Tag: shaky
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Shaky Knees 2014: Local Natives x Vinyl Mag
Local Natives graced us at Shaky Knees with their glorious presence on the final day of the fest, the last to play the Peachtree Stage before the day’s headliner, The Alabama Shakes. Luckily for us (and for you readers, actually), the band also graced us with an interview to discuss their too-short Shaky Knees experience, their favorite live song (and why they want to top it), as well as what’s coming for the band.
VM: I read that you said “Sun Hands” is the your favorite song to end every show. Why do you think that is? Do you think you will always end with that song?
Taylor Rice: “Sun Hands” is the song that we are able to completely let go and allow things to get completely unhinged. It’s a personal goal of mine to unseat it as our show closer as we’re writing our next album.
VM: Did you get anything good on Record Store Day this year?
Kelcey Ayer: We were in Charlotte, NC on Record Store Day, and we heard Lunch Box Records was a sweet little spot to check out. When we got there however, there was a line of about a hundred people going out the door and down the street. Apparently Bruce Springsteen tweeted that he might go (he had the rival show in town), so it was rammed, on top of all the normal RSD madness. We tried and failed, but we tried just the same! F*cking Bruce Springsteen, man.
VM: Who were you most excited to see at Shaky Knees in Atlanta this year? Did you stay the whole weekend?
TR: Alabama Shakes. I saw them play once at a German festival we played together last summer and was blown away by how great Brittany’s voice is live.
KA: I wish we had been there the whole weekend. Spoon played on Friday, and we’re all the biggest Spoon fans. We just got off a six-week tour, so we went on a little vacation afterwards that went right up until the Sunday we played.
VM: What do you like about playing at festivals, as opposed to playing regular shows? Which do you prefer?
TR: At a festival, you’re dealing with this huge mass of kids before you who did not necessarily buy a ticket to see you play. There’s a willingness there, but they won’t just give it up for you; you have to win them over. I like feeling that edge in and amongst a big crowd.
KA: Festivals give you a chance to play in front of bunch of new people, so that’s fun to bring your A-game and try to prove yourself. I prefer regular shows though, because you get to have your own lights, all your own equipment (if you’re flying into a festival, you have to rent amps/drums you’ve never used before), you can play whatever you want instead of cater to a crowd who has never heard you; you basically get to put on, what you think in your head is, the perfect show. Our fans are there and on our side, and it just doesn’t get better than when you feel in absolute unity with the audience, and everyone is going ape-sh*t.
VM: You have a little over a week between Shaky Knees and your next show in Santa Barbara – what are your plans during that time?
KA: We’re trying to get our practice space in Los Angeles up and running again so we can start writing for the third record. I’m not sure how far we’ll get this week, but it helps that the next show is in Santa Barbara, so that’s super close to us.
TR: We’re making music, getting ourselves ready to bring another album out of the mist.
VM: How has response been to Hummingbird in comparision to response to Gorilla Manor – how are the albums different? Some bands consider their new material to be a continuation of the same sound, while others are constantly trying to evolve/experiment/change their sound – which mindset do you relate more to, and what is your writing process like?
TR: Hummingbird is a more intimate album. It was a very cathartic record to make for us, and deals with facing some existential crises we were going through; realizing that the music we make is now our full time job, long term relationships falling apart, and death. We relate more to feeling that our style and music is always evolving and changing. We have a constant need to push each other and ourselves to do something we’ve never done before. That’s all done within the small universe of who we are, so I’m sure there are lots of similarities between records.
KA: We definitely relate more to evolution. I think that’s pretty obvious when comparing the two albums; they were written in very different times in our lives, and we just look up to artists that don’t have a consistent sound. The Beatles, Bowie, Radiohead, Damon Albarn; guys like that, who find their genius by fucking with the formula. I love that. Comparing the responses between a debut record and a sophomore one seems like apples and oranges to me. On your first record, there is an excitement, because you’re a new band who no one has ever heard before, and they can’t compare it to anything you’ve done, because it’s the only thing you’ve done. But on the second album, everyone already has expectations and has the first record to compare it to. I think people weren’t expecting Hummingbird, so it threw some people off, since it’s a bit darker in content and sonically less ‘plug-in-and-play’ and more ‘plug-in-and-add-something-then-f*ck-with-it.’
