Jack White, Queens of the Stone Age and The National will headline Shaky Knees Music Festival’s sixth edition, taking place May 4-6 at Central Park in downtown Atlanta. The incredible lineup boasts more than 60 bands on four stages, including David Byrne, Tenacious D, Fleet Foxes, The War on Drugs, Vance Joy, Cake, Courtney Barnett, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Lord Huron, Manchester Orchestra, Matt and Kim and more. This year’s Shaky Knees will also see the first festival performance from The Distillers, who are reuniting after twelve years.
This year’s lineup follows a similar path as previous Shaky Knees, and as long as founder and curator Tim Sweetwood is still in charge, Shaky Knees will continue to be one of the nation’s premiere indie music festivals that cater not only to the new millennial indie head, but also to the old school rocker in you. Jack White seems to be this year’s festival headliner (Boston Calling, Governor’s Ball, more to come). Queens of the Stone Age and The National round out the headliners, with The National returning to Shaky Knees for the first time
since headlining in 2014. Those three are sure to move the meter and have you interested in attending SK. But the headliners are only a small portion of the narrative, it’s the meat in the middle that makes this lineup so great.
Getting to that second line of the festival lineup, and you are sure to be sold on this one. The great David Byrne (Talking Heads), Jack Black’s Tenacious D, Fleet Foxes, and The War on Drugs; you’ve got a true legend and bands that are sure to work their way to legend status with some of the best releases over the last 10 years. Not only do we get Byrne, but Sweetwood always seems to bring back some underground legends (RIDE, etc.), and also always seems to add at least one 80’s or 90’s band that had plenty of success in their eras (Huey Lewis & the News, Third Eye Blind, etc.), but you forgot how much you love them until you see them live at Shay Knees. Not only do we get a reunion from The Distillers, but you are sure to be going the distance dancing to Cake!
There are more repeats from previous Shaky Knees lineups that are still welcome additions – Lord Huron, Manchester Orchestra, Parquet Courts, etc.; there is plenty of rock ‘n’ roll (BRMC, The Black Angels, etc.), including the hot Zeppelin revivalists – Greta Van Fleet. There is plenty of psych (see The Brian Jonestown Massacre); there is indie pop that is sure to have the festival dancing (Matt & Kim, Torres, Sir Sly, Stop Light Observations, etc.); plenty of great artists from the more folk/americana styling (Willie’s son – Lukas Nelson, Marlon Williams, The Ghost of Paul Revere, Liz Brasher, The Wild Reeds, etc.) and some hot up and comers that are near and dear to our hearts here at OE (Chicano Batman, Bully, Ezra Furman, Charly Bliss, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Frankie Rose, LA Witch, Sun Seeker, etc.). Overall, we’e got to say that this is an impressive lineup, and we can’t wait for Shaky Knees 2018!
General Admission 3-Day Tickets, VIP 3-Day Tickets and Platinum 3-Day Tickets will go on sale January 9th at 10am ET. VIP Tickets include a viewing platform with premium sightlines, complimentary beer and water, a cash liquor bar, appetizers served twice daily, relaxed lounge seating, air conditioned restrooms and more. Platinum Tickets include complimentary beverages, a dedicated entrance, complimentary lockers, access to the VIP Lounge and more. Children 8 and under are admitted entrance for free with a ticketed adult. To purchase tickets and for the full list of amenities, visit www.shakykneesfestival.com/tickets. Prices will increase closer to the festival.
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Check out some of our photos from Shaky Knees 2017:
