By Billy McGee
October 2, 2025
Photo: Roger Ho / Shaky Knees
This year’s Shaky Knees Festival wrapped up with fireworks as Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” played over the speakers, sending attendees home with lasting memories. Now in its 12th year, the festival permanently shifted from its traditional May date for the first time.
Festival-goers were treated to performances from the headliners, with mosh pits aplenty for Deftones on Friday, My Chemical Romance delivering a theatrical set on Saturday, and Blink-182 closing out Sunday with jokes, MTV-era nostalgia, and a show-ending fireworks display.
Over three days, a diverse lineup of acts spanning multiple genres performed across the festival’s four stages — Peachtree, Piedmont, Ponce De Leon, and Criminal Records — in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park.
Here are some of our favorite moments from this year’s Shaky Knees Festival:
The Marías
Gracing the Piedmont Stage under the night sky, The Marías were met with a large crowd of fans excited to see Puerto Rican-born lead singer María Zardoya, who grew up in Atlanta. Singing in both English and Spanish, they have grown a massive audience, especially after their collab with Bad Bunny on the track “Otro Atardecer” from the 2022 album Un Verano Sin Ti. Throughout the performance, fans sang along, joining in on “Care for You,” which blended Swedish rock band The Cardigans’ “Lovefool,” and the chorus of their smash hit “No One Noticed” from their latest album, Submarine. The Marías wrapped up their current U.S. tour in Charlotte, and Zardoya recently announced her debut solo album, Melt, and new project, Not for Radio, set to be released on October 10 through Atlantic Records.
Fat Dog
Rising South London band Fat Dog, known for fusing punk rock with electronic chaos — a sound that channels English post-punk outfits IDLES and Fontaines D.C., mixed with the rave-fueled energy of The Prodigy and flashes of new wave — took over the Ponce De Leon Stage under the blazing Saturday sun. The band tore through tracks from their debut album WOOF. alongside recent singles “Pray To That” and “Peace Song.” Frontman Joe Love rarely stayed on stage, instead climbing barricades, performing from the pit, and even plunging into the crowd, turning their set into an experience that was both frenetic and intimate.
My Chemical Romance
On Saturday night, My Chemical Romance transformed the Peachtree Stage into a full-scale rock opera, performing their third studio album The Black Parade in its entirety. The show unfolded as a story set in a fictional dictatorship called Draag, with screens projecting propaganda and rules before the band even took the stage. Dressed in military-style costumes and backed by dramatic lighting, pyrotechnics, and elaborate stage design, MCR delivered a nearly two-hour theatrical performance that culminated with their classic “Helena” from Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.
Joey Valence & Brae
Taking the Criminal Records stage as the sun began to set on Friday night, Pennsylvania rap duo Joey Valence & Brae brought a welcome shift from the rock-heavy lineup. Their high-energy hip-hop-meets-EDM set encouraged fans to let loose and enjoy themselves, with songs like “THE BADDEST” and “SEE U DANCE” featuring lyrics centered largely on partying. They closed with their biggest hit, “PUNK TACTICS,” a track that has earned them comparisons to the Beastie Boys. With strong crowd participation and plenty of jumping, JVB showed why they’ve cultivated a devoted fan base on their current Hyperyouth tour.
Weird Al
On Sunday afternoon, the Piedmont Stage brought a shift in tone as satirical music master “Weird Al” Yankovic took the spotlight, performing many of his iconic parodies of ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s hits, including “Smells Like Nirvana,” “Eat It,” “Party in the CIA,” and “Amish Paradise.” Multiple costume changes had the crowd laughing throughout the set, while his lively backing band and signature accordion highlighted Yankovic’s decades-long career of humorous takes on pop culture.
Lucy Dacus
The final performance of the weekend on the Ponce De Leon Stage featured Lucy Dacus delivering a deeply emotional set. She performed songs spanning her discography, including several from her latest album, Forever Is a Feeling, released in March. One of the most memorable moments came when she invited two fans on stage during “Best Guess,” officiating the couple’s marriage mid-performance. Dacus also delivered an impressive cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark,” closing the set with the somber 2018 breakup song “Night Shift” from her second studio album, Historian, leaving many fans in the crowd visibly moved to tears.
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