Gettin’ Shaky Knees Once Again
Atlanta did it again, with another great lineup and weekend of awesome weather at the 2018 Shaky Knees Festival!
All three days were jam-packed with incredible performances from a ton of amazing bands. A nice local touch was also the Songs for Kids Foundation performances kicking off the festival every day. All and all, there were 3 solid days of incredible music and weather that most festivals dream of, with the exception of one quick rain shower on Sunday, but more on that below.
The Music
The music at this year’s Shaky Knees was incredible and there was something for everyone. The bands covered the spectrum and the headliners killed it each night. Jack White on Friday delivered a hell of a performance as you would expect, Queens of The Stone Age crushed it with a set full of new tracks and their cornerstone hits. The National was a perfect way to wrap up the weekend with a melodic sound to help you ease into the inevitable Monday blues that were just around the corner. All and all the lineup was amazing and the sound coming from each stage was on point.
The Venue
Central Park is an amazing space for concerts as it is located in a great area of town with easy access via Marta, plenty of parking and easy access to the interstate. It seemed the park was effortlessly transformed into a concert venue as the topography allowed for plenty of space in between stages and a great layout for 4 stages without killing your feet walking between them all.
The Food
The eats at Shaky Knees were so awesome! It really did not matter what your taste if food might be, even the pickiest of eaters had a truck they could throw down on. There were so many options and they were all great. I never heard anyone complain about the food. The only downside to all of these amazing food options was that the lines were pretty slow. The drink lines were much shorter/quicker so it would have been a good move to grab an ice cold beverage of choice before stepping in line for grub.
The Transportation
So I personally attempted both MARTA and Uber and they both were a bit of a letdown. A friend of mine drove and parked up the street for $10 and according to him, it was worth every penny. I, on the other hand, knew the adult beverages would be flowing so I chose to leave the car at home. The closest MARTA stations at North Ave and Civic Center provided a short walk (about 1 mile) to Central Park which made MARTA a great option if you wanted to avoid the surge pricing of Uber. The $3.50 for the MARTA train vs the $20+ for Uber made MARTA the better option IMO.
Festival Survival Guide Tips:
- Never forget ponchos! The forecast did not call for rain, but we sure as hell got it anyway.
- I spotted several inflatable tubes that are perfect for lawn seats
- Festivals like this one have plenty of water stations and the best way to transport it is on your back with a camelbak!
- Like any other festival you want to claim your stake on the lawn, you will need a blanket/tarp.
