The first day of the Shaky Knees Music Festival in Atlanta, Georgia was a showcase of the eclecticism of modern rock music. It featured rock bands rooted in R&B and country, punk rockers, melodic rock, riff rock, and in Incubus and Beck, two bands so versatile that they defy classification.
Devon Gilfillian brought his brand of southern Gospel flavor to the rock festival. With a soulful delivery, a lively stage show, and rock flourishes, Gilfillian and his band owned the stage. Many of the songs were inspirational, such as the uplifting danceable groove of “Get Out and Get It.” Gilfillian showed his softer side on the piano crooner “Lonely,” but the band was at its best when Gilfillian brought energy to the performance, at one point jumping off the stage onto the speakers while ripping through a guitar solo. It was in those moments that Gilfillian’s rock sensibilities broke through his R&B roots.
Indie rockers Wilderado treated a crowd at the Criminal Records stage to a solid performance of melodic rock. The mostly mid-tempo set had its share of sing-along choruses and catchy vocal harmonies, with rock rhythms anchoring the melodies. The melodic rockers “Wheat” and “The Ocean and the Sea” were highlights of the subdued set of finely crafted rock melodies.
Welsh alt-rockers The Joy Formidable brought heavy riffs, bruising rhythms, and tight melodies to the Piedmont stage. Beginning with the head-banging “Y Bluen Eira,” the band set the tone for the rest of the set: heavy thumping beats, jackhammer guitar riffs, and Rhiannon Bryan’s soft, breezy vocals. Bryan was all smiles throughout the performance as she failed about the stage while laying down heavy grunge-influenced riffs. “Passerby” showed the band’s penchant for thumping rhythms while “The Wrong Side” showed the power of catchy riffing coupled with staccato harmonies from Bryan and bassist Rhydian Dafydd. “We’re trying to squeeze in as many songs as we can,” Bryan said, “even though some of the songs are jam-y.” For those who didn’t get enough of the Joy Formidable, the band also played a midnight show for the After Hours portion of the festival.
New Jersey singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten delivered a powerful performance on the Peachtree stage. One of the most versatile performers at Shaky Knees, Van Etten opened the set with the slow, brooding “Our Love” before transitioning to the upbeat rock anthem “Comeback Kid.” Ranging from soft and moody (“Our Love”) to upbeat rockers (“Shadow”) to slow, passionate ballads (“Seventeen”), Van Etten did a bit of everything. After exclaiming, “My guitar is melting” in the Atlanta heat, Van Etten closed the set with the alt-country power anthem “Every Time the Sun Comes Up.”
Thee Oh Sees were the rowdiest band of the day, with the San Francisco quintet rocking the crowd at the Ponce De Leon stage. With a raucous set that whipped the crowd into a frenzy, creating a see of crowd surfers, Thee Oh Sees showcased its blend of garage rock, punk, and other styles. Though virtually every song was a high-octane adrenaline rush, the set never got redundant, due to its use of dynamics, catchy rhythms, and extended jam sessions.
Though Incubus may have dropped in popularity since its prime in the 1990s, the alt-rockers haven’t missed a step. The band delivered a blistering set on the Peachtree stage that highlighted the band’s versatility and eclecticism. The first four songs of the set were hard and fast, beginning with “Privilege.” Five songs into the performance, Incubus played its first slow and soft number, the beautiful ballad “Talk Shows on Mute.” Singer Brandon Boyd was passionate and energetic, belting out the lyrics in heavy songs like “Pardon Me” and “Calgone” but also scaling it back for tender songs like the set-closing “Wish You Were Here.” The rhythm section laid down great grooves while guitarist Mike Eizinger played a variety of intricate, hook-laden guitar licks heavy on effects. The most eclectic band at Shaky Knees, Incubus unleashed headbangers like “Megalomaniac,” the aforementioned crooners, and even a dance party cover of Bobby Brown’s “Every Little Step.” The best performance of the set was a fiery rendition of “Sick Sad Little World,” a song that showcased the band’s dynamics, its heaviness, and two of the best riffs of the 1990s, courtesy of the underrated Eizinger.
Alternative icon Beck closed out the first night with an epic performance that showed why he is considered one of rock’s most unique and innovative artists. Throughout the 90-minute set, Beck paid homage to the various phases he has gone through over the years, including his eccentric funk phase (“Sexx Laws”), his dance rock phase (“Colors”), his morose acoustic phase (“Lost Cause”), and more. The performance was filled with crowd-pleasing songs from early in Beck’s career, including the bass groove-heavy “Go It Alone,” which Beck said he wrote for Jack White, “Devil’s Haircut,” and even “Loser,” the song that made Beck famous but is usually omitted from his setlists. After opening with several upbeat songs, including an insanely funky rendition of “Mixed Bizness,” Beck stripped things down for a tongue-in-cheek solo performance of “Debra.” “Are there any JC Pennys around anymore?” he asked, referencing the setting for part of the song. “When I wrote it, I thought those stores would last forever,” he joked. Beck then performed the song in jest, changing much of the lyrics and transforming at the end into a medley with Prince’s “Raspberry Beret.”
The band then rejoined Beck and he got serious again, playing fan-favorites “Think I’m In Love” and “Girl.” Beck has never been one for subtlety, and in concert his songs are a bit extra. The funky songs are played funkier, the rock songs are played heavier, and the dance songs are bouncier. After closing the regular set with a hard-rocking rendition of “E-Pro,” the band returned with the thumping “Where It’s At.” Throughout the set, Beck played with a swagger without taking himself too seriously, showing that alternative music can be fun and lighthearted. In doing so, we gave a perfect send-off to a great first night.
