Music Festivals are a staple of the summer, allowing continuous open-air performances of attendees’ favorite bands without the fuss of seats or rigorous schedule lineups. And now, with spring break wrapped up, students are all looking forward to summer and the start of the music festival season. Lucky for us, there are some truly amazing festivals within our reach here in Tuscaloosa for us to choose from!
The Shaky Knees Festival has only been around since 2013, but is quickly establishing itself as an up and coming alternative music festival. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, it is only a quick drive from Tuscaloosa, and the area has a multitude of hotels and Airbnb opportunities for those festival-goers who want to stay overnight.
The Shaky Knees Festival touts a wholly different lineup than many others during the same period, and whether that is a stylistic choice, or simply because it has not had as much exposure to warrant those headliners that spend their summers making the rounds, is still up for debate. In any case, that by no means that the festival is full of duds: headlining Jack White, Queens of the Stone Age, and The National, this three-day festival brings together up and coming rockers with those already established for a fun and explosive mix of music.
All Time Low, The Frights, and Jimmy Eat World are set to perform as well as Matt and Kim, Franz Ferdinand, and The Menzingers. Tenacious D and Vance Joy. Circa Survive and Basement.
The list goes on and on, more haphazardly exciting the more you read, and nothing but a promise of great music.
Also, one of the more unique aspects of The Shaky Knees Festival that sets it apart from others is that they have “Late Night Shows” that are exclusively 18+ and showcase one or two bands at a time. These shows are in separate venues inside the festival, and all start between 11pm and midnight. These shows are after hours of the festival, and give the audience a more intimate showcase of the bands that not everyone gets to see.
Tickets for all of the three-day admission started at an pre-sale of $159, and have since gone up, but for those looking to see only one day, those admissions are still at a stable $99. The festival is set to take place May 4, 5, 6 of this year in Central Park in Atlanta. For more information, visit their website.
Megan Farrell is a senior from New Jersey studying Film and Economics.
