a quick take on day 1 of Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta – photos

We’ll have more photos and detailed coverage in a few days, but here’s a quick recap of some personal highlights from day 1 of Shaky Knees Festival, which began yesterday in and around Atlanta’s Central Park on the southern edge of midtown.

The venue is lovely, if a bit sprawling. Crowds seemed really strong on the opening day, especially by the time The Strokes closed out the night on the main stage with a tremendous set that had much of the crowd ecstatic.

The Strokes
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I kept in motion much of the day — so many bands that I wanted to catch that it seemed best to divide my time between stages where possible. But I still caught a lot of Pixies, who are still as sharp and seamless as you would expect:

Pixies
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And here are some more photos — I’ll have more to say later when I have a chance to digest the weekend. Lots more pics on the way too.

James Blake:
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Mastodon:
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TV on the Radio:
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Death from Above 1979:
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Clutch:
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Manchester Orchestra:
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Mac DeMarco:
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John Grant:
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Jukebox the Ghost:
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Black Pistol Fire (especially awesome):
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Two Gallants:
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The Kooks:
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Blank Range:
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Surfer Blood:
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The day got rolling with a lovely if short set by the Songs For Kids Foundation:

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All in all, despite some afternoon heat and long food truck lines by the end of the night, it was an awesome first day.

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