SHAKY KNEES 2024 DAY 3 – THE DOWNPOUR

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 5/6/24

If you have never seen a rock show in the rain, you’re missing out. Today was all about one of John’s favorite bands, Dinosaur Jr.  

First off, we caught a newer band we had not heard of until the festival, Arcy Drive. They are out of New York with a mash-up of varieties of sounds like indie, 90s fast slow, two-step, and singsong talking and singing mix. Not all at the same time, for example one song would be songs that are softer almost ballad-like that erupt into heavy guitar for the chorus. Then, the next song would be a rock song with more of a southern twang and have some two-step influence. I enjoyed lead singer Nick Mateyunas’ voice, it is smooth yet gritty. The one we really like is called Wicked Styley, which is the one they started with. It is a fun upbeat rock song with lots of 90’s influence and reverb. 

The Downpour. About 5 minutes before Dinosaur Jr. went on the Ponce De Leon stage, the skies opened up and a torrential downpour started and lasted for almost the entire set. People were caught in the rain, and it was so much that even us with ponchos got pretty soaked. Especially our feet in ankle deep water near the front of the stage flowing into the crowd. No one seemed to mind too much and it actually electrified the audience. John quipped at one point, “it’s like we’re back in the 90’s.” And he was right, the energy from the crowd was noticeably high! They even broke out into mosh pits and a sea of crowd surfers dotted the front. It was a sight to behold! Plus, the music had a lot to do with the mood! If you don’t know Dinosaur Jr, they are what I call hard skate rock. Something I imagine skaters on their boards would listen to in their ear buds. Songs like Feel the Pain and Over It are melodious with heavy guitar and just plain fun. Plus, the covered The Cure, “Just Like Heaven.” It was a great show. 

After our Dinosaur Jr. experience, we headed back over to see Billy Idol and found the main stage to be a mud bog. People without shoes dancing in the sprinkles, drenched friends with smiles on their faces. We saw him back in 2015 during Music Midtown and his show has always been top notch! Billy Idol is always a good time singing greats like White Wedding, Rebel Yell, and Cradle of Love that anyone will sing and dance with. Visually, he had some fun LED graphics and seems to have not aged a bit and still sounds really good live! He even took his Billy Idol shirt off and threw it in the crowd.  

I’m just going to come right out and say it, we left before Foo Fighters. We’d seen them before, and the weather had made the main stage too muddy. Plus, we had stood in ankle high water for an hour, so our feet were wet, and we had a long weekend. We will catch them next time.  

Did you have a favorite Shaky moment? 

SHAKY KNEES 2024 DAY 2

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 5/5/24

Photo Dusana Risovic

With bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, Offspring, Queens of the Stone Age, and one of my favorites of all time Weezer. Day 2 had it all. Here’s a short recap. 

Starting with the newer bands, we heard both Microwave and Dead Poets Society. Microwave is out of Atlanta, which I didn’t know, and has a variety of sounds from loud, hard rock to 90’s fast slow, and then some punk. The other was Dead Poet’s Society out of Boston that had hard riffs that reminded me of Rob/White Zombie up front, thrash, but then the vocals come in softer and higher for a fun mix of sounds. I like that Jack Underkofler, the lead singer, fell into the crowd and crowd surfed while singing one of the first songs.  

On to the 90’s bands we love, first we actually had to miss Offspring because we had never seen Sunny Day Real Estate and we’re going to spend time with a band that we hadn’t seen. We love Offspring, I saw them back in 1994 and heard they did an incredible show. That brings us to Sunny Day Real Estate. They are one of those 90’s bands that I just got introduced to by a friend a few years ago and we started watching their videos on YouTube. I call them the quintessential fast slow early 90’s band. Melodious verses and vocals erupt into a barrage of heavy guitar and pounding drums, Sunny Day Real Estate satisfies song after song. Tour t-shirt purchased! More to come in our review. 

Have you ever found yourself driving too fast on the interstate? You might have been listening to Queens of the Stone Age. What I call fast driving music, Queens of the Stone Age are very drum forward with deep and heavy beats, beautiful guitar riffs and Josh Homme’s great voice. Plus, they visually never disappoint, this year with roaming light show. Last time we saw them they had a large video board with led visuals that really went well with the music. Did you know Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) also did the drums on “No One Knows?” which you can tell by the drums! But my favorite of their songs after last night is “Go with the flow.” I always liked it but realized it is more diverse musically than some of the others.  

My boyfriend back in 1994 gave me a non-descript bright blue album as a present. Little did I know that that album would be in my top 5 all-time records, and Weezer would cement themselves into rock god status in my life. I’ve seen Weezer over the years from them playing large festivals to arenas to a small stage at the Braves stadium and they always sound perfect. What I call garage or college rock, Weezer has a distinct sound that no one else can create and that sets them apart from some of the other 90’s bands, don’t get me wrong, I love most early 90’s bands! The underlying hum of the guitars, explosions of rock juxtaposing the smoothness or River’s voice, it all comes together completely. What I love about them live is they really play up the guitar and show their musical prowess, plus, visually, they always have their W front and center. If you’ve never seen them live, you must; it is an experience.  

We didn’t make it to liquid death’s activation, it is on our to do list for today. We’re excited about Dinosaur Jr, Billy Idol, and Foo Fighters today. It’s going to be hot, so wear sunscreen and drink plenty of water. 

SHAKY KNEES 2024 DAY 1

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 5/4/24

Photo by Roger Ho.

With acts like Weezer and Foo Fighters, this year’s Shaky Knees spoke to my Gen X heart. Here’s our day one recap with our favorite new bands, artist moments, and everything in between.

Something we’re highlighting this Shaky Knees beyond the stout 90’s band line-up are the new bands that we catch. The first one is Ax and the Hatchetmen, a young indie 7-piece out of Chicago with tons of energetic big band, funky, rocky, and beachy all rolled into one fun time. A great show! They had a wonderful artist moment, handing out water with a QR code to their newest song, “Flagstaff” that they performed live and came out yesterday! Another band that we hadn’t seen is and enjoyed is Late Night Drive Home out of Texas. The lead singer, Andre Patillo, came out with a red mak on that had frills at the bottom. They’re a blend of punk, rock, 90s with swelling choruses. We loved they sang Blur, “Song No. 2.”

Our favorite of the bands we know is Metric out of Canada. A band that played on 99x back in the day, and that I know probably 5 songs from was thoroughly enjoyable. Emily Haines, the lead singer, came out in a bright red shinny body suit. If you know Metric, they are heavy into electronic and keyboard, yet rock and 80s infused. Reminiscent of Garbage to me, “Help I’m Alive,” was the highlight for me. I hadn’t heard it live and it was my favorite of their music then and now.

We also caught Interpol and Arcade Fire, two bands I had not seen live. Arcade Fire puts on a spectacle of a show with tons of light and movement, and loved the horizon and sunset/sunrise visuals of the performance. Interpol had black and white on the big screens, they’re very controled yet upbeat rock and smooth lyrics all encased in a European rock sound.

It wouldn’t be a large music festival without festival polls, our favorite was the blown up stick of butter. Plus, we were blown away by the Doordash food court with some great Atlanta and regional restaurants like Hattie Bs. Today we are going to explore the most elaborate activation I’ve ever seen, Liquid Death. We will report back.

Who is ready for day 2? John and I are super excited for Sunny Day Real Estate today! We hope the Thunderstorms stay away.

This is just a snapshot of day 1. A full article and review of bands to come.

HIGHBALL ATLANTA

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 11/27/23

On a beautiful autumn weekend in October, Atlanta music lovers descended on the Pullman Yards to be mesmerized and moved by the Futurebirds carefully curated line-up at the first annual Highball Atlanta! Featuring headliners like indie rock gods Band of Horses, indie folk sensations The Head and the Heart, and of course two nights of psychedelic country rockers Futurebirds this was one high energy rock fest!  On top of that, they boasted a local food truck park featuring Grindhouse Burgers and a large “High, There” activation from our friends The Georgia Hemp Co with CBD seltzers to try! Plus, opt for VIP for access to lounge area, separate restrooms, and bar!  


On Saturday, we arrived to get our passes and roamed the grounds, but we so glad to catch a new, American rock band, Wednesday. Out of Asheville and formed in 2017 by lead singer Karly Hartzman, they incorporate great reverb guitars, strong lyrics, all with that rock edge. The last song brought me chills as it was reminiscent of Deftones. Next up was Futurebirds, a band out of Athens, GA that formed at the University of Georgia between King, Womack, Johnson, and Miles. They are a high energy indie rock, psychedelic country mashup band with their first album, Hampton’s Lullaby, in 2010.  

Of the headliners, Friday was Band of Horses. This is a band that John and I listened to a lot when we first got together and when we first bought our home, so they are special to us! Lead by Ben Bridwell, they had a unique sound that no one was really tapping into at the time, an indie, alternative rock for sure but with long, soft, mellow, mesmerizing interludes that followed by classic rock guitar or piano!  We have their first album that came out in 2006, Everything All The Time and fell in love with “The Funeral” and “Is there a Ghost.” The second headliner was The Head and the Heart that performed on Sunday. ️ Lead by singer Josiah Johnson, they’re a lovely, energetic, indie folk band! Out of Seattle, they boast albums like their It’s, the Head and the Heart and most current is Every Shade of Blue. The singer jumped into the pit and engaged the crowd!   

