SHAKY KNEES 2022: From The Photog – Top 14 Sets

Shaky Knees Music Festival returned to their usual timing for their 2022 festival in late April/early May (April 29th-May 1st, 2022) with another stellar lineup, beautiful weather, and a great time for those lucky enough to attend this year’s festival.

Shaky Knees has remained the last few years at Central Park in Atlanta, a great layout for this size festival with fairly easy access to jump around the 4 different stages. Once again, as the OE photog at the 2022 Shaky Knees Fest, jump around is what I did. Some sets just catch you though, making it that much harder to head towards the next destination. These are those most memorable sets I experienced at SK22:

Acid Dad

This set really got the fest kicking into full gear for me on the first day. Acid Dad were on fire, a little wild, a lot of rock ‘n’ roll, and enough psych to kick this journey off.

Faye Webster

Is there anything better than a sunny Faye Webster set on a beautiful festival afternoon? From the musicianship on stage, to Faye’s breezy tunes, and an engaged crowd grooving along, this set just took you right in.

Mannequin Pussy

Every Shaky Knees there always seems to be a competition between the Ponce Stage and the Criminal Records Stage on who will have the wildest sets of the festival. Mannequin Pussy was that early contender Friday on the Ponce Stage. From the stage presence of the band, totally rocking out, to the crowd who was ready to mosh and crowd surf, Shaky Knees was really rolling at this point.

Spoon

Behind one of the year’s best albums, Lucifer On The Sofa, and their long discography, the gritty Austin band are vets on stage at this point and show it. Britt Daniels and band were hype from the go. Spoon has so many great songs, that every time I see them live I hear tunes I haven’t heard in quite awhile, reminding me just how big and influential Spoon has been over their storied career.

Shannon and the Clams

Even missing a key member for their Shaky set, Shannon and the Clams got some local ATL friends to fill in and didn’t miss a beat. It’s hard not to love everything about this band, the Criminal Stage was dancing and loving every minute of it. They just know how to groove, ya know? It’s old school, it’s fresh.

The Dropkick Murphys

Of course I knew we’d pump fists, we’d chant, we’d rock, we’d dance, we’d do it all during The Dropkick Murphys set. But what really stood out on this set came from the pit. With a band that’s primed and ready to be photographed every moment, there was time to turn around and get some shots of the crowd going crazy on the front row. What I saw multiple times through the lens was the little girl with her parents, seeing her first Dropkick Murphys show, and clearly a HUGE fan. What that little girl was experiencing was pure magic, a sparkle in her eye that said there is no greater moment than that moment right there; seeing her favorite band. That is the magic of live music. Those are the greatest moments.

Dehd

If you missed this early set, you really missed out on one of the best up and coming bands at this year’s Shaky Knees. They sure lived up to the hype too. With a surfy, breezy, danceable indie rock sound, Dehd were immediate crowd favorites for the early goers. This is a band I’ll go see live whenever I can.

Guided By Voices

These vets just know how to put on a great rock ‘n’ roll show. The band was lit and frontman Robert Pollard was fully engaged and all over the stage with his band and the audience.

Amyl and The Sniffers

Perhaps my top set of the fest? I mean, it was as wild and crazy, and euphoric as expected. This is one of those unmatched Criminal Records Stage sets with the forest on fire. It all starts with frontwoman Amy Taylor, a lightning bolt of energy and power that spreads through the audience. If you were at this set and weren’t pumped out of your mind, you might want to check your pulse. I’m sure there was a few people joining in on the crowd surfing unexpectedly at this set, but what else is there to say, the pictures tell the real story.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

Did I speak to soon on the top set? I mean King Gizzard was wild up there on the bigger Piedmont Stage. The dust storm ignited as the pumped up crowd danced and moshed to King Gizzard’s versatile and rollicking set. As the sun set and the dark skies took over, the psychedelic rock of King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard took the Shaky crowd into the late night vibes.

Nine Inch Nails

Talk about all senses blown, especially my eyes after trying to photograph a few songs of this pulsating set. This set tested it all. What an ending to a great Saturday at Shaky Knees.

Spiritual Cramp

Walked into the pit for an early set at the Criminal Records stage only half awake from an already killer weekend. Then came out frontman Michael Bingham bouncing and dancing while hyping up the crowd and the band. Then came the power and the rage, and I was wide awake for what would quickly become one of the stand out sets of the weekend.

Khruangbin

Or maybe this was actually the best set of the weekend? Khruangbin got started with the sun shining bright on them, but by the time they hit the medleys of all medleys featuring favorite hits over the years from rap songs to pop to rock, done in the spacey funked out Khruangbin way, the sun was setting over Shaky Knees for the most euphoric set of the whole weekend. We were ALL dancing. This was one you never wanted to end.

My Morning Jacket

And then came My Morning Jacket, closing out the Shaky Knees weekend as they were always meant to do. Jim James and boys took through a journey of their discography, hitting on cylinders for magnificent close to another great Shaky Knees Music Festival.