After the disappointing lineup announcements for Coachella and Governor's Ball, the announcement came out today for Atlanta's Shaky Knees Festival and . . . it doesn't suck! Only one of the three headliners is a 90s nostalgia act, and there's nary a hint of hip-hop or EDM. It's all good, solid indie rock and includes a lot of bands I would go to see and have gone to see on their own. My faith in the restorative powers of rock 'n' roll is renewed! Music's not dead after all (it just smells funny).
Sure, we could quibble about Huey Lewis and the News performing their album Sports, but a) it's not a headlining set, and b) it'll be good to know where all the d-bags are.
But on the glass-half-full side, Florence + the Machine! And My Morning Jacket puts on a great live show, as does JJ Grey and Mofro. And, oh look, The Decemberists! And we'll finally get to see Bloc Party (even if they are a decade past their prime). And Savages and Parquet Courts on the same bill!
It's like every time I look at the lineup, I see another band I'm excited about: The Kills and Explosions in the Sky (haven't seen either of them in a while). Phosphorescent. The Black Angels. Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Ought. St Paul and the Broken Bones. Shakey Graves. Even Eagles of Death Metal to show that the terrorists didn't win! I could go on, but I'm close to reading off the entire lineup.
Meanwhile, with David Bowie passing away yesterday, it makes Thursday night's TT Mahoney's Bowie In Sweats show less campy and all the more relevant.