VM: What is next for Local Natives?
KA: We’re doing a few smaller festivals over the summer, but the main focus is going to be trying to work on the third record. I’m over the moon about where we are in our career, in our heads, mentally, and just about overall life. I think that’s going to show on the record. It feels time to be happy again.
TR: It’s time to conjure another record out of ourselves, and we’re getting set up for that. We’ve already teased out a bunch of pieces.
Shaky Knees 2014: Blood Red Shoes x Vinyl Mag
After postponing our interview with Blood Red Shoes at Shaky Knees until after The Gaslight Anthem went on (none of us were willing to miss it), we finally met up with the band in the press tent.
The interview started off with Steven being in a bit of a “silly mood,” slow to take things seriously, but eventually (after a few “for f*ck’s sake” jabs from Laura) offering up some very insightful takes on the peculiarities of the industry. Ironically, while I was swooning over their accents, they declared that they love American accents, particularly the southern accent. After we wrapped up the interview, we moved to the artist bar, where Steven took over pouring drinks for a rather inebriated bartender and poured me a “proper English cocktail,” which in this case was a Newcastle tall boy.
VM: We heard that we delayed this interview so you all could see Gaslight Anthem, which I really appreciate, because I really didn’t want to miss Gaslight. I just went backstage illegally and met Brian Fallon, and it was the greatest moment of my life.
Steven Ansell: That’s the greatest moment of your life?
VM: Yes. I also met Glenn from Walking Dead when I was checking in.
SA: Have you ever sneezed four times in a row?
Laura-Mary Carter: You just met Glenn from Walking Dead? Is he here?!
VM: He’s here!
L-MC: What?!
VM: I was checking in at press, and I turned…
SA: Which one’s Glenn?
L-MC: You know, Glenn – the baseball guy.
SA: Aw, he’s a good guy. Can we get Glenn in the interview as well?
VM: He wouldn’t do it. I was like, ‘Can I get a picture?’ and he was like, ‘Really fast. Super secret.’
SA: Sorry, what are we doing? Who are you?
VM: I’m Emily from Vinyl Mag.
SA: Is it made out of vinyl? A magazine?
VM: Naw, it’s online.
SA: So, it’s not like a magazine, is it? You’re just a liar, really.
VM: It’s sort of an oxymoron –
SA: Don’t call me a f*cking moron…
VM: So, how was Gaslight?
L-MC: Yeah, it was great. We went on tour with them for couple of weeks, and we haven’t seen them since the tour.
VM: Have you met up and seen them?
L-MC: Yeah, we saw them earlier, but we were going to go say hey to them after this before we leave.
SA: I’m going to give them all a bit of a ‘noogie’ after this.
VM: A ‘noogie?’
SA: Yeah, where you get them in the headlock and then ‘err’ on the head.
VM: Are you going to do it to everybody?
L-MC: Definitely not the bassist, Alex.
SA: Definitely not Brian.
VM: Not Brian, why? Because he has perfect hair, and you don’t want to mess it up?
SA: Something like that. Also, last time I tried, he just got really upset. The rest of them could deal with it; he couldn’t. It’s obviously not his thing.
VM: How has response been to the album, Blood Red Shoes?
SA: So far, fairly bad.
VM: Fairly bad?
L-MC: No, Steve!
SA: Alright, sorry. I’m just in a really silly mood.
L-MC: I know!
SA: Can you ask [Laura]?
VM: [To Laura] Alright, how has response been?
L-MC: It’s been really good actually, because it’s kind of a raw record. It’s much heavier than our last ones, and it’s been cool. I think people really like it live, and it’s really nice. I think more younger people are coming to our shows.
