Shaky Knees 2023 Preview

The Killers, 9:30 PM – 11:00 PM

The Killers (QRO photos) broke out of their Las Vegas home in 2004 with debut Hot Fuss and great singles “Somebody Told Me” and “Mr. Brightside” – and have failed to match that since. 2006’s attempt at Springsteen greatness Sam’s Town didn’t make it, and after 2008’s middling Day & Age (QRO review) singer Brandon Flowers went solo for his own middling work. But the group has since come back (QRO photos) with 2012’s Battle Born (QRO review), 2017’s Wonderful Wonderful (QRO review), 2020’s Imploding the Mirage (QRO review), and last year’s even more Springsteen-esque Pressure Machine (QRO review) – and they still play Hot Fuss live (QRO live review).

Greta Van Fleet, 7:20 PM – 8:30 PM

Michigan rock comes back to Shaky Knees in the form of the next generation of classic rock, Greta Van Fleet (QRO spotlight on). One of Robert Plant’s favorite young bands, they were touring behind 2017’s Grammy-winning Black Smoke Rising & From the Fires EPs (QRO reviews), before putting out 2018 full-length Anthem of the Peaceful Army (QRO review). They’ve only gotten bigger (QRO photos at a festival) with 2021’s The Battle at Garden’s Gate and this year’s Starcatcher, and bring their big show (QRO ’22 live review) back to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at Shaky Knees ’18).

Grouplove, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

In 2012 rock collective Grouplove (QRO spotlight on) have had two of the most enjoyable recent hits, “Tongue Tied” (QRO video) and “Colours” (QRO review) from the debut Never Trust a Happy Song (QRO photos at a festival). Live, they take it to another level (QRO live review), with a massive spectacle (QRO photos outdoors), and can even persevere in the rain (QRO live review in the rain) or on television (QRO live review at TV taping). The band (QRO interview) followed that up in 2013 with Spreading Rumors (QRO review) and tour (QRO live review), and singles like “I’m With You” and “Shark Attack” (QRO review). Then lead singers Hannah Hooper & Christian Zucconi (QRO interview with both) had a child, Willow – who has accompanied them on tour (QRO live review) behind 2016’s Big Mess (QRO review).

Grouplove (QRO photos at a festival) were looking to have a big 2020 with new album Healer (QRO review) – only to release it pretty much right before everything shut down. But the group knows how to roll with the punches, doing great livestreams (QRO livestream review), great videos such as for Healer’s “Inside Out” (QRO review), covers like Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own” (QRO review) & Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers” (QRO review) – and then put out a new record in 2021, This Is This (QRO review) with singles “Deadline” (QRO review) & “This Is the End” (QRO review). They finally got back out on the road (QRO photos at a 2021 festival), and kept it going all over (QRO ’22 live review), now returning to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at Shaky Knees ’19) for their latest festival (QRO photos at a ’23 festival), in the run-up to July’s I Want It All Right Now.

Cautious Clay, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM

The breakout hip-hop/R&B star – with the greatest name since Nipsey Hussle – is Cautious Clay (QRO photos at a festival), who comes Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) behind 2019’s Table of Context.

Also:

Lovejoy, 2:15 PM – 3:00 PM

Matt Maltese, 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM

Songs For Kids, 11:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Piedmont Stage

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs (QRO photos at a festival) emerged out of the same wave of New York alt-acts at the beginning of this century/millennium as The Strokes (QRO photos at Shaky Knees ’21) and others, but YYYs have managed to just keep going (QRO photos in NYC). They broke through with 2004’s Fever To Tell and hit single “Maps”, and while they’ve been sparing with their releases (2007’s Show Your Bones, 2010’s It’s Blitz! – QRO review – and 2013’s Mosquito – QRO review), they’ve stayed hot, mixing in dance-punk and electronica, and come to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a ’22 festival) behind last year’s highly anticipated Cool It Down (QRO review). They’re also one of the most fashionable (QRO photos) acts around in singer/frontwoman Karen O.

Manchester Orchestra, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

From Atlanta, not England New or Old, Manchester Orchestra (QRO live review) were more rock than alt- on debut I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child (QRO review), and moved firmly into the rock camp with 2009’s Mean Everything To Nothing (QRO review), 2011’s Simple Math (QRO review), 2014’s Cope (QRO review), 2017’s A Black Mile To the Surface (QRO review), and last year’s The Million Masks of God (QRO review). However, the outfit does it well (QRO live review) and big (QRO ’21 live review) as they come back to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at Shaky Knees ’15) to rock (QRO live review) the festival for a third time (QRO photos at a ’22 festival).

