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SHAKY KNEES FESTIVAL 2013 May 4-5 Atlanta, GA review by Lesley Daunt photography by Harold Sellers
From shaky knees to soggy shoes, the rain couldn’t keep fans away from this fantastic indie fest. The skies may have burst open with torrential rains, but the sea of fans in ponchos and galoshes could not stay away from the inaugural Shaky Knees Festival. Named after the lyrics in My Morning Jacket’s “Steam Engine,” the two-day musi-ganza was the brainchild of longtime promoter Tim Sweetwood. The festival featured indie music heavyweights Band of Horses and The Lumineers, and consumed the entire Masquerade Music Park and Historic Fourth Ward Park lawn. The festival had three stages set up. The North Ave. stage showcased more up-and-coming bands, while the Masquerade Music Park and Old Fourth Ward Park Stages seemed to share the more well-known acts. The small size and layout of the stages made it easy to catch all the bands, even those with the same time slot. A total of 28 acts performed over the course of two days, and despite the cruelty of Mother Nature, thousands of fans showed up to party. [Editor’s note - for a more comprehensive review of the ENTIRE two-day festival, including an extensive photo gallery and more mini-reviews, visit performermag.com.]
34 JULY 2013 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
MINI-REVIEW: VINTAGE TROUBLE
MINI-REVIEW: DELTA SPIRIT
If James Brown and Led Zeppelin had a baby, it would be this band. Even though it was a fullon monsoon by their second song, the boundless energy that Vintage Trouble [pictured, above] brought to their live performance was electrifying. Singer Ty Taylor’s voice delivered a soothing energy while he was twirling and dancing at once. Guitarist Nalle Colt shredded with some serious soul, while bassist Rick Barrio Dill’s booming lines got the muddy crowd moving. Drummer Richard Danielson rocked the beat while simultaneously rockin’ a killer Yosemite Sam mustache. Each song set the crowd into a frenzy of movement, mud-be-damned. Taylor proved a little rain was nothing as he jumped down into the soaked audience during “Soul-Pit,” singing “get down to the ground now” and interacted with the ponchoclad masses. It’s easy to see why they supported The Who on their last tour, and why they are opening for the Stones this month.
Delta Spirit is most known for their intense live performances, their congregational songwriting, and their driving rhythms. After watching them perform, it became clear why. Frontman Matthew Vasquez, guitarist William McLaren and bassist Jon Jameson were all headbanging and flailing with such slaphappy grins on their faces that the euphoria emanating from them became utterly infectious. No matter how much you’d like to pigeonhole them, you simply can’t. Some call it rock, some call it modern rock, some say folk with a twist. One thing is evident; even if you only slightly like Delta Spirit, it is worth seeing them live.
For more, visit www.vintagetrouble.com.
For more, visit www.deltaspirit.net.
www.shakykneesfestival.com