Shaky Knees Music Festival

the location was amazing, loved central park, i hope they continue having the festival there. i also never had to wait in line to use the restroom or to get a beverage! :) the line up for friday may 8th was amazing! the kooks, manchester orchestra, american football, and one of my favorite bands Brand New! i loved the idea of the food trucks, i just never had time to check them out, but hey there is always next year! Shaky Knees is by far my favorite festival! i would highly recommend this festival to other people!

Shakey Knees was beyond amazing. The setup was great and it wasn't hard to get from one stage to another. I also looooved the food trucks. Most importantly, the lineup was to die for! So much good music--thank u shakey knees

The bands were great. We had VIP passes which had wonderful ac in the bathrooms. BUT there was not nearly enough seating in the VIP area. Also VIP seems to have lost its appeal since so many people had VIP. In fact the food and drink lines were just as long as regular access. They served pork almost every meal which is a horrible choice because many people do not eat pork (and shouldn't). All of the shoegazing bands like my friends Interpol played at sunset on a West facing stage. There was not a bit of shade for the bands, the audience or the VIPs. Why wasn't the stage facing East? No video either at this Piedmont stage. The VIP bars often ran out of ice so the beers and sodas were often not cold. I would highly recommend VIP tickets if you attend this event.

Even though it rained all day nonstop it was still a blast. All the bands were great and none of them let the rain hinder their energy. I will definitely be back next year. The only thing that I will do differently is I will get a two day ticket. I definitely felt like I missed out by not being there on Sunday. It was a great time and the crowd was great too.

The location was better than last year for sure. Our group enjoyed the area in the park the most. The parking lot area was really hot, hard to escape the sun. Would be great if there were a park large enough to accommodate the entire shaky knees festival. The music was great and well planned. Always something going on. Avett brothers put on a great show! Friday Pixies and Strokes were awesome as well. Old crow medicine show was a great treat on sunday. Plenty of food, King of Pops was a great addition to the food offerings. Maybe more quick bite options, like King of Pops. Food truck lines were quite long most of the truck were worth it though. Some truck sold out of food every day.

Good organization of concerts. Long food lines. Needs more free water stations. Beautiful festival grounds. They had drones flying over the major concerts which kinda creeped me out.

The line-up for this festival was amazing, which made the price of admission well worth it. The festival had plenty of amenities making it more enjoyable for all, plenty of bathrooms, plenty of free water filling stations, adequate shadiness for the hot days, and helpful staff and volunteers! Parking was also simple with hotel near by. My only sort of complaint was food. You were not able to bring any into the festival and the food lines were crazy long. The food trucks' food was amazing, but the wait was not. Need more food vendors is my only suggestion. Thanks Shaky Knees!!!!!

It was a great first music festival. I would highly recommend. Remember to bring a big water bottle and your eno.

The festival was well organized and ran smoothly. VIP amenities were spot on. Great seating and viewing areas. Staff went above and beyond in making sure areas were clean and maintained, especially the restrooms.

Hats off to Shaky Knees! Performances were awesome . The weather was hot but the venue offered ample shade and the free water refill was welcome. I will be back to Shaky Knees!!

Music acts were great however the general way things were run were not great. Too few food trucks was the biggest problem. Every other festival we've attended in VIP had their own food trucks in the VIP section where you didn't have to wait in the long lines. We attend approximately 2-3 big festivals a year with VIP tickets and have never had to exit the festival grounds to find food in a timely manner.

Shaky knees 2015 was amazing. As frequent festers my group and I had a great time. It's honestly one of the best planned festivals we have attended. The stages weren't too far apart, the vendors were on point, and the weather was glorious. The food vendors had plenty of options for everyone to enjoy. There were water stations all over the park, and natural Popsicle vendors close to every stage. We had an amazing time and will definitely be back in 2016.

We had a group of 11 go to Shaky Knees for the first time ever and we were beyond impressed. another 6 people met us there, and everyone had such a great time. The booze situation was fantastic-- it was everywhere! We never waited too long for restrooms, and the stages were great. Kudos to Shaky Knees for being so great even as young as the festival is!

This festival was everything you'd hope for in a good alternative music filled weekend.

The festival was very organized. The bands were incredible. Everyone was extremely friendly! I would definitely attend again.

I loved this years Shaky Knees festival, and it was the first festival I've been to so I didn't know what to expect. Every band I saw play was impressive. The festival itself was well done, free water stands, plenty of bars, there were around 8-10 food trucks, but those lines got backed up at times. The weather this year was perfect, except for the temperature being around 80-90 degrees. I got a hotel within walking range, and sat around on the different hills or grassy areas during bands I wasn't too crazy about. The whole experience to me was unforgettable. Get there early for bands that you really care about because it does get crazy packed. Make sure you bring plenty of sunscreen, a water bottle, light clothing, and good shoes. It hurts to stand for a long time. This festival was cheaper than the others I've seen, and definitely well worth the money.

This was our first trip to Shaky Knees, and we got the 3-day VIP passes. We could not be more pleased with our experience overall. There is just something about the peace of mind that comes with knowing you are taken care of with food and beverages and ideal viewing areas that really just makes the entire festival so much more enjoyable. My husband and I loved Fox Brothers Barbeque, we loved having a shady place to sit, and we loved the free beverages. Above all, as a really short person, I thoroughly enjoyed the viewing areas, which really made it easy for me to see the shows for a change!! The man in charge of the Ponce/Boulevard/Buford VIP area was fantastic. He got us all the answers we needed, and the staff took care of us over there. Bartenders were awesome, and they remembered us, which is always a perk. BUT, that VIP area services THREE stages. It probably needs larger restrooms. The hour long line was a little crazy at one point on Saturday. Also, while I hate to complain at all about delicious free food, it would be nice to separate the catering into both VIP areas, if for no other reason than it would make that massive dinner line a little bit shorter. But, we could also stay close to our favorite bands while we had dinner. One other small complaint was that we came for the rock and alt bands, most of which we saw on Friday. We definitely had large lulls in the lineup on Saturday and Sunday. I would personally prefer that there be a mix of all types of music on all 3 days. That way, I don't have to chose between The Pixies and Brand New on Friday and really not watch anything too intently on Sunday. No offense to the bands that did play on Saturday and Sunday. They were truly amazing and talented, just not in my genre. I'm sure that everyone would appreciate not having to choose between their favorite bands all playing at the same time on the same day though! :) Still, the whole experience was just perfect, even with minor suggestions for improvement. Even if you didn't change a single thing, it would be hard not to come back next year!