VM: Why did you choose this one to be a self-titled, because I usually think of that as the first album? Did you feel like it was the most representative of your sound?
L-MC: Yeah, it’s basically that. Like, we’ve made three records, and this one was sort of like, we know what we’re doing; we know our sound, and we completely recorded it and self-produced it.
VM: Yeah, I read that you did it all yourself.
L-MC: We didn’t think of a name; we just didn’t really come up with a name, and we just thought that meant it should just be Blood Red Shoes, because it really is. It was just us in a concrete room in Berlin; we wrote and recorded it.
VM: Did you already know how to do all that, like producing, or did you just decide you wanted to do it and learn?
L-MC: Well, early on, we recorded our first ever seven inches, and during that time we got more equipment. Steve was a sound guy – believe it or not – before this, so he’s quite technical.
VM: [To Steven] You’re a very professional guy?…we need liner notes for this interview, just to describe everything that’s happening [referring Steven’s antics].
VM: So, why Berlin?
L-MC: Because we play in Germany a lot; Berlin’s a cool place, and we wanted to get out of the UK. We wanted to get out of Brighton, and we just looked up places we could get, just rooms we could set up our gear and write and just be in a different environment. That was the one that came back; they still had space there that we could rent for cheap and make loud noises. It’s a cheap places and cool place to hang out, and there’s a lot of history of music that’s been made there. It just seemed right.
VM: This is just me wondering, because Record Store Day was recently- did you get anything cool for Record Store Day, or did you guys do anything?
L-MC: Did we do anything for Record Store Day?
SA: Yeah, I played at 4 p.m.
L-MC: We did something. When was it? I can’t remember now.
VM: It was a month ago, maybe not even a month.
SA: We were in Holland at a festival.
L-MC: That was it.
VM: Did you buy any records, like of the Record Store Day releases?
SA: No, absolutely not.
L-MC: I didn’t buy a record and, to be fair, I do buy a lot of records in general. Record Store Day – I feel like it’s every week…but I always support independent record shops.
SA: I feel like we should all be honest about Record Store Day, shouldn’t we? I like the idea of Record Store Day; I like the idea that it’s about supporting independent record shops. There are some really great ones that have died in Brighton, but what’s happening with Record Store Day is now it’s turned into this thing where our record label calls us and says, ‘what are we going to do for Record Store Day?’ At that point you’re saying to yourself, ‘am I putting a piece of music out because it’s a good piece of music and people need to hear it, or because it’s Record Store Day?’ Then every f*cking major label and every sh*t band that you don’t care about is making something, because it’s Record Store Day. Now it feels like it’s about product, and just throw out any old sh*t.
VM: Supply and demand and all that.
SA: It’s because everyone thinks Record Store Day is cool. I feel like, as a musician, you have to be really aware of the fact that what you put out needs to actually matter and need to be out. We write a lot; we jam all the time. We could throw out a tape of us rehearsing and jamming on a song and be like, ‘hey, Record Store Day. Here’s a half-finished piece of sh*t jam.’ But we put it on vinyl, so it’s cool on Record Store Day and makes people think it’s special, but it’s bullsh*t. So, Record Store Day is a weird thing. I think, on one hand I understand and want to support record shops that have been supportive of bands like us and actually do pretty good music, but on the other side, it’s been polluted massively by people just saying, ‘let’s throw any old crap, because people will buy it’…there’s something about it that doesn’t sit right.
L-MC: I think, for us, we always buy from independent record stores anyway, and if we’re going to buy something, make it right. We do our bit, but when it comes to Record Store Day, I don’t go out and buy records. I could do that anyway.
VM: How do you think American crowds differ from crowds in England? We interviewed Charli XCX and PEACE, and they both said British crowds were more subdued, and American crowds were much crazier.
