With the 2015 version of Shaky Knees Festival‘s official schedule being announced, now it’s time to start planning out your own personal schedule.
For those difficult decisions, we present to you the Shaky Knees Death Match. We will have each band in every time slot pitted against each other. You make the decision on who you must catch. Check back daily as we explore each time slot.
Shaky Knees Saturday, Day 2, starts out with 3 bands at 12:30PM each worth getting to the festival early with Hey Rosetta! at the Piedmont Stage, Field Report at the Ponce De Leon Stage and Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band at the Buford Highway Stage.
Hey Rosetta! – Piedmont Stage
By Mike Gerry
Hey Rosetta! is a Canadian seven-piece indie rock band from St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador and led by singer/songwriter Tim Baker. Hey Rosetta started out with with their first EP back in 2005, making 4 full length albums including this year’s Second Sight LP, their first album in nearly 4 years after years of touring behind their successful 2011 album Seeds.
Hey Rosetta is known for their energetic live sets, mixing your regular 4 piece rock set up with piano, violin and cello. With relate-able lyrics, Hey Rosetta layers their sounds amongst the many instruments providing musical textures that keep their songs both unique and interesting, yet something your everyday music fans can still relate to.
Hey Rosetta! has been packing out small venues across North America for years now, bringing the energy to the crowd, something a crowd can dance to and singalong with. This should translate well to the Shaky Knees crowd looking to get out early and enjoy some melodic pop rock music. There is no doubt if this is your genre, you won’t be disappointed starting your day out early with Hey Rosetta! Get out there, have some fun with these Canadians, and start out a great Saturday lineup right!
Field Report – Ponce De Leon Stage
By Evan Yerega
Christopher Porterfield’s Field Report (yes, an anagram of said name) evokes the lush scenery of the placed that birthed the band, Eau Claire, Wisconsin. That’s right – the same musical hot bed that claims Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver fame). In fact, the two are intimately related; they played together in the folk outfit DeYarmond Edison, along with percussionist Joe Westerlund and brothers Phil and Brad Cook. After the band’s demise, Westerlund and the Cook brothers formed the freak-folk group Megafaun, while Vernon famously ventured into the wilderness only to reappear under the pseudonym Bon Iver.
Sticking on the Vernon comp — it’s clear that these two were cut from the same cloth. However, there’s a clear difference; while Vernon is interested in testing the boundaries of your typical folk-ish music, Porterfield is clearly content sticking to the traditions. This isn’t a knock, as he is damn good at it. Whereas Vernon douses his vocals with reverb, Porterfield’s vocals are front and center, with a strong focus on lyrics and (mostly) traditional Americana/folk instrumentation. This is some old school, rustic, salt of the earth singer-songwriter shit. The man has a way with words, and the pipes to match. It’s no wonder that, even before a record deal was locked down, Porterfield (and his then makeshift band) had a famous fan in Adam Duritz, who chose Field Report to open for Counting Crows on a tour.
Field Report is the type of music you lose yourself in. Whether you’re walking in a city, amongst the trees, or, better yet, laying in the grass on a warm May Saturday in Atlanta, the comfort food of Field Report will make it all worth your while.
Best Comps: (smog), Bon Iver, Bob Dylan
Songs that will get you there: ‘Cups and Cups’, ‘Fergus Falls’, ‘I Am Not Waiting Anymore’
Kevin Devine & the Goddamn Band – Buford Highway Stage
By Kristen Jones
Kevin Devine is an American singer/songwriter from Brooklyn, New York. He has been in the indie music scene for a long time. Many are familiar with his former band, Miracle of 86. His first solo album, Circle gets the Square was released in 2001. Since then, he has released seven other albums. Personally, Brothers Blood is my favorite which was released in 2009.
Recently he created a Kickstarter campaign, met his goal in a day, and released two albums as promised, Bubblegum and Bulldozer.
Mr. Devine has opened for a couple acts that will also be at Shaky Knees including Brand New and Manchester Orchestra. He has also released two albums with Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra. Their side project is called Bad Books and it’s pretty freaking great.
If you like acoustic tunes with some political flare, Kevin Devine is for you! He’s bringing the “Goddamn Band” along so I’m sure this show will be a great time.
Brother’s Blood Live
Check out these artists on the Shaky Knees Spotify Playlist