Absolutely amazing venue with an amazing line up. Will return next year

Amazing line up! Amazing recovery with the clean up. Organized park! Great vibes! The weather was extremely harsh but thank goodness for the free water!

Overall, I felt SK 2015 was fantastic. The festival layout, the production quality (especially on the main stage), sound, and performers were awesome. My main issue at SK 2015 was the food - food trucks were the main (and only) option inside the festival. Food trucks are not able to accommodate the sheer number of people there. I did not eat inside the festival because the lines were excessive. People told me they had waited for over an hour and a half just to get a hamburger or a slice of pizza. Other than the food, we had a fantastic time at SK 2015, and will certainly go back next year (as long as it is at Central Park).

Best lineup I've ever seen. Great location. This was a very peaceful environment and the bands were having a blast playing to us. The only mainstream festival not dominated by EDM these days. Extremely organized. Easy access to free cold water. The mix could have been better for some bands.

Great bands, perfect amount of people, best weather and wonderful park. Will do again next year

Variety of artists was great. Quality of artists was great. The park was awesome. Variety and quality of food was awesome. Enough restrooms. Liked the water- refill stations. Feedback for next year: more foodtrucks - lines were long and some ran out of food.

Let's see where to begin...The Lineup was easily the BEST of this festival season! Strokes, Avett Brothers, Mastadon, Interpol, etc such a great variety over the musical landscape. I try to do 2-3 festivals a year & Shaky has quickly became a favorite. The set up is great! The stages are easy to access & there is no sound overlapping which is huge! Wasn't over sold, like the other greedy festivals (aka Coachella). There were the perfect amount of people, never felt like we were packed in like rats! It's location is perfect, lots of hotels & wonderful locals! I would highly recommend this festival to anyone & will definitely be back!

The Shaky Knees folks have improved the experience each year. The bands they chose were fantastic, there were hardly any lines for bathrooms, and there was a good selection of food trucks. However, one thing they didn't improve was the sound mixing. The volume of the bass speakers was WAY too loud for the more acoustic-oriented bands (e.g., Mariachi El Bronx, Old Crow Medicine Show, etc.). The same issue happened last year with Iron & Wine, and it almost ruined the show for me.

2015 was my first foray into Shaky Knees. No-one recommended it to me, I simply saw the lineup and wanted to go. The wife and I went for the weekend pass, because there were SOO many great bands this year. Too many to mention, but all the shows we saw were great. Professionalism from all of the bands we saw. Kudos to the organizer(s) for pulling in such great talent and having everything run smoothly as far as the entertainment goes. To the show itself. It's in Atlanta. It's going to be hot. It was hot, but not terribly so. You can't control the weather, and luckily, there is plenty of shade to find and plenty of water to drink. Again, kudos on having water available, though, most of it was at the north end of the venue near the main stages, and standing on asphalt at the southern stages can get a bit hot. Now, for the infrastructure: 1) Food: It was provided by food trucks. There were not NEARLY enough of them. The lines were over an hour deep at some times of the day. The problem with trucks is that they generally process food to order. This takes time. I think they need to look into food tents where some prepared food would be available (burgers, dogs, pizza, etc). 2) Toilets. There seemed to be sufficient toilets, but not nearly enough washing stations. There was a ratio of about 1:20 washing station:toilet. Paper, soap and water ran out quickly. Also, in some areas of the parks (mainly near the main stages), the toilets filled up quickly. Not so nice. 3) The Venue: So, it's spread across a small city park and the associated parking lot. Nothing quite ruins the sensation of a summer concert than standing on hot asphalt all day. The stages are also spread about 3 blocks apart, and shows change every hour or 1.5 hours. If you're at the southern stages and want to catch the end of the show you're watching AND the opening of the next show at one of the north stages, forget about it. You have to walk about 3 city blocks to get to the stage while wading through drunk/high concert goers. Lastly, the park is in some degree of disrepair. I only sprained my ankle once. I nearly sprained them 5 times. Hopefully, the city will use the money it made off the event to fix broken sidewalks, holes in the green areas, untended wooded areas, etc. Would I go again? Only if the lineup was as good or better. But if the same bands are playing Memphis in May, Bonnaroo, Forecastle or elsewhere, I think I'd prefer the other venues.

This was the best run festival that I've attended. My only complaint was the long lines at the food trucks. I feel this could be taken care of with an additional 8-10 trucks.

The festival was great! The location in Central Park / Civic Center was perfect, much better than Atlantic Station. The grass provided a great sitting / frisbee toss / dancing area, the trees offered shade, and the lack of lots of buildings really helped the sound. Last year, the reverb was terrible from all the concrete and buildings. This year the sound was fantastic - I was able to hear all the bands perfectly even when everyone around me was talking. My only criticism is with the food situation. First, I have a very difficult time eating at food trucks, because I have many allergies. I would even be willing to pay for the privilege of bringing my own food. But I could not get the festival to issue me any sort of waiver. Second, even if I wanted to eat at the festival, it was nearly impossible because the lines were ridiculous. There weren't nearly enough food trucks. We ended up leaving and eating at nearby restaurants, which worked ok but I would rather not have to leave a festival I've paid for and miss bands. Overall, I had a great time, and I'm looking forward to next year. Hopefully it's in the same place!