L-MC: I think American crowds are very vocal. Even when we play here to 10 people at some shows, they’ll still be really loud. You would not get that back home; it would just be really awkward, and when you finish the song it just feels weird. Even with 10 people, I feel like people really appreciate it and are vocally loud. It’s a good feeling. You can’t deny that that makes a difference. If people are just there, they might enjoy it the same, but when they’re more vocal, it makes you feel up for it.
SA: There’s nothing worse than when you play your heart out, and – it might be a small show – everyone just stands there. We had that in England. We played for 15 people, and they sat there. They might have even really loved it, but they don’t really show it. They’re so reserved in England. Everywhere, so far, we’ve been in America and North America, if people like you, you f*cking know about it. You really know about it, because they’re going crazy already. They don’t care if no one else is dancing. You’ll get one guy that’s insane who will by himself, and he doesn’t care because he’s having a good time. For us, that’s amazing; to go to a place where no one knows us. We’re going to play better; the whole night will be better.
VM: I think that would be much more inspiring.
SA: It is much more inspiring. It sounds lame, like we’re trying to be like, ‘oh him, we’re in America, we love America,’ but it’s f*cking true. People are definitely less reserved, and if they like something or feel like you’re more comfortable with the show, I guess you’re less reserved about it. In England, unfortunately, people really hold themselves back. No one must be the first one to dance. No one must be the first to go, ‘actually, I really like this.’
VM: Are you like that at shows, or are you the dancing guys?
L-MC: I think we like to headbang and actually move. I wouldn’t say that I’m very vocal; I always cheer at the end loud, but it’s not like I shout stuff.
VM: Who did you get to see here?
L-MC: We went and saw Band of Skulls. We saw a bit of White Denim, Foals, and Gaslight Anthem.
SA: Cage the Elephant. We got to see a lot…where’d you guys get here from?
VM: Athens, Georgia. It’s like an hour and half…
SA: That’s where the B-52’s are from!
VM: I know!
SA: We were talking about this. We were like, ‘what’s in Georgia?’ The only thing we heard of was some specific type of barbecue food. It’s different regionally, yeah?
VM: We’re very proud of our barbecue.
SA: You have more of a vinegar sauce. Is that right?
VM: It’s sort of like ketchup and vinegar. South Carolina has mustard. North Carolina has straight vinegar.
SA: Yeah, right. There’s a regional thing for barbecue sauce. I knew that, and then Athens, Georgia has the B-52’s. I like REM, but B-52’s!
VM: We’re proud. What do you like about playing festivals as opposed to regular shows?
L-MC: I think just the atmosphere is cool, getting to see other bands, and when you tour all the time, you don’t get to see many friends, and you get to know lots of bands. So, it’s a nice kind of community when you come to play festivals, because you can play a show. You can try and cover people – it’s like your band as well, because it’s new people, so that’s a challenge. Then you can hang out with your friends that you haven’t seen since last year’s festival, and you get to see other music, which is inspiring. You kind of need to see other stuff.
SA: Yeah, it’s healthy to be in a place where you’re not just dealing with your own band.
L-MC: Yeah, it gets you more inspired, and you learn something.
VM: Tell us more about your current tour.
L-MC: Well, we’re at day three.
SA: Day three. So far, what’s happened? I am going to go to the hospital in the morning – liver failure, acute liver failure. I’ve had too many shots.
VM: But you’re waiting until tomorrow, though?
SA: Well, you know, always try to sleep it off. I don’t like to unnecessarily cause a fuss and call the doctor.
VM: But you’re anticipating that you will have to.
SA: Probably, yes.
L-MC: I’m not taking you there, so you can get there on your own.
SA: Well, you do everything bigger and harder in the states, don’t you? Those shots I’ve been doing – much bigger than the UK. You have big everything here. Really, freaking me out.
L-MC: It’s been so cool so far. We get to go to places we’ve never been, like we’re going to Salt Lake City. Tomorrow we’re going to Richmond, Virginia.
SA: Yeah, we’ve never been this far south.