Also:

Surf Curse, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Spacey Jane, 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

Charlotte Sands, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

Ponce de Leon Stage

Cypress Hill, 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Having sold over twenty million albums worldwide, Cypress Hill (QRO photos at a festival) brings their unorthodox style and good-natured air of ‘reclaiming the glory days’ to Virginia (QRO photos at a festival). They were the first Latino outfit to achieve platinum success in hip-hop, the first hip-hop group to get their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (QRO exclusive photos from California), and come to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) to play the thirtieth anniversary of their seminal Black Sunday in full.

Now if they can only pull of that reunion with the London Symphony Orchestra from their Hullabalooza days…

Placebo, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Long-standing British alt-rock act Placebo (QRO live review in the U.K.) eschewed the Brit-pop & Brit-rock of their era in favor of being one of the earliest alt-artists this side of Bowie to gender-bend (QRO live review). They come to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) behind last year’s Never Let Me Go (QRO review).

Digable Planets, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

One of the most acclaimed alt-hip-hop outfits from back when those were a new thing, early nineties trio Digable Planets (QRO photos at a festival) – Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler, Mary Ann “Ladybug Mecca” Viera, and Craig “Doodlebug” Irving (QRO live review) – teased with one-offs and semi-reunions, but have since full-fledged reunited (QRO live review), and come to Shaky Knees to play the thirtieth anniversary of Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space). They’re “Cool Like Dat”.

Copeland, 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

Florida’s alt-rock Copeland (QRO photos) peform the twentieth anniversary of Beneath Medicine Tree at Shaky Knees.

Also:

Arlie, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

Desure, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

Criminal Records Stage

Peaches, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM

‘Sexually explicit’ doesn’t begin to cover the gender-bending extravagance of Peaches (QRO photos), from albums like The Teaches of Peaches, Fatherfucker, Impeach My Bush, I Feel Cream, and 2015’s Rub, to her backing band, The Herms (short for hermaphrodites); her stage show – including attire – is even more extreme (QRO live review). Now she comes to the very Peach-friendly Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival).

Be Your Own Pet, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

One of the wildest acts out of the aughts garage-punk scene was Be Your Own Pet, who unfortunately broke up before they could get big, but this year have reunited (QRO photos at a ’23 festival).

Illuminati Hotties, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM

Sarah Tudzin’s indie-rock Illuminati Hotties (QRO ’22 photos) have been getting serious notice the last few years, so Let Me Do One More.

Gringo Star, 2:15 PM – 3:00 PM

Watch out for the multi-talented seventies party that is Gringo Star (QRO photos). Hailing from right in Atlanta, Gringo (QRO interview) made a strong impression in 2008 with debut All Y’all (QRO review) and songs like the title track (QRO video) & “Holding On To Hate” (QRO video). An even stronger impression was made live (QRO live review) and at festivals (QRO photos at a festival), where seemingly everyone in the four-piece plays everything (QRO photos at a festival). However, since then the band (QRO spotlight on) has kind of declined into more generic garage-rock with 2011’s Count Yer Lucky Stars (QRO review) and more, coming to Shaky Knees in the run-up to the June release of On and On and Gone.

Also:

Mom Rock, 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM

Muse, 9:30 PM – 11:00 PM

Devon’s Muse (QRO photos at a festival) are full-fledged mega-stars. The trio reached for true stadium glory with 2009’s The Resistance (QRO review), as their electric bombast, which had already conquered Europe, set its sights on the States, playing Saturday Night Live and headlining Madison Square Garden (QRO photos). Yet 2012 was in even bigger, with the gigantic (in every sense of the word) The 2nd Law (QRO review) – not to mention making the official song for the London Olympics, “Survival”. 2015 saw Drones top charts in U.K. & America, and win the Grammy for Best Rock Album, and have kept up their prowess with 2018’s Simulation Theory and last year’s Will of the People. They’re completely suitable to headline Shaky Knees (QRO photos headlining a festival), returning to their massive stage (QRO ’23 live review).