Location was great, only a few bottlenecks. Musical lineup was amazing! The biggest negative was an over-reliance on a few pricey food trucks to serve ALL the people; that was a mistake. Also, the few hand washing stations ran out of water fairly quickly.

I was super excited for this festival. I drove from Indiana with my girlfriend and we had a 3 day passes. Overall the bands were great but the crowds and people that we encountered in Atlanta were negative and nasty. We were also told that we could not hang up our eno hammock (with straps) because it was a safety hazard because drunk people might stumble into it. My response was "Well now we are just going to be on the ground where drunk people will step on us" and the safety officer admitted I was right and he wasn't really sure about the rule. I think the difference between this festival compared to others I have been to is the big city crowd. I would recommend a smaller festival or one not in the middle of a huge city. Traffic was also awful and you have to constantly worry about your car being towed because there is practically no public parking even though the website said parking would be available but there was no more information on it. I had to park a mile and a half away and hope I wasn't towed.

The line-up was RI-DON-CU-LOUS. Please keep this festival with only rock and rock/electronica artists, don't let it go to waste like Coachella and Lollapalooza. Also, Noel Gallagher and Wilco at the same time broke my heart. Obviously I choose Wilco, but they shouldn't be performing at the same moment. Thanks Shaky Knees for this excellent festival, saw 3 of my 4 favorite bands in one weekend. PS BRING RADIOHEAD FOR SHAKY KNEES 2016

Awesome Festival. Plenty of space, bathrooms, bar tenders. . .just a pleasant experience over all.

The lineup was perfect for me. There were five bands that I have followed a long time, but had never seen. I was overwhelmed by their live performances. I am SATISFIED! The "gumbotrons" (sp) beside the stage provided fantastic HD close up views of the band members. That was great too. Everything came together for a great weekend.

Great music festival experience. The food trucks were all amazing, every stage sounded great, and all the staff and attendees were friendly and fun. Will definitely be back next year!

Just had the best weekend in a long time at Shakey Knees. It was very well organized, great stages, as clean as anyone can expect, good food truck options, amazing location, even the shakey knees app was truly concise and thoroughly helpful. The sound/acoustics were great. I only wished that the Ponce De Leon stage had big screens like the Peachtree stage did so the people in the back could see it well. They had printed programs with the lineup schedules and maps which i really appreciated. There were water stations and many accesible vendors. Lots of security. I thought it was a top notch event. Very good line up!!! For the price i would definitely recommend this festival.

We bought VIP...were not sure it would be worth the extra money...IT WAS! The restrooms were clean and well-maintained, there was a nice choice of beverages and the food was quite good. There was plenty of room in the VIP grass area to sit. If I could request any changes they would be these: some industrial fans under the VIP tents would be nice because it was really very hot under there, and perhaps an awning over the VIP grass area on the main stage to provide some shade for us fair-skinned people who crisp up in the sun. The band selection was excellent and many genres were represented. I did not eat from the food trucks because I had VIP, but one of my friends did and she waited an hour to eat. Maybe you can line up a few more food trucks next time. Everyone I encountered staff-wise was professional and helpful. You guys did an excellent job all around. Great weekend!

Me and my friends all live on the west coast. We flew across the country just for this festival. These bands were all bands I had listen to since high school. Me and friends go anywhere for the strokes. So we packed our bags and made it to the east coast!

This was our second year attending Shaky Knees and It did not disappoint. The lineup was everything I wanted and more. I was able to cross 2 major bands off my bucketlist. The Strokes and Interpol not to say there wasn't other bands I loved there. Aside from the amazing lineup everyone is super chill. Never saw a fight break out and the event staff were always so friendly. The venue this year was on point. You could choose to stand in the crowd or sit on a grassy hill and enjoy the artist from the comfort and shade. The sound was so good on the hills. I hope they keep the venue the same nextbyear. Also as the location described it was central to everything. Saved lots of money on transportation.

This is the first real music festival I've ever been to and it was perfect! Seriously the most chill environment I've ever been in. I can't believe how nice and respectful everyone was. For having so many people in one place it was surprisingly very clean and not one fight broke out. Super enjoyable even for a socially claustrophobic person like myself. Would definitely go again for a good line up, and would highly recommend this festival to everyone. The weather was absolutely perfect too! 5 stars!

Shaky knees was an amazing experience! Be sure to bring sunscreen and sunglasses and wear almost nothing because the heat in Atlanta is no joke. I just hope they have more food trucks next year (the lines were very long.)

Awesome music festival and great line up. Friday it rained but that did not take anything away from the bands playing and the dedicated ponchoed up. Dancing in the rain to Foals was unforgettable. Great food trucks with options! Many port a potties so hardly any wait for bathrooms. $6 for the cheapest beer however so budget accordingly if you are going in 15.

What an amazing lineup! I got to see some bands I've always wanted to see and came away with one or two new favorites! The Hold Steady blew me away and as soon as I got home I bought their new album and have been binge listening all week. The Foals were fantastic as were the Dropkicks, Cage the Elephant, The National and Modest Mouse. However the venue was a little painful! Standing on asphalt for 3 days was hard on the body and baking in the heat radiating off it on Sunday was almost unbearable. Everything else about it was great especially the ability to head up to Atlantic Station for some restaurant food or AC. All in all it was way more value for the ticket than I expected and I had a great time.

I have never had more fun at a music festival. All the acts went in stage on time, the set up was great. Being able to just turn When one artist was done to a fresh new set if music was priceless. I went on my own for the first two days and loved the hell out of it. On Sunday, Mother's Day., I took my mom. I've never seen her so happy. She loved it just as much as I did, if not more. It was a great way for us to bond. We laughed, danced and sang til the sun went down. All the bands were amazing, but Local Natives, Foals, Cold War Kids, and Alabama shakes took the cake for me.

Sunday was my only day I could go but it was a favorite Mother's Day of my life!! Will be making a point to go all three days next year and bring my son next time. He deserves to know what good music sounds like. Wish they had a radio statio that played the whole festival's lineup. I missed Modest Mouse, but got to hear Deer Tick on Sunday. That was something I could listen to all day!! Loved the stage set up and the ability to move so easily. Everyone on stage brought a beautiful preformance. I apprichiated how great every show was. You could tell they wanted to be here and played their hearts out in this fine Georgia heat. No one chould change the weather but the crowed stayed cool no one really loosing their temper over how hot it was. The crowed might have been quiet but we were fighting to stay so up right and not pass out for the heat. Uber n KIND wet awesome handing out free snakes and sun screen.

This 3 day festival was an excellent chance to see some of my favorite older bands reunite and kick some ass; but, it was also a fantastic opportunity to get to know some new favorites. Memorable acts are definitely the Dropkick Murphys, The Hold Steady, The Violent Femmes, The Weeks, Jackie Greene, Blitzen Trapper, Langhorne Slim and The Replacements. A couple of things I think should be addressed to make the event better: 1. Better beer selection!!!! People love craft beer....please start selling better beer. Sweetwater brewery is located in ATLANTA....strike a deal with those guys. You could sell the hell outta some Sweetwater IPA there. I know.....I'm a caterer and people LOVE IPA!!! 2. If you're going to continue with the all-asphalt venue, please offer more "shade" opportunities. Sunday's sun was BRUTAL!!! Otherwise...a kick-ass festival!!!

First music festival I've ever been to! I can only imagine what Bonaroo. Would be like! I had a blast! I thought everything was very organized from the venders to the porta potties! The bands all played on time which was awesome!!!! Alabama Shakes? AMAZING! I had heard of two bands on the whole line up, now I have like 10 new favorite artists! I went to shaky knees with a friend of mine from Alabama and she brought her roommate and honestly, best weekend I've had in a very long time!!! I will never forget that weekend! Hope it's here in Atl next year! Btw I loved when it rained!!!

Let me get this out of the way first- at Shaky Knees, every band I saw was out of this world. The music was sensational. That wasn't my issue. The setup, the venue, the atmosphere... it was everything else that was lacking. Who plans an event in the Atlanta heat and doesn't give people a place to sit down, relax, or cool off? Shaky Knees does! There were 4 stages and asphalt. That was it. No shade to be found unless you were one of the few who'd opted to pay for VIP, or you were lucky enough to steal a spot on the ground behind a food truck. There was no grass anywhere, which shouldn't have surprised me, since it was in the middle of a city, but somehow it did. there was no comfortable place to rest your bones after shaky-ing them wildly through the Dropkick Murphys set. There was no place to rest up for the Modest Mouse show. Basically, if you bought a ticket and planned out your schedule out in a way to see music all day- you couldn't do it without being miserable. Festivals are rough sometimes, sure, and we all know heat is a big deal at any of them... to plan one in a giant parking lot was irresponsible. Rethink your venue, shaky knees, and give your patrons an area to beat the heat.

Single exit made leaving a drag at the end of the days, but decent mix of music and stands for this type of event. Should have more 'cover' in the event of rain, which it did. Audio wasn't right for first part of Modest Mouse, which was a drag. Benjamin Booker was off the hook. Spoon was hot. Airborne Toxic Event fun as always. :)

Although we never drove and parked there, the venue was accessible and easy to enter without any long lines. Everyone who worked there was very helpful and courteous. The bands were excellent. They all started on time and put on great shows! This was by far the best music festival I have ever been to!

Best weekend of my life!!!!! Finally got to see Modest Mouse after 13 years of obsession, and met Jeb Bows! Couldn't have been better. Can't wait until next year!!

Awesome line up, plenty of beverage stands and porta potties so no time wasted standing in lines. Great crowd and atmosphere. Even the rain couldn't ruin what was seriously one of the best music fests I've been to.

For an inaugural festival I was very impressed with how smoothly it seemed to go. There were some sound issues on the North Ave stage, but other than that the bands sounded amazing, and despite the rain, the crowd was lively and polite. The lineup was filled with bands that I knew by name, but not much of their music, and it was a great way to get a real introduction to their stage show. Definitely recommend the show and I can't wait to see the lineup next year!

Perfect size, great bands, friendly staff, amazing views of the city. End of story. Can't wait till next year!

Shaky Knees Festival was BY FAR the best one I have been to in Atlanta. The weather did not stop music fans from coming out, drinking, listening to their favorite bands and playing in the rain. In my opinion the line up was close to perfection. I will definitely be going back next year!

This is one of the best run festivals around. It is well organized and the lineups are unique.

I had an amazing time. There was so many great bands to see it was dizzying. Tame Impala closed out the weekend. They were a perfect choice. Sunday was my favorite day. They had a bunch of psychedelic and the like bands playing. Spiritualized rocked. Ride was amazing. Steve Gunn and Matthew E. White I had never seen before live. Both of their sets did not dissapoint. This years location at Central Park was way better than last year or the year before. The park is beautiful. Plenty of trees to get some shade from that hot sun. And lots of space to get out of the crowds, but still be able to see and hear each band perfectly. Looking forward to next year.

Overall, it was a great music festival and I recommend going if you ever get the chance. Only three things kept it from my giving a 5 star rating to the festival though- 1.) the only food options were food trucks. I know food trucks are trendy right now, and they do serve good food at concert venue prices (i.e., expensive/high), but for the amount of people attending such an event, the turn around time of a food truck is ridiculously slow. At one point, I waited over an hour in line with the sun beating in my face to place my order, then an additional 20 minutes to actually receive a couple of ridiculously good empanadas that I had ordered. That is unacceptable. First thing in the morning when the festival opened up, I still had to wait like 10+ minutes to order and receive food. Next time, actual food stands that can turn around orders quickly would be my recommendation. 2.) the other thing that I found fault with is the scheduling of bigger acts. Since when did Avett Brothers become bigger than Wilco? Also, why were Wilco, Noel Gallagher, and ZZ Ward all scheduled to perform at the same time? Those were 3 of the reasons I decided to buy a ticket and I wound up missing two of those acts. I think in future years, the bigger acts need to be spread out better. The organizers should look to the event planners of Governor's Ball in NYC for how to accomplish better scheduling. 3.) why was a music festival scheduled for Mother's Day weekend? It just seems odd that the festival was held the same weekend as a borderline national holiday like Mother's Day. In future years, another weekend in May should be chosen. Outside of those 3 gripes, I enjoyed the festival.

This is the second year that we have driven up to shaky knees and it was a blast again. It was much bigger this year and every band that preformed delivered. Not sure how they can keep it up but I hope they do. Looking forward to next year!

It was hot as ha-yell, and most bands were playing during prime baking time. I was pouring sweat. Overall pretty great music. I absolutely loved Ryan Adams (my favorite of the fest), Best Coast and The Mowgli's. I had a very bad experience watching the Sunday headliner Tame Impala. Two morons were trying to crowd surf DURING their set, and both of them got thrown on top of me because I was the shortest person around. Also, lots of drugs...

I've been to quite a few festivals all along the east coast, they really did an amazing job with Shaky Knees. First, the app. It's the best I've ever seen, extremely intuitive, had much more than you could imagine on there from a map of the area, Shaky Knees radio streaming, an interactive schedule where you could favorite your artists and would get a 15 minute reminder, and so much more. Amazing! Second, the layout. They took over Atlanta's Central Park and the Civic Center - perfect amount of room for the people attending and the 5 stages. Great amount of water stations, bathrooms, and alcohol. Not too many vendors to make you puke on the sell-out-yness. Great sound and ability to see from far away as needed. Bad part, the food. They decided to go food truck probably because of their current hype, but the problem is there wasn't enough vendors. Usually vendors can setup 2-3 stations situated around the park, but when you go food truck there was a 1:1 ratio of vendor:location, and the lines were very long. IMO they should've setup a few pretzel, hot dog, hamburger, fries, pizza, etc. lower end "snacky" type stands and raked in mad money. And the lines would not have been an hour long (heard this second hand as I am not willing to wait that long and was starving at the end.) Then finally, this is more an Atlanta review, cabs and Uber were amazing. Cabs lined out right outside the venue and friendly, and Uber drivers are patient and awesome.

Can't wait until next year. Location was 1000 times better this year!

During 'Festival Revealing Week' back in January, one weekend immediately identified as a 'can't miss' experience was Shaky Knees Music Fest. The Atlanta festival put out the strongest lineup of their three year existence. This included worthy headliners The Strokes and Avett Brothers, as well as personal favorites Frank Turner and the legendary Noel Gallagher. So after tickets and a reasonable hotel were purchased, it was just a quick 7 hour drive up to Atlanta for a very worthwhile lineup. Here's who I ended up seeing on the weekend (and in order): Jukebox the Ghost, the Kooks, TV on the Radio, the Strokes, Portugal the Man, Flogging Molly, Neutral Milk Hotel, Milky Chance, Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds, Avett Brothers, Frank Turner, The Mowgli's, Best Coast, Dr. Dog, Old Crow Medicine Show and Tame Impala. And here were the top 9 sets: 9. Dr. Dog These guys have received much praise from The Only Music Blog in 2015, earning the winning position in the Winter Concert Season standings. Their placement on this list is not at all suggesting they gave a poor performance, it's just a testament to the strength of the Shaky Knees lineup. The Philly rockers played a solid hour in the hot Sunday sun, highlighted by opener 'Old Black Hole' and favorites 'Lonesome' and 'Heart it Races' to finish. 8. Portugal. the Man, Live in Heaven As good as Friday was at the festival, it somehow wasn't enough to satisfy. Following the Strokes, we headed over to the Masquerade for a late show performance on their 'Heaven Stage.' Portugal wasn't even on the bill for the festival, but they had no trouble selling out this intimate venue. The Lords of Portland took full advantage of the indoor stage, utilizing some mesmerizing lasers and smoke machines. The band members remained cloaked in hooded jackets for most of the evening, and played a different setlist from past Portugal experiences. It was a fun show but somewhat difficult to appreciate after an epic Friday headliner. 7. The Kooks An argument can be made that British bands dominated this festival, and the Kooks are just the first of three on this list. Their Friday afternoon slot was the first major set of the weekend. It featured catchy new tunes like 'Around Town and Bad Habit,' as well as the classics in 'Naive' and 'She Moves in Her Own Way.' These guys should definitely be more popular. 6. Flogging Molly No matter what time slot Flogging Molly is given, they seem to act like a headliner. The Irish band turned Saturday afternoon into a rocking dance party, complete with moshpits and circles of running festival attendees. Lead singer Dave King threw cans of Guiness into the crowd, and played all you would expect from the ever touring Flogging Molly experience. He also announced plans for the group to head back to the studio following their performance and put together some new music. 5. Old Crow Medicine Show The showmanship and talent of Old Crow Medicine Show are difficult to top. They feature 7 members who all sing and rotate instruments. They also have the current Folk Record of the year in Remedy, as well as the most well known song of any bands discography on the weekend with 'Wagon Wheel.' All these things added up to a very comfortable and enjoyable Sunday evening slot. 4. Frank Turner, Live from Hell Frank Turner is one of the hardest working guys in music. He's accounted for over 1,600 shows since 2007 so of course he had to play 2 Atlanta shows on the weekend. His first was a sold out gig on the Hell Stage of the Masquerade. Following both Noel Gallagher and the Avetts on Saturday night, it made for one of the greatest single days of live music in a long time. Frank showed his usual passion for a 90 minute set that invoked plenty of singing, jumping and moshpits. Frank even displayed some impressive stage diving and crowd surfing skills. The setlist included Frank favorites like the storied 'I knew Prufrock Before he Got Famous,' and about 3 new songs. His lead single 'Get Better' is a sure sign that his new album Positive Songs for Negative People is not a record to be missed. 3. Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds While most of the Saturday evening crowd elected to see fellow sub headliner Wilco, I was perfectly content in seeing an absolute legend in Noel Gallagher. Noel is obviously best known for his work in Oasis, and he satisfied the Oasis faithful with playing 5 of their songs. He also mixed in work from both of his solo albums, which are both very solid. In total, he played 75 minutes in which he was very much just 'classic Noel.' He called out some fans, made jokes, played his tunes, and thankfully ended with a brilliant rendition of 'Don't Look Back in Anger.' It's tough to beat that. 2. Avett Brothers The Only Music Blog and The Avetts have been far from strangers this year. I caught their back to back gigs in Orlando last month, and both received high reviews. The Avetts seemed like the perfect headliner for this Shaky Knees crowd, and festival organizers rewarded them with a full two hours, good for the longest set of the weekend. The mighty Avetts took full advantage, cramming 24 songs into this time slot. They played all their biggest hits as well as crowd favorites. It was definitely the biggest and best sing a long of the weekend, and perhaps the year for that matter. 1. The Strokes While Avetts had the best sing a long crowd, the best overall fans to be in attendance with belonged to the Friday headliner. The Strokes came out with Reptilia and the crowd was certainly ready for it, jumping and screaming from the start. This was just the beginning of a fantastic set list put together by Julian Casablancas and company. I've seen the Strokes once before (GovBall last summer), but this performance blew that show away. The energy from the crowd was incredible, and the band fueled off this. Set highlight was a rousing encore that included 'Is This It?' and 'New York City Cops.'