The night before the big two-day festival, Highball threw a pre-party at the Loft in the Center Stage complex with the Jerry Garcia Cover Band out of Athens, GA.  Starting with a VIP band meet and greet and special lounge area, we got to hang out with the band for a while. The music started and the band covered famous Garcia tunes for eager fans. It was a fun night of psychedelic rock. 

We can’t wait to see what next year holds. 

BIG NIGHT OUT ATLANTA

Posted by Liz Attaway, 11/4/20

There is a buzz that lifts through the air as the lights dim on stage, you hear several voices raise in excitement, several clap with enthusiasm, while others stand quietly in anticipation. A small group shuffles through the dark to their instruments as the lights go up and blaze into a prism of blues, greens, and reds. The crowd cannot contain itself and erupts in applause, singing, and joy. The future of live music hangs in the balance on this weekend of performances, because if done right, this could be the norm until we “get back to normal.” And Big Night Out is the path forward. With acts like Moon Taxi, Big Boi and his friends, as well as Futurebirds, and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, we can proudly announce that live music is back AND SAFE.

Everything was done to ensure the best concert experience, while keeping the attendees safe. Starting with the mask requirement for public spaces and to maintain a 6-foot distance was key. You can say that they’re required all day long, but without constant reinforcement, some people will have a few drinks and forget. We literally saw a group of people employed to tell people to put their masks back on in public spaces. Second key is the way they handle the crowd. With pods that separated the crowd into 2, 3, 4, and 6 into groups that were socially distanced 6 feet, this is how you keep people safe, yet can enjoy a great show. We wouldn’t be surprised if these “rage cages” caught on and started a trend. Yes, rage cage, write it down, it’s the future of enjoying music safely! Every time I heard this term, Smashing Pumpkins Bullet With Butterfly Wings lyrics pop into my head, “Despite all my rage, I’m still just a rat in a cage.” Insert rage in front of cage! Genius. But, back to pods themselves, this was a great experience in tandem with the mask requirements! We were VERY pleased with the whole experience. Good job, Big Night Out!

On Friday, we saw two fun bands perform, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Moon Taxi. Here’s a little bit about them and some photos!

Reminiscent of semi-local greats like Here Come the Mummies, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong kicked-off Big Night Out Atlanta. From the funky beats, to 70s grooves, to big band tunes, they’re a high-energy band that loves what they do! Maybe it’s the lack of live shows they get to do, but the enthusiasm permeates all their music and gets the audience excited. It culminates in long guitar solos, jams to island sounds, and fun sing-alongs like the Lion King Cover.

What struck us about Moon Taxi is that this is the product of all those years of rock-n-roll rolled up into one good band! The sounds of the 80s, electronica, indie rock, fast/slow rock of the early aughts, 90s reverb all permeate each song. This well-produced, smooth sounding, indie/alt rock group, has a great guitarist, fantastic singer, and a ton of energy. They mentioned that they hadn’t toured in 240+ days and you could feel every minute of the happiness of both the crowd and the band. Turn it up to 11!

Saturday night was delayed due to a huge rainstorm that dumped a boatload of water on the audience. Here’s some photos from that night, courtesy of Drew Dinwiddie.

Futurebirds are touted as an indie rock band with country rock elements, Wiki calls it, ‘Psychedelic Country.” Also according to Wiki, they have toured with Drivin’ & Cryin’, Grace Potter, and performed at big music festivals, like Bonoroo.

The Marcus King Band is a southern rock band out of South Carolina that mixes its sound with blues and big band.

Sunday night was all-in for the local former-Outkast great, Big Boi and boy, did he bring the crew to play!

Mixing in DJs, rock-rap of Kneel’n Rey, Killer Mike, Goodie Mob with CeeLo Green, Sleepy Brown, it was an all-out bass fest.  You could feel it right in the chest, and it was GLORIOUS. Performing OutKast favorites like Rosa Parks, Bombs over Baghdad, to Goodie Mob’s Cell Therapy, there wasn’t a lack of grooving and singing along. Big Boi and his pose always bring so much energy to their performances and this one was the same! I am a little partial to OutKast as they were popular when I was in college back in the day, and I love how much they mix sounds of the late 90s and early aughts with up tempo samples and maybe even a little hint of cotton-eyed Joe mixed in for fun. It was a fun time dancing, singing, and feeling the energy from each performance.

Did we mention we love the term rage cage? That’s really want the pods are and we hope to see more concerts and big festivals go this way. Getting live music back will help our souls and if it’s done this way, we’ll all feel safer for it. Welcome, back live music!

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