The Mars Volta, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM

One of this century/millennium’s most influential and important prog-rock bands, The Mars Volta formed after the break-up of At the Drive-In (QRO photos at Shaky Knees ’16), and released important concept albums like 2009’s Octahedron (QRO review) and 2012’s Noctourniquet (QRO review). Now, The Mars Volta (QRO ’22 photos) bring their rock mix of experimental, hard, Latin & more to Shaky Knees.

The Gaslight Anthem, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

New Brunswick, New Jersey’s Gaslight Anthem (QRO photos) borrow from classic punk and more recent predecessors like hometown heroes Bouncing Souls – but also from the Garden State’s ultimate shining musical light (no, not Sinatra – not even Bon Jovi…), Bruce Springsteen. Once described as the product of some alternate history of rock, where The Boss embraced his early love of The Clash, The Gaslight Anthem (QRO photos in the U.K.) have gone even more Boss-like on albums like 2010’s American Slang (QRO review), 2012’s Handwritten (QRO review), and 2014’s Get Hurt (QRO live review), which have catapulted them up the charts (QRO live review) and into festivals (QRO photos at a festival). The band (QRO live review) took some time off so frontman Brian Fallon could do the solo thing (QRO solo album review), but last year reunited (QRO ’22 live review), and now comes back to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at Shaky Knees ’14).

Suki Waterhouse, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM

Model/actress/fashion entrepreneur Suki Waterhouse (QRO ’23 photos) also makes music, and returns for her second Shaky Knees in three years.

Also:

Beach Weather, 2:15 PM – 3:00 PM

Olivia Jean, 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM

Songs For Kids, 11:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Piedmont Stage

Tenacious D, 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM

It’s Tenacious D time (QRO photos) – muthafuckin’ D! Jack Black and Kyle Gass – JB & KG (QRO photos) – began their epic journey when they got a handful of shorts got on HBO (making up only three half-hour episodes), and then Black’s movie career took off and ‘The D’ took off. Making & playing heavy metal music with only their voices (including “Inward Singing”) and acoustic guitars (including “One Note Song”), they became the greatest – and funniest – band in rock ‘n’ roll thanks to songs like “Tribute” and “Wonderboy”.

It all culminated in their life story coming to the silver screen in Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny in 2006 – and the passion project bombed in the theaters. The D were not ashamed, even their second tour DVD, The Complete Masterworks Part 2, where they talked about the film’s lack of success (“This is film Tenacious D doesn’t want you to see” – Black), but it seemed like the group had had their run (and their drummer Dave Grohl something returned to his side-project, The Foo Fighters).

But no one can keep The D down, and Kage & Jabels returned in 2012 with Rise of the Fenix (QRO review)! So they hit “The Road” (QRO live review outdoors), did their “Cock Push-Ups”, got their “Low Hanging Fruit” and “Roadie” – get ready for them to “Rock Your Socks” off with “Exploding Brains” (QRO live review)! Most recently, in 2018 they put out their awesome series of shorts & album Post-Apocalypto (QRO review), with a live show that sees them rock the wasteland (QRO live review).

Hollywood Jack and Rage Cage (QRO photos) may have declared that “Rock Is Dead” – and even embraced “The Jazz” (QRO photos of The D playing a jazz club) before winning the Grammy for Best Metal Performance for their tribute to Ronny James Dio – but there isn’t a better act (QRO live review) to combines rock & comedy as Tenacious D (QRO photos at a festival), who bring the full D (QRO ’22 photos) back to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at Shaky Knees ’18) to rock (QRO photos at a festival).

311, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

You know you want to get “Down” and enjoy 311 (QRO live review). The Omaha band (QRO photos in Middle America) is into their fourth decade of both rocking & chilling, even incorporating turntables well before it was cool. They come to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) behind 2019’s Voyager and are a great festival band (QRO photos at a ’22 festival).

Futurebirds, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

From up in that college town in Athens, Futurebirds (QRO photos at a festival) bring their high energy rock n’ roll to Shaky Knees.

Wilderado, 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

Tulsa indie-folk comes to Atlanta in the form of Wilderado (QRO ’23 photos).

Also:

Cafuné, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

Tanukichan, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

Ponce de Leon Stage

Phantogram, 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Saratoga Springs’ dancetronica act Phantogram (QRO photos at a festival) got notice less for their debut full-length Eyelid Movies (QRO review) than their enchanting live show (QRO photos at a festival) – which works outdoors (QRO photos outdoors at a festival), at least when in the evening (QRO photos at a festival). 2014’s Voices (QRO review) upped their game (QRO photos at a festival), after which they teamed up with Big Boi as ‘Big Grams’ (QRO photos at a festival). But now the Phanto is back (QRO photos), with 2016’s strong Three (QRO review) and 2020’s Ceremony, coming to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival).