VM: Really, do you like it?
SA: Actually, yeah.
VM: We’re friendly.
L-MC: Really like the accent.
SA: We played Raleigh, North Carolina yesterday, and at that point it was the furthest south we had ever been. Everyone was really friendly there; I’m noticing a tendency.
VM: Southern hospitality.
SA: Yeah, people are really warm.
VM: Besides the tour, what is next for you guys afterwards? Are you writing on tour?
L-MC: We do a little bit, but not so much. It’s hard on this tour, because there’s so much driving. We are going back home, and then we’re going straight into festivals basically, all in Europe.
VM: You’re doing Reading and Leeds, right?
L-MC: Yes.
VM: [You’re playing] a couple slots away from Jimmy Eat World, and that’s awesome.
SA: Touch my hand, and I’ll touch one of those guys’ hands for you.
VM: Oh, I’ve met them twice. I’m a stalker.
SA: I was going to try and be nice and say, ‘you touch my hand, and I’ll touch their hand, and then it’s connected.’
VM: Well, you touch my hand, and I’ve already touched their hand, so I have connected them to you. You didn’t even get to meet them though. You should. They’re cool.
SA: That’s cool, because now I don’t have to put in the effort. I don’t have to go knock on their door and say hello or any of that stuff.
VM: You don’t even have to go. You can just say, ‘dude, I’ve done it.’
SA: ‘I met a girl in Georgia; it’s fine.’
VM: Yeah, don’t tell them that. I think I freaked them out.
SA: Did you…???
VM: I did! And I don’t do that very often, but there are like two bands that I would [lose my cool with]. Yeah, I was not cool at all.
SA: The only person I ever got weird with that we’ve ever met as a band was one of the guys in Smashing Pumpkins. We met in New York once, and Laura was totally cool as f*ck.
L-MC: He just came into our dressing room.
SA: He just showed up in our dressing room.
VM: Oh, really?! So he came to you.
L-MC: Yeah, he was at our show, and he just came in the dressing room. I turned around, and it was him.
VM: [To Laura] And you were totally cool?
SA: It was James Iha, the guitar player.
L-MC: I’ve been emailing him ever since. Actually, I haven’t in a while, but we were.
SA: But he showed up; Laura’s super cool.
L-MC: Yeah, I love that band, but I never got obsessed.
SA: I like that band, too. Usually, as I’m sure you can imagine, I’m just being a little c*cky d*ckhead to anyone who helps me, even if they’re in a band I love. Smashing Pumpkins, I really loved when I was a teenager. I literally looked at him and was just like, ‘you’re in the Smashing Pumpkins band!’
VM: That’s exactly what I do.
L-MC: I would do that if it was someone like Courtney Love. I’ve had three chances to say something to her.
SA: You could’ve. She had a dressing room almost next door to us.
L-MC: Yeah I went in, but she wasn’t in there.
SA: Physically she was, but mentally, there’s nothing in there.
L-MC: I just thought sometimes you just shouldn’t meet your f*cking heroes.
VM: I agree with you on that.
L-MC: I think she might be one of those.
SA: Yeah, I’d be scared to meet Iggy Pop, because he’d probably break my heart. He’d probably just be like, ‘have you seen today’s papers?’ He might be really boring.
Shaky Knees 2014: The Whigs x Vinyl Mag
If you follow us on social media, you already know we pretty much had a blast of a time at Shaky Knees this past weekend. But aside from seeing an impressive amount of impressively talented artists, we also got to talk to a few of them (impressed?).
Fellow Athens natives, The Whigs, played the festival Friday afternoon at the Ponce de Leon stage at Atlantic Station and then turned around the next day and played beloved East Atlanta venue/bar The EARL. In April, the band released their fifth studio album, Modern Creation, and is currently touring the album. See them. After you read this interview, duh.
VM: You recently played the Late Show with David Letterman and also had a video on Conan – awesome. How do you get those gigs/how was it?!
