stop in 2013…).

Dropkick Murphys
   

Spoon, 6:15 PM – 7:15 PM

As The Tick would shout, “Spoon!!!” Austin’s own Spoon (QRO live review outdoors) has been turning heads in the indie-sphere for a while with their trademark indie-rock, but with 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (QRO review), 2010’s Transference (QRO review), 2014’s They Want My Soul (QRO review) & 2017’s Hot Thoughts (QRO review), the group (QRO photos at a festival) has launched into the stratosphere, including headlining at New York’s ultra-upscale Radio City Music Hall (QRO live review). A festival veteran (QRO photos at a festival), including headlining fests (QRO photos headlining a festival), they come to play Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival), now (QRO live review) behind this year’s release of Lucifer On a Sofa (QRO review). Three cheers for “The Underdog” (QRO video)!

Spoon
   

Lennon Stella, 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM

From playing a musician on drama about the music industry Nashville to a music career of her own for Lennon Stella (QRO photos).

Lennon Stella
   

Faye Webster, 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM

Atlanta’s own Faye Webster (QRO photos) has been releasing her dream pop folk records since she was sixteen (QRO photos at a festival).

Also:

Flipturn, 1:15 PM – 2:00 PM

Faye Webster
   
   

Ponce de Leon Stage

 

Godspeed You! Black Emperor, 8:15 PM – 9:15 PM

Post-rock is littered with seminal acts, but none, none is more important and acclaimed as Godspeed You! Black Emperor (QRO photos at a festival). The Montreal ensemble has done everything from curate numerous All Tomorrow’s Parties festivals around the world (QRO photo at an ATP) to working with the late Grant Hart of Hüsker Dü on Hot Wax (QRO review). They come to Shaky Knees behind last year’s G_d’s Pee at State End!.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor
   

Biffy Clyro, 6:15 PM – 7:15 PM

Who the fuck is Biffy Clyro (QRO live review)? A band, not a man, the Scottish rock outfit is a major name in their native Britain (QRO photos at a British festival), with nominations/wins for Mercury Prize, NME Awards, and BRIT Awards for records like 2013’s Opposites (QRO review), so it’s past time that America finds out who the fuck Biffy Clyro is (QRO photos at an American festival).

Biffy Clyro
   

Sports Team, 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM

Cambridge’s Sports Team (QRO photos at a British festival) “romanticizes Middle England”, from flip phones to the M5.

Sports Team
   

Mannequin Pussy, 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM

Smash your body on the punk rock of Philadelphia’s Mannequin Pussy (QRO photos at a festival).

Also:

Ultra Q, 1:15 PM – 2:00 PM

Leon of Athens, 12:15 PM – 12:45 PM

Mannequin Pussy
   
   

Criminal Records Stage

 

Shannon & The Clams, 7:15 PM – 8:15 PM

The vintage sound of Oakland’s Shannon & The Clams (QRO photos at a festival) come to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) behind 2021’s Year of the Spider.

Shannon & The Clams
   

Nilüfer Yanya, 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM

Mixing her international heritage is Nilüfer Yanya (QRO photos abroad), who comes to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) behind this year’s Painless.

Nilüfer Yanya
   

Also:

Ada Lea, 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM

Acid Dad, 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM

Little Image, 12:45 PM – 1:15 PM

Ada Lea

SATURDAY, APRIL 30th

Peachtree Stage presented by Verizon

 

Nine Inch Nails, 9:30 PM – 11:00 PM

The most successful and well-known industrial band ever, Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails (QRO photos) are legends in quality as well. The group was loud & angry in debut Pretty Hate Machine and “Head Like a Hole” before grunge was a ‘thing’, and has kept up that spirit ever since. Yes, they inspired countless imitators, but NIN themselves never fell into a Downward Spiral. The iconic nineties act managed to stay relevant in the new century/millennium with such creations as the inspired underground viral alternate reality game/marketing campaign Year Zero, but went into hiatus in 2009 while Reznor worked on other projects, such as the Oscar-winning score for The Social Network (and American version of Girl With a Dragon Tattoo), work on Dave Grohl’s Sound City documentary (QRO soundtrack review) and …Like Clockwork (QRO review) by Queens of the Stone Age (see below), plus new group How To Destroy Angels (QRO album review).

But the unholy Nine Inch Nails has risen again, from 2013’s excellent Hesitation Marks (QRO review) to 2020’s Ghosts V: Together & Ghosts IV: Locusts. Be sure to catch NIN (QRO photos) headlining Shaky Knees, as it’s an experience you will never forget, guaranteed.

Nine Inch Nails
   

CHVRCHES, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Scottish electro-pop outfit CHVRCHES (QRO live review) have gotten very big very fast (QRO photos at a festival), before & after the release of debut full-length The Bones of What You Believe (QRO review) – but are fronted by the tiny Lauren Mayberry (QRO photos at a festival) and some giant lights. They (QRO photos) successfully followed up Bones with 2015’s Every Open Eye (QRO review), 2018’s Love Is Dead (QRO review) and come to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) behind last year’s Screen Violence (QRO review).