Very well planned festival, certainly one of the best I have been to. Great location, great layout, and plenty of services. Never had to wait for a bathroom or a drink. Food lines were long later into the evening, but that is to be expected. The lineup may have been the best part in that they had several top name acts with good views from every stage. I also really enjoyed discovering some of the up and coming acts. And another point, the bands all started on time...what?! That hardly ever happens! Absolutely great time and can't wait to go next year when it starts on my birthday, perfect!

Honestly, I had an amazing time. I greatly appreciated the hand washing stands outside of the restrooms. I also like how the event was laid out with vendors, food trucks, restrooms and stages. The fact that there were water refill areas was amazing and so necessary for all the heat stroke it prevented. I would suggest: Offering your non-stagnant vendors some sort of shade/umbrella system to their beer carts. It was so cruel to let all those people stand directly in the sun for hours. Reconsidering the beer markup. The prices were indescribably unreasonable, and I left the venue to seek libations. Also A BIG ALSO Please work on scheduling your headliners. Pinning The Pixies against Brand New Pinning Interpol against Neutral Milk Hotel You guys pissed off a lot of people. Other than that, I can't wait to come back next year.

The diverse bands at the festival was good but the location should be changed to a larger venue / park. There is more Pavement than Park @ Central Park location which took away from "festival" atmosphere. They also need MORE vendors. Ran out of both food & (some select beers) pretty early. Food lines were really long. Check out how they run Jazzfest in New Orleans (no waiting, plenty of choices, and never run out of supplies)! Maybe Piedmont Park next year?

I've been to the second year of Shaky Knees and loved it for the lineup and people, but this year, the third year, I loved being there simply for the amazing people, food, and atmosphere it gave. Everyone was so kind to each other, vendors were great, food trucks were on their A-game, and not to mention the bands all put on good shows. There was nothing I did not like about my experience there.

fair price, amazing acts, good food and drink menu, in and out privilege appreciated, bathrooms kept in good condition... overall, a wonderful time. thanks!

I don't even know where to begin. The line up was as if they picked the artists straight from my favorites section in my brain.

Granted I haven't been to many festivals, but I can't imagine many would compare with Shaky Knees. Just an overall great experience - from location, ease of entry, bathroom accessibility, beverage stations, food options and, of course, the music. Seemingly everything was handled with precision and professionalism. The only downside was we missed a few bands we wanted to see because their scheduled time coincided with someone we wanted to see more - but that is just the luck of the draw. The bands I knew sounded great...the bands I didn't know sounded great. I honestly have nothing negative to say about the whole weekend - it was beyond anything I imagined.

The organizers of this event had all the bases covered, free water, tons of variety in food vendors, dozens and dozens of toilets, ticket validation was easy, entry was fast, all around a fantastically easy experience, just had to show up and enjoy. The mix of artists was stellar, so many highlights I can't list them all. If I had to pick a single word to describe shakyknees 2015 it'd have to be 'joy'.

Most organized and best indie/overall lineup for a festival. Had a blast and a half. Would recommend to everyone to live a little and go to shaky.

The best rock festival in Atlanta by a landslide, extremely well organized, programmed and executed.