The Front Bottoms, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

New Jersey punks The Front Bottoms (QRO photos at a ’22 festival) have only been growing since their 2011 self-titled debut full-length (QRO review), and rock Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a ’22 festival) for a second time, behind 2020’s In Sickness & In Flames.

Also:

Joey Valence & Brae, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Shame, 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

Daisy the Great, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

Criminal Records Stage

Soccer Mommy, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Sophie Allison, a.k.a. Soccer Mommy (QRO photos), emerged from the music scenes of both Nashville and New York, coming back to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) behind last year’s Sometimes, Forever (QRO photos in ’22).

Babe Rainbow, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

New South Wales’ Babe Rainbow (QRO ‘22 photos) bring back the sixties psychedelic surf, like on last year’s The Organic Band.

Heartless Bastards, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM

Erika Wennerstrom’s (QRO photos) Heartless Bastards (QRO live review) emerged from the same post-industrial Ohio Rust Belt blues-rock revival as The Black Keys, who discovered the group (QRO photos at a ’22 festival).  However, after 2009’s The Mountain (QRO review), the group (QRO photos) left Black Keys’ Fat Possum label for Partisan for 2012’s Arrow (QRO review), along with playing bigger stages (QRO photos) and festivals (QRO photos at a festival). Wennerstrom (QRO interview) put the band on hiatus after 2015’s Restless Ones (QRO review) to do her own solo career (QRO solo album review), but got the group back together (QRO spotlight on) behind 2021’s A Beautiful Life (QRO review), and comes back to Shaky Knees for a third time (QRO photos at Shaky Knees ’13).

Sunflower Bean, 2:15 PM – 3:00 PM

Just before COVID wrecked everything, New York’s Sunflower Bean (QRO photos) had been turning critical & popular heads, thanks to records Human Ceremony and Twentytwo in Blue. They come to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a ’22 festival) behind last year’s Head Full of Sugar.

Also:

Me Nd Adam, 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM

The Lumineers, 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM

Folk trio from Colorado (QRO photos at a festival), The Lumineers (QRO live review) are known for their songs riddled with cello, mandolin, acoustic guitar, and charming vocals. Their songs are jauntily and nonabrasive tunes with a sing-along vibe (QRO live review). They return to touring (QRO photos at a ’22 festival) last year (QRO ’22 live review) in support of 2019’s III (QRO review), and now (QRO ’22 live review) return to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at Shaky Knees ’13).

Hozier, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Ireland’s Andrew Hozier-Byrne (QRO live review in England) comes to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) off of Wasteland, Baby!, 2019’s follow-up to 2014’s massive breakthrough single “Take Me To the Church” – which had seen him being impersonated by Kate McKinnon on Saturday Night Live!

Future Islands, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Baltimore’s Future Islands (QRO photos at a festival) play a highly acclaimed, darker form of synth-pop (QRO photos at a festival) as they come to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) as they come back to the road (QRO 2021 photos – QRO 2022 photos) behind 2020’s As Long as You Are (QRO photos at a ’22 festival).

Snail Mail, 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM

Lindsey Jordan has been getting a lot of attention for her indie slowcore work as Snail Mail (QRO photos) – including a feature article in none other than the New York Times!

Also:

Puma Blue, 1:15 PM – 2:00 PM

Songs For Kids, 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM

The Flaming Lips, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM

There’s a good reason The Flaming Lips (QRO photos at a festival) have been so popular for so long on the festival circuit (QRO photos at a festival), as there is no live show out there like a Flaming Lips live show (QRO live review). Confetti cannons, costumes, video screens, balloons from the sky, puppets, singer/guitarist Wayne Coyne (QRO interview) surfing the crowd in a giant plastic bubble – The Lips have it all (QRO photos), and expect them to take it even higher (QRO photos at a festival) as they play their umpteenth festival (QRO photos at a festival).

