Shaky Beats 2018 Was the City Festival We All Needed [Event Review]

When people think about the city of Atlanta, certain things come to mind like peaches, the Atlanta Braves, and it being the southeast mecca for the hip-hop and rap industry. Many don’t know that there has been a lot of work behind the scenes to grow in other areas. One that has been moving at an intense rate from the underground is the electronic music scene. With that comes more shows, local talent, and everyone’s favorite, festivals. We first had Tomrrowworld, and then our next big festival became Imagine. But now, since the fan base has grown exponentially along with their hunger for more, the ATL can now have their own summer kickoff with Shaky Beats. If there is one thing we can note about lovers of the genre down in this city is that they are fiercely proud of their home. Any show you attend, any crowd you immerse yourself in, there will be the classic “ATL Hoe” chant along with new friends readily joining dance circles to make you feel welcome. It’s that southern hospitality.

For it’s third year in a row, Shaky Beats has brought fans together to get down while still touching on what makes Atlanta so special. The two bigger stages are properly named after the biggest streets and parks in the city, while the smaller two represent the little pockets in the city that are our little hidden gems. While some may find it a little weird to be so close to the city, with houses and buildings right across the street, or literally right behind the stage, for us it provided a sense of togetherness. This city is so interconnected through all it’s people and places. It really gave that special touch.

Shaky Beats 2018 was the ultimate way to kick off the summer festival season, with everyone gearing up to use their vacation time, attendees flooded in droves to the gates. For many of us in the Atlanta area, this festival is perfect, the location set in Central Park right in the Old Fourth Ward. Throughout the three day festival, we got to see incredible local talent blended in with both up and coming acts and veterans of the genre. We’re going to break it down by who we loved at each stage and what artists we highly recommend adding to your must see list.

Peachtree

Peachtree street is one of the most common roads in Atlanta, so of course this was the main stage we came across after getting through the front entrance. The grassy field was huge and if you couldn’t see there was a perfect hill just behind that you could sit down and relax while getting some shade under the trees. We definitely have some of the most picturesque memories from this special spot.

Fans all banded together to get their heads knocking for artists like G Jones, Marshmello, and Excision and then turn around and get in touch with their feels with Ookay Live’s “Thief”, Zedd’s “Clarity“, and Kygo’s “Kids in Love“. Fans during the day got hit with bright streamers and sparkles that reflected brightly against the sun and come evening, the backdrops were awe inspiring.

The end of the festival at this stage is probably one of the most beautiful sets we have ever seen. Kygo closed it out perfectly, as we watched the sunset with the city in the backdrop, he took us away with his beautiful tropical house music. He brought out Justin Jesso for “Stargazing” and Bonnie McKee for “Riding Shotgun”. He really pulled out all the stops for an unforgettable performance. We even got a special surprise at the end with him playing “Firestone” live on a grand piano accompanied by a string quartet. When the dust settled, we were left in a blissful daze wishing we could press rewind over and over again.

Piedmont

Trekking your way up the hill you could try out the Beatbox portable party drink or drop by the merch booth to snag up your favorite artist’s shirts. Piedmont a park staple in Atlanta, and the dance space mirrored that perfectly. If you were in need of a break from the shuffling, fans could take a rest at the Mike’s Hard Lemonade Stand, complete with hanging chairs, tables, and bean bags while enjoying the brand’s classic drink.

Dillon Francis closed down Piedmont the first day with his floor shaking moombahton with tracks like his newest single “BaBaBa (Vete Pa’Ya)” and the classic “We Make It Bounce”. Of course it wouldn’t be a Dillon Francis set without comedic visuals popping off the screen and plenty of Gerald’s jumping through the crowd.

K?D held our attention the second day, with his heavy hitting bass paired with lifting melodies that drew us in. He took us down the rabbit hole a little bit and we were left with our heads on the floor when his set came to a close. We got to hear his sound go in a newer direction with his latest techno-heavy single “Zero One” while still mixing in his known lyrical touch with “Lose Myself”.

We kicked off our last day at Piedmont with Will Clarke. The Dirtybird producer and champion of beards took a turn with his sound. He brought us in with some darker deep house, which was nice considering that our legs weren’t exactly awake for the day just yet. The Dirtybird Fam of ATL got pumped up as Clarke bolstered up the mood with his highly anticipated “Take a Seat” and of course dust clouds from the shuffle circles ensued.

