Shaky Knees, Day 3
You would think that we’d be ready for whatever the day could throw at us since our night ended so suddenly last night. Not so! I woke up this morning to make myself a cup of coffee before promptly returning to bed. Perhaps the thrash of last night’s rain took a greater toll than a dry concert ever could have.
Here It Goes Again (OK Go)
We kicked off our last day of music with one of Morgan’s favorite bands, OK Go. I truthfully didn’t know much of their material beyond the hit of the same name as my caption, but who doesn’t love some 2000s rock? Morgan entreated into the main crowd as Aidan and I watched from the outskirts, drenched in sweat under another beating sun. We were enjoying the grooves of Get Over It (another great track), when suddenly -
WOOMPH!
No sound.
It turns out there were some technical difficulties behind the scenes1. To my understanding, the scorching heat overworked the stage generators and cut out. In a cool silver lining, the OK Go frontman thrust himself into the crowd to perform an un-miked acoustic set. We were too far to hear it beyond a faint strumming, but Morgan later informed us it was Last Leaf, one of his favorites. The sound came on after this song, and OK Go finished the remaining set after a genuinely sweet moment that could have been disastrous.
Modest Mouse
The remaining acts we were interested in tonight were all between one of two stages, which happened to be conveniently between a large shaded hill. We took this opportunity to plant ourselves in a central location, ready to strike once our preferred crowd began to clear out.
This is a good time to mention the consequences of last night’s downpour. I made the wonderful choice of bringing a single pair of leather Nike Air Force Ones for the festival. Guess what material doesn’t dry out very fast? I did my best to drain them overnight, but I didn’t want to try my luck standing in them too long. We had a running joke of the probable trench foot I was welcoming in.
Anyway, I was more than happy to stand idly by as Modest Mouse took the stage. They’re similar to OK Go as a 2000s artist that I didn’t know very well. Even so, I had a peachy time swaying to the few songs I knew pretty well like Dramamine and Dashboard. The crowd they had amassed was endless in a way I hadn’t imagined possible for a group of their popularity, but the energy proved that the fandom was there.
Most shockingly of all, Modest Mouse left the stage without a mention of Float On. Obviously, I would have loved to hear this in person, but it was almost more enjoyable to see the audience crash out at its absence.
36 Chambers (Wu-Tang Clan)
How cool is it that one of hip-hop’s most acclaimed acts stopped by Shaky Knees? I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t at least lay eyes on them. I also couldn’t get close to them if I tried. The crowd was too big! We settled for watching from our hill afar as hits from the debut album washed across the field.
Pow Pow (LCD Soundsystem)
With so many people at Wu-Tang, we were able to snag a great spot for our most anticipated show of the night… and that turned out to be our best idea of the weekend. LCD Soundsystem brings a David Byrne-esque flow to a classic dance synth sound. Being around so many peers of similar age, I didn’t expect anyone to be into it; I was proven very wrong. Not only did the crowd know all the words, they were dancing the entire time.
A hush fell over the crowd as they began Dance Yrself Clean, a whopping nine-minute track with a slow burn intro. The anticipation was palpable. Bated breaths were held. Suddenly, the beat dropped.
The energy was released and the audience went feral. It was not only the coolest moment of the festival, but one of the coolest concert experiences I had ever had. No one was tuned out. Everyone lost their sense of self and became one in the sound. In that moment, the heat, the rain, the trench foot, everything became worth it. We danced ourselves clean.
The set was coming to an end. We had reached the chorus of All My Friends. Vibes were high -
WOOMPH!
Remember my foreshadowing during OK Go? The speakers cut out in the middle of this song as well. The audience was quick to groan, but LCD Soundsystem kept playing as if nothing had changed. Groans were replaced with an acapella rendition of the final chorus as we attempted to carry the last leg of the set to its end. It was a a heartwarming way to conclude what could have been a real stain on the night.
Feel Good Inc. (Gorillaz)
I didn’t realize how “trenchy” my feet had started to feel until we disbanded from LCD Soundsystem. As much as I respect Gorillaz and the few songs I know really well, I didn’t find it worth pushing through to the very end. Kathryn and I stayed through about half the set before making our final journey home.
Are you also curious how a virtual band like Gorillaz puts on a concert? That was my biggest question before this. The solution is that Damon Albarn is really on stage while the “Gorillaz” are in the stage visuals, either lip synced or in action. Being so far away from the stage, the effect was a little lost on me, but everybody up close (including Morgan and Aidan) reporter nothing short of a great time. Many Atlanta-based guest stars also apparently made appearances due to their inclusion on the latest album, which I found to be quite thoughtful.
The End
Such was the end of our time at Shaky Knees. It was an exhausting trip, sure, but I would have always regretted missing it otherwise. I’m really excited to see if next year’s lineup can top this one! I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.
Foreshadowing.↩