Oh, and they’ve got some great music, too, from early nineties hit “She Don’t Use Jelly” to seminal The Soft Bulletin (QRO photos from top-to-bottom performance, at a festival), as well as 2006’s Grammy Award-winning At War With the Mystics (even put out a movie, Christmas On Mars – QRO review), and 2009’s Embryonic (QRO review), 2013’s The Terror (QRO review), 2017’s Oczy Mlody (QRO review), 2019’s King’s Mouth (QRO review), and 2020’s American Head (QRO review). Plus they (QRO spotlight on) appeared in an issue of X-Men, headlined both The Colbert Report’s ‘Pepsi Presents StePhest ColbChella ‘012 Rocktaugustfest’ (QRO photos) and Amnesty International’s ‘Bring Human Rights Home’ event (QRO recap). They’re perfect to come to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a ’21 festival), to perform the classic Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, and where one can expect it to get a little weird (QRO live review).

Father John Misty, 6:30 PM – 6:30 PM

While a member of folk outfit Fleet Foxes, guitarist Joshua Tillman found time to do his own solo stuff (QRO album review), but in 2012 he moved to solo full-time as Father John Misty (QRO photos) with Fear Fun, and he comes to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) behind this year’s Chloe and the Next 20th Century. As Aziz Ansari said in Master of None, “That’s last hot ticket!” (QRO photos at a ’22 festival)

LIVE, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

You remember LIVE as a hit nineties act, with their album Throwing Copper and “Lightning Crashes”. More recently, singer Ed Kowalczyk split with the band in 2009, a new singer was recruited & new album released, but in 2016 Kowalczyk returned for the full Live experience (QRO photos at a festival).

Also:

Sun Room, 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM

Water From Your Eyes, 12:30 PM – 1:15 PM

Ponce de Leon Stage

The Walkmen, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM

The Brooklyn rock music scene of the aughts culminated in The Walkmen (QRO photos at a festival in Brooklyn). The band (QRO live review) grew from their more soused early days (QRO photos – which included a front-to-back cover of John Lennon & Harry Nilsson’s drunken weekend Pussy Cats – QRO review) to a sadder, but more accomplished act (QRO photos at a festival) by 2008’s You & Me (QRO review). Their live show (QRO live review) similarly evolved (QRO photos at a festival), if losing some of that early fun, but certainly gotten classier (QRO live review). But, even at festivals (QRO photos at a festival) or outdoors (QRO photos outdoors), they ranged nicely (QRO photos at a festival) from barstool rockers like oldies “The Rat” (QRO video) and “Thinking of a Dream I Had” (QRO video) plus the newer “The Blue Route” (QRO video) to sadder pint glass-raisers like older “Another One Goes By” (QRO video) and “Louisiana” (QRO video), plus the newer “On the Water” (QRO video) from 2010’s classy Lisbon (QRO review), made on site in Portugal (QRO live review in Europe). But a year after 2012’s Heaven (QRO review) and single “We Can’t Be Beat” (QRO review), the group went on hiatus, with various band members releasing solo work.

Until this year, as the iconic Walkmen (QRO photos) are returning (QRO photos at a festival), with a series of shows in NYC (QRO live review from NYC ’23 reunion show), and then return to the festival stage at Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival).

The Black Angels, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Austin’s great music scene has many dimensions, but the band that opened up the psychedelic side of the Live Music Capitol of the World is The Black Angels (QRO spotlight on). The group (QRO photos), fronted by Alex Maas (QRO interview), bring the psych-rock of 2013’s Indigo Meadow (QRO review) and 2010’s Phosphene Dream (QRO review) and more to Atlanta(QRO photos at a festival), after having toured all over America (QRO live review) & Europe (QRO photos at a European festival), not to being the creators of (and regulars at) Levitation Festival (QRO photos at Levitation ’21). They come back to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at Shaky Knees ’16) for a third time, behind this year’s Wilderness of Mirrors.

Pond, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Perth has been gifting the world a lot of great psychedelic rock, such as Tame Impala and Pond (QRO photos at home in Perth), who come to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) behind 2021’s 9.

Also:

The Ries Brothers, 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM

Trash Panda, 12:30 PM – 1:15 PM

Criminal Records Stage

FIDLAR, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Back in the long-lost eighties, punk outfits like Black Flag would prompt conflict with Commissioner Chief Daryl Gates’ pre-Rodney King LAPD – but everyone’s mellower these days, right? Not if FIDLAR (QRO photos) have anything to say about it (QRO photos at a festival), as they come back to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at Shaky Knees ’19) for a third time.

Also:

The Aquadolls, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

OFF!, 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM

NRCSSST, 1:15 PM – 2:00 PM

Anna Kramer & Easy Now, 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM