Photos & Review | Day 1 Shaky Knees 2025 Brings Unforgettable Performances to Atlanta’s Piedmont Park

Friday | The festival kicks in!

When I arrived at Shaky Knees 2025, the crowd was already lined up at the gates ready to run to get their spot at the barricade at one of the four stages in Piedmont Park. Fans waited with anticipation that had been building since the lineup for this years festival had been announced. It was a warm and sunny September Georgia day and it was the perfect way to kick off an amazing 3 days of music that would be one for the ages. The gates opened and I watched a steady wave of fans running past me ready for Shaky Knees Music Festival 2025 to rock the first chord.

Chino Moreno of Deftones @ Shaky Knees Music Festival in Atlanta GA | @deadly_sharp_photo

The first day of Shaky Knees 2025 kicked off under a glowing late-afternoon sun, the air thick with excitement and the smell of fresh-cut grass. From the photo pit, you could feel the anticipation buzzing before the first note even hit. Inhaler opened the day with effortless confidence, their sharp melodies cutting through the warm air. Sublime followed, bringing a wave of nostalgia that had the crowd jumping in unison before IDLES came crashing in like a wrecking ball. Joey Valence & Brae kept the chaos alive with their high-octane mix of hip-hop and punk, before The Marías brought the sun down with a hypnotic, sultry calm that blanketed the park in gold.

Then came Deftones, and everything changed. The moment Chino Moreno walked on stage, the park erupted into a sea of sound and light. From the pit, you could feel every thundering drumbeat shake through the barricade. The band’s blend of haunting melody and raw power consumed the night, Chino’s voice echoing through the haze and Atlanta night sky like a ghost. Their set was a mixture of new tracks like “My Mind Is A Mountain” and “Milk Of The Madonna” and fan favorites “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away),” “My Own Summer (Shove It),” and my personal all time favorite “Hole In The Earth.” They closed the night as they often do with “7 Words” which really had the entire park electrified with energy and angst. As the final notes faded and the stage lights dimmed, the crowd roared, and I stood there with my camera in hand—sweaty, exhausted, and completely alive.