Parker: We’ve been fortunate to have some sweet opportunities with the release of our new album, Modern Creation. Conan debuted the “Hit Me” music video, and the Late Show had us on to perform the song live. Both were thrilling and an honor.
VM: Did you get anything good on Record Store Day this year?
Parker: Yeah!!! Purchased Duke Ellington, James Brown, Andre Previn piano records and a sealed Phil Spector Collection vinyl at Wuxtry Records in Athens.
VM: Who were you most excited to see at Shaky Knees in Atlanta this year? Did you stay the whole weekend?
Parker: I got to see a little bit of Charles Bradley and Band Of Skulls on Friday. I stayed in Atlanta the whole weekend and was super excited to see The Replacements and Modest Mouse but didn’t get to see either unfortunately.
VM: Why didn’t you get to see [them]?
Parker: I missed their sets, because I was loading in equipment and sound checking for our late night show at the Earl in East Atlanta.
VM: What do you like about playing at festivals, as opposed to playing regular shows? Which do you prefer?
Parker: It’s fun to see buddies from other bands at festivals. It’s also a nice setting to get turned on to a new group. I wouldn’t say I prefer either to the other.
VM: You are playing Shaky Knees Friday and then The EARL, also in ATL, on Saturday. Two very different Atlanta experiences two nights in a row. Was there a reason you wanted to play the festival there and then a smaller venue?
Parker: The opportunity arose for us to rock both occasions, and we were psyched. Definitely an opportunity to tailor a performance to two radically different environments.
VM: What was different about the performances?
Parker: The EARL show was definitely more intimate, and we began and ended the set with different songs than at the festival performance. Showcased a few more songs from Modern Creation and got back to our roots with some older Whigs songs. We also did an encore at the EARL which featured a slight costume change to coincide with a David Bowie cover.
VM: As a fellow Athenian, how would you say that Athens has influenced your sound?
Parker: The Glands, R.E.M, Elephant Six Collective, and later the Drive By Truckers were some of our biggest models on and off stage. The Athens scene inspired us to want to create instantly entertaining music with conceptual depth.
VM: Compare the Athens music scene to the Atlanta music scene. How is the Athens music scene unique from any other?
Parker: I’d say they’re both eclectic with Atlanta’s being understandably larger. I’m personally more in tune with the eclecticism of Athens’ bands over Atlanta’s, with a few exceptions. I haven’t spent a substantial amount of local time in all the other scenes, so I can’t speculate on what differentiates Athens from everywhere else.
VM: How has response been to Modern Creation?
Parker: I’d say it’s been generally positive.
VM: I LOVE the album cover – can you tell me about it? Who came up with it?
Parker: We were doing an photo shoot, and I asked someone on the set to snap a photo of us with my iPhone. The image was cool, and when we were brainstorming album cover ideas, I sent the photo to the band. Tim relayed his idea of framing the photo with a skull to Julian, who made the vision a reality.
VM: Who does most of the writing/what is the process like?
Parker: I’ll write song ideas and bring them into band practice where we’ll jam and see which ones gel. As we hone arrangements and structures, we’ll see which songs survive over the course of an album cycle. The most durable jams get the anointed finished lyrics, which I write with guidance from Tim and Julian if I get stuck or have questions on direction, clarity, etc.
VM: In three words, describe your sound to someone who has never heard you.
Parker: Raw, real, rock.
VM: What is next for The Whigs?
Parker: Tour!