CHVRCHES
   

Mt. Joy, 5:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Enjoy the indie-rock of Mt. Joy (QRO photos), who have emerged from the troubles of the COVID pandemic with 2020’s sophomore studio album, Rearrange Us.

Mt. Joy
   

Also:

Gerry Cinnamon, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM

Djo, 2:15 PM – 3:00 PM

Dehd, 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM

Songs For Kids, 11:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Dehd
   
   

Piedmont Stage

 

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM

They’re only nineteen albums in, but Australian psych-rock outfit King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (QRO photos at a festival) have broken out (QRO live review), this year putting out not only Made in Timeland last month, but their first double album, Omnium Gatherium, just before Shaky Knees.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
   

Kurt Vile & The Violators, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Even amongst all the lo-fi guitar-punks out there, Kurt Vile (QRO photos at a festival) has made a name for himself. The former member of The War On Drugs, Kurt Vile has since formed his own ensemble with his Violators, and contributed to/opened for alt-punk guitar god J Mascis (of Dinosaur Jr) on his solo record, Several Shades of Why (QRO review), and subsequent tour. However, he’s since evolved into a big frontman of his own (QRO live review) with 2013’s Wakin On a Pretty Daze and 2014’s b’lieve I’m goin down…, not to mention 2017’s team-up with Courtney Barnett, Lotta Sea Lice, including doing festivals (QRO photos at a festival), even having Dinosaur Jr opening for him at this point. He comes to Shaky Knees in the run-up to the release of Watch My Moves.

Kurt Vile & The Violators
   

Gang of Youths, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Catch the indie rock of Australia’s Gang of Youths, who come to Shaky Knees behind this year’s excellent Down Under chart-topper, angel in realtime. (QRO review).

Gang of Youths
   

Guided by Voices, 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

Among the influential alternative music acts of the nineties was Dayton, Ohio’s Guided By Voices (QRO photos at a festival). Centered on the ultra-prolific Robert Pollard (QRO solo album review), GBV drew on nearly every rock sound, as well as being one of the pioneers of today’s lo-fi and neo-garage sounds. In 2010 Pollard revived the retired GBV moniker and reunited with the original, 1993-1996 ‘classic’ line-up for label Matador Records’ 21st anniversary bash in Las Vegas – and kept it going, not just on the road (QRO photos at a festival), but of course with many, many releases – 2012 saw Let’s Go Eat the Factory (QRO review), Class Clown Spots a UFO (QRO review), and The Bears for Lunch (QRO review); the next year ‘only’ English Little League (QRO review), and Motivational Jumpsuit and Cool Planet in 2014, with which he once again broke up the band – only to revive it once again, with a largely new line-up, and yet more records, as they come to Shaky Knees.

Guided By Voices
   

Chastity Belt, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

Strap on the noise-pop of Walla Walla’s Chastity Belt (QRO photos in Atlanta).

Also:

Francis of Delirium, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

Chastity Belt
   
   

Ponce de Leon Stage

 

Japanese Breakfast, 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM

The solo project of Michelle Zauner (QRO photos at a festival), Japanese Breakfast (QRO photos outdoors) already brought Soft Sounds from Another Planet (QRO review) in 2017, and last year wowed the world with Jubilee (QRO review) and Crying in H Mart: A Memoir, including a wonderful return to touring (QRO 2021 photos).

Japanese Breakfast
   

The Regrettes, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Shaky Knees welcomes the throw-back & throw-forward garage-punk of Los Angeles’ The Regrettes, coming to Atlanta behind this year’s Further Joy.

The Regrettes
   

Reignwolf, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Check out the wild action of Reignwolf (QRO photos at a festival), who’s expanded from a one-man operation into a full band (QRO photos at a 2021 festival).

Reignwolf
   

Also:

Babyjake, 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

Pretty Sick, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

Exum, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

Babyjake
   
   

Criminal Records Stage

 

Amyl & The Sniffers, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM

In the actually-not-that-long ago world of 2019, Melbourne’s Amyl & The Sniffers won the ARIA for Best Rock Album for their self-titled debut, and now come to Shaky Knees behind last year’s follow-up, Comfort to Me.

Amyl & The Sniffers
   

Molchat Doma, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Darkwave coming from a dark place, Molchat Doma hail from the subjugated land of Belarus, evoking the oppression of both its Soviet past and current dictatorial present.

Molchat Doma
   

Phantom Planet, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM

“California here we come…” With those words – and being the theme song to The O.C. (QRO’s Best Music on The O.C.), Phantom Planet became more than just the band that used to have actor Jason Schwartzman on drums.

Phantom Planet
   

Also:

Hunny, 2:15 PM – 3:00 PM

Poorstacy, 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM

Hunny

SUNDAY, MAY 1st

Peachtree Stage presented by Verizon

 

My Morning Jacket, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM

The alt-country wave has lifted the boats of bands that had already been doing it for a long time, such Wilco and My Morning Jacket (QRO live review). The Louisville outfit, fronted by singer/guitarist Jim James, doesn’t have to just play it sweet, but also keep the rock. They reached the bigger time with 2008’s Evil Urges (QRO review) and 2011’s Circuital (QRO review), but are still growing – even had a whole episode of American Dad about/with them (okay, not Family Guy, but still…). Having already hit the big time (QRO photos outdoors), they can definitely handle Shaky Knees (QRO photos headlining a festival), which they return to (QRO photos at Shaky Knees ’16) to after last year’s release of their own self-titled album.

My Morning Jacket
   

Death Cab for Cutie, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

When Pacific Northwest alternative favorite Death Cab for Cutie (QRO photos at a festival) left long-time indie imprint Barsuk for major Label Atlantic in 2005 with Plans, fans thought the sky might be falling. But instead, Death Cab (QRO photos) has released some of their best records to-date, following up Plans in 2010 with the excellent Narrow Stairs (QRO review), 2011’s Codes and Keys (QRO review), 2015’s Kintsugi (QRO review), and 2018’s Thank You for Today (QRO review).

Singer/guitarist Ben Gibbard may have gone from dork to looking like a Cascadian beefcake (QRO photos at a festival) – he was married to Zooey Deschanel of She & Him/The New Girl (meanwhile, his famous indietronic side project, The Postal Service, went on a reunion tour– QRO photos – behind the tenth anniversary deluxe edition of the one-and-only album, Give UpQRO deluxe edition review – and last year fought Trump’s Postmaster General Louis DeJoy with live album Everything Will Change QRO review), and guitarist Chris Walla may have left for solo projects (QRO solo album review), with over two decade’s worth of strong material (QRO photos), their well is deep for a wide performance (QRO photos at a festival).

Death Cab for Cutie
   

COIN, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Nashville indie-pop outfit COIN (QRO live review) comes to Atlanta (QRO photos) behind this year’s Uncanny Valley.

COIN
   

Colony House, 2:15 PM – 3:00 PM

Tennessee’s (QRO photos) bring their “rock n’ roll with stripped down instruments” to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) off of 2020’s Leave What’s Lost Behind.

Also:

Stephen Day, 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM

Songs For Kids, 11:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Colony House
   
   

Piedmont Stage

 

Khruangbin, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Houston’s Khruangbin (QRO photos in Texas) draw from all over the world (QRO live review), Spain to the Middle East to Thailand, but now come to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) behind last year’s Mordechai and playing their biggest places to-date (QRO ’21 live review), including Austin City Limits (QRO live review of ACL taping) and other festivals (QRO photos at a ’22 festival).

Khruangbin
   

Band of Horses, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Before the current, unceasing wave of alt-country, there was Seattle’s Band of Horses (QRO live review), who broke through with debut Everything All the Time and “Funeral” in 2006. While guitarist/co-founder Matt Brooke left after that for Grand Archives, singer/guitarist Ben Bridwell kept on the trail, with the following year’s Cease to Begin (QRO review). Band of Horses (QRO photos at a festival) dropped a little off the radar following that, but came back (QRO live review) in 2010 with Infinite Arms (QRO review), a more polished record in ways good & bad, but picked it up in 2012 with Mirage Rock (QRO review) and 2016’s Why Are You OK (QRO review), and are riding (QRO live review) from festival (QRO photos at a festival) to festival (QRO photos at a festival), including a COVID era livestream (QRO livestream review) of Cease, as they come to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a ’22 festival) after the release of the great new (QRO live review playing new songs) Things Are Great (QRO review).

Band of Horses
   

Dirty Honey, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Los Angeles’ Dirty Honey put out their own self-titled EP, and the single “When I’m Gone” topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart, the first time ever for an unsigned band.

Dirty Honey
   

Destroyer, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

In the western Canadian super-group The New Pornographers (QRO live review), Dan Bejar (QRO photos at a festival) has been called ‘their George Harrison’, thanks to his stripped, skilled alt-folk work in his own outfit, Destroyer (QRO photos), most recently with 2017’s ken (QRO review), 2020’s Have We Met (QRO review) and this year’s just-out Labyrinthitis.

Also:

Lanie Gardner, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

Destroyer
   
   

Ponce de Leon Stage

 

PUP, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Toronto punk rockers PUP (QRO photos at a festival) come to Shaky Knees behind this month’s The Unraveling of PUPTheBand.

PUP
   

The Glorious Sons, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Ontario’s The Glorious Sons (QRO photos) are a hit north of the border, with eight consecutive top-10 rock radio hits – “Everything Is All Right”.

The Glorious Sons
   

The Garden, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Twin brothers Wyatt & Fletcher Spears form The Garden.

Also:

Angel Du$t, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

Pinkshift, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

The Garden
   
   

Criminal Records Stage

 

The Happy Fits, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Girlpuppy, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Briscoe, 2:15 PM – 3:00 PM

Spiritual Cramp, 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM

The Happy Fits

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