On September 19th, music fans from all over Georgia came together at Piedmont Park for the weekend-long Shaky Knees Music Festival. Notable artists such as Deftones, Sublime, My Chemical Romance, and Blink-182 performed for around 50,000 fans, and many Chamblee students got to experience this unique lineup, complete with various rock, indie, alternative, and rap performances.
“Shaky Knees incorporates artists from a lot of different genres, so a lot of different kinds of people go. It’s good to meet people with different opinions and music tastes,” said Ava Renshaw (‘26).
The Shaky Knees schedule for this year included various popular artists, even if they weren’t headliners. For example, opening artists such as The Marias, Lucy Dacus, and The Backseat Lovers were the main reason some students bought tickets.
“I was looking forward to Lucy Dacus because I’ve been listening to her for a while, and I’ve really wanted to see her live,” said Mara Lonsbury (‘27).
Several attendees knew what sets they wanted to see before the weekend. However, some students note that they saw artists they weren’t planning on seeing because of their companions, and those sets ended up being their favorite.
“My favorite artist that I saw was, surprisingly, Fleshwater. They put on a really incredible show… I crowd-surfed a few times during that set, and I was right up against the barrier,” said Fisher Robb (‘26). “I wouldn’t have seen them if not for [my friend], and it was the best show of the whole night.”
On the other hand, other students only came for their favorite artist, such as Sophia Harp (‘28), who originally wasn’t going to Shaky Knees but was surprised with tickets.
“I’ve been stalking My Chemical Romance’s tour since it started, and I knew their last show was going to be at Shaky Knees, so that was the one day I wanted to go to. [My friend] surprised me with tickets and I got to see them that night,” said Harp.
Shaky Knees featured over 50 artists of various genres, fans, and popularity. Many students admired the diverse variety of music and the promotion of lesser-known musicians.
“Shaky Knees adds small artists to the lineup and gives them a platform… I think that allows for artists to get exposure, and [the lineup] is announced prior, so it gives people the opportunity to listen to the artists’ music on Spotify beforehand,” said Ess Lawani (‘26).
Although students predominantly described Shaky Knees as an incredible and once-in-a-lifetime experience, some students believe that there was room for improvement.
“I’d probably bring a water bottle next time because it was really expensive to buy water,” said Renshaw.
Many students agree with Renshaw’s critique on the festival’s overpriced products, but other students were more disappointed in the lineup schedule.
“They scheduled Lucy Dacus and Vampire Weekend at the same time, and that meant I had to choose. I chose Lucy Dacus, no hesitation, but I would have wanted to see Vampire Weekend too… Whoever arranged that schedule should be fired,” said Annabelle Shim (‘26).
While the music was the main attraction, a number of students enjoyed getting to know other fans.
“I talked to this guy in the merch line, and he told me how he traveled from New York to come see My Chemical Romance at Shaky Knees,” said Harp. “I think it’s really cool how people travel for Shaky Knees, and it brings together not just people in the state but also people across the country for one band or for multiple bands.”
Overall, several students agree that the highlight of Shaky Knees was being surrounded by a community of fellow music-lovers.
“I love being in an atmosphere with all of these other people who also enjoy music,” said Josie Simonsen (‘28). “It was really fun to be in a crowd, dancing and listening to music all together.”