Tour Dates:
MAY 15 RADIO RADIO INDIANAPOLIS, IN
MAY 16 DOUBLE DOOR CHICAGO, IL
MAY 17 OFF BROADWAY ST LOUIS, MO
MAY 24 16TH STREET MALL DENVER, CO
JUN 12 FITZGERALD’S (DOWNSTAIRS) HOUSTON, TX
JUN 13 RED 7 AUSTIN, TX
JUN 14 ELM STREET MUSIC AND TATTOO FESTIVAL DALLAS, TX
JUN 15 STICKYZ ROCK’N’ROLL CHICKEN SHACK LITTLE ROCK, AR
JUN 18 DULING HALL JACKSON, MS
JUN 19 WORKPLAY THEATRE BIRMINGHAM, AL
JUN 20 HI-TONE CAFE MEMPHIS, TN
JUN 21 MERCY LOUNGE NASHVILLE, TN
JUN 25 WFPK WATERFRONT WEDNESDAY LOUISVILLE, KY
JUL 26 BRAGG JAM MUSIC FESTIVAL MACON, GA
Shaky Knees Founder Tim Sweetwood x Vinyl Mag
For the second year in a row thousands of rock & roll fans will flock to the heart of Atlanta for the Shaky Knees Festival. The weekend-long musical extravaganza kicks off Friday, May 9th and features plenty of must-see musicians. The anatomically unstable festival is not without its changes though. 2014 brings with it a new location and a new lineup. Coming off an extraordinary first year that featured performances from Band of Horses, Delta Spirit, and Drive-By Truckers, it was hard to imagine how the festival could improve upon itself. For Shaky Knees Festival founder Tim Sweetwood, the answers were easy: more bands, a bigger venue, and reasonably priced tickets. Recently, we got the chance to speak with the festival’s founder about this year’s lineup, the festival’s change of scenery, and whether or not he sold his soul to the Rock & Roll Devil.
Vinyl Mag: What initially inspired you to found Shaky Knees?
Tim Sweetwood: I’ve always wanted to produce a festival – they are my favorite kind of events to attend, and I just waited til the time was right.
VM: What do you feel that Shaky Knees offers that some of the other Atlanta music festivals might not?
TS: Real indie music and a chance to discover something new. The lineup is built on having bands you know and haven’t seen in a while but have always loved, and then newcomers in the same genre that will be the next “it” band, and you can see them before anyone else does.
VM: This year the festival is changing locations. How do you feel about the move from the Masquerade Music Park to Atlantic Station?
TS: We feel great. The festival is growing in size naturally, and the Music Park/Old 4th Ward park couldn’t hold what we wanted to do, and we are not big enough for Piedmont Park or something like that. Atlantic Station is very accessible, and still inside the city limits.
VM: What do you feel the biggest improvement will be from last year to this year’s festival?
TS: The chance to see more bands or a ticket price that is close to the lowest price of all the similar national festivals.
VM: How has Shaky Knees managed to deliver such impressive performers in its first two years? Did you sell your soul to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Devil?
TS: Yes, we are on the Highway to Hell. I’ll introduce you to him soon.
VM: Shaky Knees is only in its second year, but already it feels like a mainstay amongst the festivals. Do you feel like your initial expectations have already been met and exceeded?
TS: We have met many of our goals, but there are still many to achieve, and we hope by setting the bar so high with the lineup that from year to year it will keep people coming back and wanting more.
VM: I know that you’ve said you aren’t trying to create the next Bonnaroo, but do you see growth in the festival’s future in terms of number of acts, stages, and attendees?
TS: Yes, we know there will be growth, and although there is tremendous excitement and positive pressure, we don’t want to get too big too quick.
VM: Do you have any specific performers that you are most excited about this year?
TS: Honestly, excited to see them all – that is the joy of booking your own festival. I put on the acts that I truly love and I’m a fan of. We don’t just put anyone on there.
VM: What’s your most memorable festival moment, whether at Shaky Knees or another festival?
TS: Keeping that one to myself, but we truly hope people will have some of their favorite festival experiences at this year’s fest and for years to come.
VM: What advice do you have for Shaky Knees festival-goers?
TS: Get there early and stay late!!
VM: Since Shaky Knees is a Rock ‘n’ Roll fan’s dream come true, can you give us your top three rock bands of all time?
TS: It is really really hard to narrow it down to three, but I’ll throw three out there in no particular order….My Morning Jacket, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and Buddy Holly.