We've been to 25+ festivals over a 10 year period and this "festival" was the worst. Weird and overly restrictive rules about sealed food (we're vegan and that'll come up later), water and other items. The employees were rude and/or confused, the first guy we bought beer from gave himself a $5 tip and it was downhill from there. While the venue was ok many of the bands we wanted to see played on stages housed on large asphalt parking lots and it was impossible or sit or chill- just stand and bake in the sun. The grassy venues were great and it was the best Pixies show ever, we should have just left after that. After the first day we realized they were super limited regarding vegan options and the two places we went had sold out early. The next day I have sealed fruit and nuts that were confiscated, mind you the guy in the line next to me was actively eating Chex mix while he walked in. When I challenged that and their food offerings a hip, young girl with a walkie told me I was wrong and there was a ton of options. When I asked her where and to maybe point them out she said they were around and walked away. Cool. On the first day I also asked about the camera I brought, it does have a detachable lens but it's not an SLR and has a low zoom range 14-42mm and a high 5.2 f-stop, it's small and has been to every single event in the past 5 years never a problem. I was told by security no problem and it wasn't till our last day. After a bag serch I was told I couldn't bring it in. I said I had it the whole time, gave the name of the gentleman I spoke with and even showed how low end the image quality was. They were about to let us through and then a staff photographer with two cameras with large zooms decided to get involved. He said "oh no way man, not that kind of camera". So I asked him to trade with me if this was professional grade equipment, to shot with my camera all day- he too quickly disappeared. So we walked back 2 miles to the hotel, after just walking 2 miles to the venue and then back again, 6 miles in 90 mins because of preference, not rules. I made sure on my way back to buy a bunch of bootleg merch and pack one of every single prohibited item in my bag, including a steel and leather sap and brass knuckles. Not a blinked eye, no bag search the next time. I walked in with everything. Atlanta's in it for the money not the music. Skip this festival ALWAYS and hit up Bonnaroo or something in Suwanee.

Great festival, with a good festival set up. The two main stages on the grass were perfect, lots of space to sit and chill or to dance, the other few which were located in the parking lot were also good but different from the main stages. The food was good, but I was surprised by the lack of art and non food vendors. I'm not sure if the lack of non food vendors is good or bad, just surprising. I know you guys are trying to make money but it would be awesome if you could lower t shirt prices. Maybe not for the individual bands but a discounted shirt for the festival would guarantee purchases. My friends and I bought shirts off sketchy dudes from the street outside the festival for $10, but we would have paid $15 or $17 inside for the official shirts, just not $25. Maybe you could do $15 for the tank top, $17 for the t shirt and then $25 for a long sleeve. It would deter ppl from buying from the illegal vendors outside the gates and festival goers would feel like they were making a smart decision. "Well, $25 isn't bad for a long sleeve," or, "I didn't want to spend much money so I went for the tank top." Or even, "I just went standard and got the t shirt, its a good deal compared to the long sleeve and it covers more than the tank for a small difference." I believe this would actually make you money. Honestly, if you sold t shirts for $12 instead of the illegal dude's $10 or $5 it would be a huge increase in revenue for the festival, it would change the whole merch game-a no brainer for a festival goer. There's also the option of offering a pre-festival t shirt purchase with the general admission (non VIP) ticket. It could be presented as discounted and ppl would be psyched to buy it because it would seem cheap when bundled with the ticket. I don't know, just think about it. I know I am, I ended up with a cheap tie dye monstrosity that's about 6 sizes too big because it was cheap compared to the festival gear.

lots of bathrooms, free water, reasonably priced delicious food. amazing bands, all played start to finish and a fast turnover for other stages. very organized, very cool. security was reasonable.

I've never been to the Shaky Knees Festival before because the line up was always so-so. I don't want to go to a music festival if I only like maybe 2 out of the many bands. But this year, there were so many bands I loved that I didn't get to see all of them and I discovered new bands through friends that I probably would've missed. The weather was perfect, sunny and the occasional cloud would pass to cool us off. I only had a few complaints. The stages were a little far apart. On Sunday I was going back and forth from the Ponce and Buford Stages to the Piedmont and Peachtree Stages. Lot of walking, so if I didn't wear comfortable shoes, it would've not been good. The food truck lines were ridiculous. My friends waited in line for an hour and then waited almost 20 minutes for their food after they ordered. We skipped the food trucks Saturday and Sunday and got food from Fox Bros. They were fast and we got our food in under 5 minutes both times. Overall, it was my first Shaky Knees Festival and I loved it.

I have been to Shaky Knees for two years in a row. Although last year was awesome, the venue this year made it so much better. There was plenty of room for everyone. You could stand up near a stage or you could find a shady spot and listen under the trees. The park was kept clean throughout the weekend. Porta-potties were cleaned before the start of each day. There were plenty of locations fill up on water or alcohol. The free swag was pretty awesome too. The weather was perfect! Although we were over prepared for the rain, it was nice to not have to use that gear! The line up was great. There was a little something for everyone. It seemed like everyone got along and enjoyed themselves. If any problems occurred, I did not see it or hear about it. I cannot express how wonderful of an experience this was! Everyone should experience this festival! As someone who works a 9-5 job that gets very stressful, this was the mini-vacation I needed. I certainly hope they keep the festival at this venue for next year. I can't imagine it being anywhere else once I have experienced it in Central Park!

The show was amazing again!! This is my 2nd year going to shaky knees and this has easily turned into a yearly event for me. Plenty of great bands to hear, plenty of walking, and this year the venue was in a park which is a very nice change from standing on asphalt all weekend last year. More food trucks were nice, plenty of water stations to go around, and plenty of shade to find when you were done being in the sun. I really only came this year to see Manchester Orchestra, Brand New, and Minus the Bear. I ended up finding out a ton of other bands I never would have known about if I didn't go. Can't wait until next year!

Best lineup of the year for any festival, which is the most important thing. Loved the venue in the heart of Atlanta. Props to the organizers. Everything was well organized and pretty much went off without a hitch.

This festival was fantastic, the line ups were non stop amazing which was actually a problem. It was one fantastic band after another and the schedule made it so you couldn't sit through an entire set without missing the last 10 mins of the set before and the first 10 of the set after. i consistently found myself bummed about missing parts of different sets, I even remember one of the bands was talking to the audience and someone screamed "why does the schedule suck?!" but that's just he price you pay for having so many amazing sets back to back to back.

