Day one of Shaky Knees rattles with The Strokes, Mastodon, Kaiser Chiefs and more

Day one of Shaky Knees rattles with The Strokes, Mastodon, Kaiser Chiefs and more
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
May 9, 2015

It takes a music festival like Shaky Knees to really put into perspective what makes bigger festivals like Coachella sometimes annoying to deal with.

The much smaller rock-driven Atlanta music festival brought a laid-back vibe from the outset and didn’t lose that momentum when The Strokes took the stage at 9:45 PM to play 70 really strong minutes.

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Shaky Knees Festival out to prove rock 'n' roll isn't dead

Shaky Knees Festival out to prove rock 'n' roll isn't dead
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
May 6, 2015


Grimy Goods contributor Mark E. Ortega is embarking on a six-week music festival tour around the United States. That all begins with Shaky Knees Music Festival this weekend in Atlanta, and Mark has a preview of the festival below.

Let’s face it: there are an insane amount of music festivals these days. After seeing the level of success festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo have obtained, festivals have sprouted up all over the States, attempting to position themselves as one of the top-tier music festivals in the country. So the question is: what makes Shaky Knees special?

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Ten Favorite Festival Sets of 2014

Ten Favorite Festival Sets of 2014
Mark E. Ortega
Medium.com
December 6, 2014

In 2014, I had the luxury of attending a solid number of music festivals, almost exclusively in coverage for GrimyGoods.com. I went to Coachella for the first time (life-changing, weekend two), as well as FYF Fest, Made in America Festival, Sunset Strip Music Festival, and made a return to Life is Beautiful in Las Vegas. I decided to put together my list of my ten favorite sets from across all of those festivals, a much tougher task than I initially thought it would be.

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The Strokes put stamp on FYF Fest with festival-ending romp

The Strokes put stamp on FYF Fest with festival-ending romp
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
August 25, 2014


Julian Casablancas and Albert Hammond Jr. did double duty at FYF Fest, playing with The Voidz and Albert’s solo act (respectively) on Saturday night before headlining the festival’s final night with the rest of The Strokes.

The crowd grew uneasy as 10-15 minutes passed after the listed 10:25 pm start time, but once they took the stage, things got started in a haste. “Barely Legal” began the set, perhaps serving as a reminder to the many underage attendees that were skirting their curfew to catch one of the influential bands of their older siblings’ high school days.

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Julian Casablancas delivers a gift to FYF Fest on his birthday

Julian Casablancas delivers a gift to FYF Fest on his birthday
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
August 24, 2014

“I’m not a big birthday guy, but thanks,” said Julian Casablancas on the main stage at FYF Fest upon receiving a birthday cake on Friday, playing with The Voidz.

The Strokes front man celebrated his birthday in style, playing a wide assortment of differing tunes from his repertoire.

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