Shaky Knees kicks off in Piedmont Park with sold-out crowds

Shaky Knees festival kicks off at Piedmont Park

The Shaky Knees Music Festival opened Friday in Piedmont Park, drawing thousands of fans to Midtown for its first year at the new location. The festival kicked off with performances by the Deftones, Sublime and Lenny Kravitz. Saturday?s lineup includes My Chemical Romance, The Black Keys and Cage the Elephant, while Sunday will feature Vampire Weekend, Alabama Shakes and Weird Al.

ATLANTA - The Shaky Knees Music Festival opened Friday in Piedmont Park, drawing thousands of fans to Midtown for its first year at the new location. The festival kicked off with performances by the Deftones, Sublime and Lenny Kravitz.

Saturday’s lineup includes My Chemical Romance, The Black Keys and Cage the Elephant, while Sunday will feature Vampire Weekend, Alabama Shakes and Weird Al.

What they're saying:

"This is millennial throwback weekend," said Tim and Kim Elem of Atlanta, who live along the Beltline and walked to the park. "Oh, it feels great. A huge upgrade over Central Park."

"I am excited to see My Chemical Romance. Big throwback to middle school days," said Kim Elem.

For some, this year is their first experience. "This is actually my first festival. So I was like, you know what? Why not? I'll go. It's nearby," said Anthony Moreno of Athens.

Visitors came from outside Georgia too. David Richardson drove from Durham, North Carolina, to see his favorite indie acts. "Big ones are idols. Really interested in TV on the Radio in Denmark, too. Are those are the big ones for me. But tonight. Yeah. Hard to beat. Sublime," Richardson said.

"Feels so alive. There's a lot of people here like you connect with anybody here because they're all here to see the same people," Moreno said.

"The, you know, right before the storm. So excited to get in there with the crowds and really feel the energy pick up," Richardson added.

What's next:

Festivalgoers should be ready for travel challenges. Tenth Street along the park is closed, and sewer work has shut down one side of the block. There is no on-site parking, leaving MARTA’s Midtown station, just a three-minute walk away, as the most reliable option.

The festival gates reopen Saturday at 4 p.m. and music runs until 10 p.m. Organizers say Saturday is sold out, but tickets were still available for Sunday as of Friday night.