I loved the convenience of seeing tons of great bands in one place.

First time the girlfriend and I have been to a music festival and have to say it was an awesome experience. Great music and great venue. I can't wait to get my ticket for next year.

What a great day at Shaky Knees. Great bands, great food trucks, cold beer. Everything was very well executed. The perfect weather certainly helped, too!

We knew going in that Shaky Knees 2015 had a simply amazing lineup. There were certain bands we loved and would not miss, such as Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Flogging Molly, The Kaiser Chiefs, Social Distortion, Trombone Shorty, James Blake, and the Old 97's, to name a few. They all provided moments that we won't forget, and were worth the ticket price alone. The greatest benefit of events like this is exposure to so many other terrific bands out there. This weekend we fell in love with Mariachi el Bronx, TV on the Radio, the Sheepdogs, Ride, Real Estate, Mitski, the Mountain Goats, and Tame Impala. Sadly, we missed a few familiars, like The Devil Makes Three and The Herartless Bastards, which indicates my only complaint. With so many outstanding music choices, three days proved far too short a time. The event itself was well managed. The latest act onstage that we saw was The Strokes, who came on 10 minutes after their start time. The festival was well staffed, and the crowd vibe was laid back and positive the entire weekend

I simply can't believe this festival is only three years old. The band list, the professional staff, the stages, the coordination, the location and the energy were amazing. I had a blast this year and saw countless awesome bands. Loved it.

Great venue, great line up. Very well organized. Crowd was good as well. Looking forward to next year.

Shaky Knees has done it again: it's a perfectly set up, well appointed, concert festival that brings in stellar talent--both from new artists and gods among the pantheons of indie rock mecca. This year saw highlight shows from relative newbies FIDLAR and ZZ Ward mixed in amongst absolute treasures from legends like Built to Spill, Ride, the Strokes, Clutch, Neutral Milk Hotel, the Mountain Goats, and Spiritualized. The only problem I ever have at Shaky Knees is deciding between artists, as there are too many greats to pick from, and then having a sore face from smiling all weekend (also, sore legs from walking and dancing).

Not sure I can recommend this event strongly enough. Fantastic bands, very tight organization of amenities, and great crowd. Always disappointing to have to make choices between multiple good bands playing simultaneously, but that is unavoidable at festivals, particularly when the lineup is so strong. Only slight complaint is perhaps there could have been a few more food trucks to alleviate lines there. But drink stations, restrooms, ATMs, were all plentiful and convenient. Definitely will return next year.

I go to a lot of festivals, and Shaky Knees is one of my favorites. In just their third year they've managed to obtain top acts and performers in the industry. The staff is friendly and there are plenty of volunteers and security.

This festival was pretty badass. My only real complaint would be that it was pretty stupid to have Black Lips and FIDLAR playing at the same time since those bands are in a somewhat similar vein, most of fans of each would want to see both bands, and overall the festival did not have a ton of scrappy garage/punk bands. So it was stupid to make them compete. Other than that, I was generally able to see every band that I really wanted to.

Shaky knees is such an awesome festival! It's just the third year so it's still small, but with major acts. The park location was great this year and all the bands that were booked were great!

This was my first Shaky Knees...It was actually better than any Riot Fest I've been to. Well done!!

Once you get into the mindset that you are going to spend the weekend hot, dirty and listening to some great bands,you're golden. Finding a shadey spot and "camping" there all day proved the best plan for our group. With views of Peachtree and Piedmont we were able to come and go to the other stages as desired but discovered some good new music due to our laziness (Wow - Whiskey Gentry!) A little surprised by the lack of Diet Coke - everywhere ran out the first day. Learned to stock up after that! Bars were great, food was quite good and even the bathroom situation wasn't as awful as feared. Think we will be back if the lineup looks as god next year.

This 3 day music event was incredible. The bands were spread out enough to prevent sound impediments yet distances were more than manageable to walk without missing out on the music. The water stations were the key to keeping hydrated and comfortable and the staff working the event were friendly and helpful. The foodtrucks had good food and there were ample porto pottys without huge lines. Parking was a bit tricky but to be expected at these events. The event ran out of the best beer (IPA) and also soap/water in the potty area, but this was a small inconvenience considering the great time had at the festival. My favorite band was the Avett Brothers. Absolutely beautiful music, set, weather, ambiance and musicians. The are a must to see again!!

I got to see about 10 bands that I live for the price that I would normally pay to see one good one. I drove from South Florida for this event. I wish more festivals for rock music besides sun fest took place down here, but Shaky Knees was incredible and I am definitely thinking about going next year.

I had to wait 1.5 hours to get food. And they sold out of Terrapin by 6 every day. Also the vendors are just meh. The locaction was better this year though. Not sold on going next year. If they fix the beer and food I wouldn't hesitate to buy early bird tickets again.

Built to Spill & Social D kicked ass-- this was an organized, well-planned fest. Nicely done. Only complaint: better beer selection next year-- more local & craft beers. Terapin was sold out everywhere pretty quickly.

This festival was ran very well. Lineup was great. Plenty of bathrooms and dancing space. The crowd was great. I recommend going!

It was Social Distortions 3 chords and a cloud of dust segueing into Wilcos best show ever into a Trombone Shorty funk down....and then a Tame Impala walked across the plain. One of the better weekends I would say.

We splurged on VIP tickets, and felt the experience was worth the price. Good brands and selection on the complimentary beer. The food was fresh, delicious and plentiful. It was catered by Fox Brothers BBQ. VIP seating was comfortable and viewing the bands from there was great. The bathrooms were amazing. The setting was Central Park so there was plenty of space to take a break and lots of shade. The crowd was exuberant and well behaved. I would recommend this festival.