Seven Lions closed out Piedmont the last day and of course it was a spiritual experience like always. The sun basked the stage in a warm glow as it began its descent. With any set that Jeff Montalvo puts together, there is the perfect blend of dubstep, melodic, psy trance, drum and bass, and just about anything else he wants. Fans got to hear his latest “Oceans” release along with his highly heralded classics like “Higher Love”, “Cold Skin”, and “Falling Away”. Tears were shed, necks were broken, and hearts were full.

Ponce de Leon

This stage was the home to some of the more unique acts Shaky Beats had to offer. Attendees collected under the shade of the large tent to get down to some music that rework and combine genres together to create a whole new perspective of EDM.

Marvel Years brought in all the funk to his special fusion of electro-soul and hip-hop. With a psychedelic production exploding off the screens in the back, fans were transported into the experimental world that the young producer brings to the table. He drew us in with his guitar and threw in some dirty bass rhythms for good measure. Our favorites were definitely his latest single, “Switch Up”, the wavering synths had us hella grooving and we loved the heavy hand of hip-hop in “Bigger Than We Feel”. Marvel Years definitely knows how to warm up the crowd and get the party started.

Bonnie X Clyde shook it up the second day with their specially coined genre “vocal bass”. Bonnie’s vocals were beautifully blended in with Clyde’s slick board work. They played their recent single release, “The Unknown”, and had all of us wanting to rage harder. Fans belted out the lyrics to their breakout single “Bass Jam” and it was a touching moment. When a meet and greet was offered after their set, fans left in a frenzy to meet the incredible duo. We got to catch up with Bonnie X Clyde later on, check out our exclusive interview with Bonnie X Clyde here.

Some acts like to incorporate live instruments and we got to see some of this magic from Autograf. The tropical house trio brought in a drumset to bring their rhythms that extra punch. They lifted up the crowd with unbelievable energy, a journey from mellow to hype that interchanged fluidly. We got to hear their latest track “Dead Soon” and some party-starting live mixing like their tropical house edit of Travis Scott’s “Goosebumps”.

Criminal Records

Our favorite stage was the smallest of them all but packed some of our favorite discoveries on top of some of the hottest producers. It was tucked up in the corner, encompassing everything the beloved record store in Little Five Points represents to us.

Bleep Bloop was the standout bass artist of the festival. A multitude of adjectives comes to how his set went, he brought out the moodiness of his samples while throwing down some gangster drops. The slow and low bass sneaked up and just murderd us in the crowd. With his hit single “Ichabod Crane” he layers rhythms within rhythms, wrapping it up in a nice bass bow. As the set went on, it got darker and darker and we were sucked in from start to finish.

We and all of our fellow Dirtybirds closed down Criminal Records the second night with house heavy hitter Shiba San. Fans didn’t stop shuffling, jumping, and doing their bird calls the whole set, the energy was just that infectious. But then again, so is any Dirtybird dance party. Shiba brought all the wonky synths, dark bass, and seductive vocal samples with favorites like “Up and Down”, “Back to the Funk”, and lastly his bass climber “Okay”. The birds flocked together for an incredible closing party we made all our own.

Lastly, Unlike Pluto was one of our top sets of the weekend. The Atlanta native, now LA-based guitarist and DJ threw down an incredible set that had us immediately looking up when we could possibly catch him live again. He mixed in everything from Chris Lake’s sexy house track “I Want You” to Getter’s filthy drop from his Kill the Noise Remix of “Mine”. We got to hear some original songs like his upbeat yet seductive “Everything Black” and grooving electronica remix of Mike Stud’s “Close”. We’re so happy we checked out his set and can’t wait to see what he releases next.

All in all, Shaky Beats was everything we hoped it would be and more. From production to the awesome food trucks to the new friends we made, we couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the summer in the city. We can’t wait to see what new artists they bring to the decks next year. We hope to see all of your beautiful faces and some new ones for the fourth installment come May.

Connect with Shaky Beats:
https://www.facebook.com/shakybeats
https://twitter.com/shakybeats
https://www.instagram.com/shakybeats
https://www.shakybeatsfest.com

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