With an overwhelming amount of music festivals popping up all over the country, there's a city fest that can hang with some of the biggest names in festival culture out there -- Coachella, Electric Forest, EDC, and newcomer Middlelands to name a few -- we're talking about Shaky Beats!
Here are a few reasons why the Atlanta-based festival totally rocked this year, and why you should keep it on your radar for years to come!
The Vibes
With any city fest, there's a constant worry in the back of every veteran festival-goers mind, especially those used to camping fests that rely heavily on building community -- Is everyone going to be cool here?
Not only has Shaky Beats managed to rid itself of the stereotypical day passers with less than "good vibes" mentality, this year's festival attendees were some of the coolest people ever.
Respectful, fun individuals and plenty of the best vibes to go around filled Centennial Olympic Park in the heart of Atlanta over the weekend!
The Talent
Well, duh. Of course, every festival strives to have the best acts, but Shaky Beats effortlessly put together one of the best lineups of the summer!
GRiZ, Kaskade, and The Chainsmokers headlined, three acts alone that would have honestly satisfied many people. The festival offered up a totally stacked undercard of diverse, yet all EDM-inspired acts including, RL Grime, JOYRYDE, Ephwurd, Zeds Dead, Gramatik, Getter, Ganja White Night, Boombox Cartel, and so many more!
Plus, Shaky Beats included three of the most impactful women in dance music right now -- Alison Wonderland, Mija, and Rezz (a few of the very best acts might I add)!
The Flow
The organizers of Shaky Beats have this thing down to a science. Never did people have to wait in absurd lines, deal with overcrowded stages (even during The Chainsmokers), get lost/confused about where to go, because the festival layout just made so much sense!
Even never having attended before, my crew felt right at home, and it was was wonderful to be able to enjoy the weekend with ease!
The Afterparties
Not only did this festival boast days worth of incredible shows, but the after parties were lit -- most of them going until 4 in the morning!
The best part? They were all in one place, so if you wanted to buy multiple passes you could jump between three venues in Underground Atlanta: Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory.
Personally, I attended Snails in Hell on Friday night and Mija in Purgatory on Saturday. Two very different styles of spinning brought out two very different crowds, but it was a party no matter what afterparty you hit up!
ATL, HOE!
Sorry for the language, but if you've ever been to an Atlanta show, you know how fun it is to shout out, "ATL, hoe!" as your favorite set takes a turn for the turnt up. During Shaky Beats, any and every moment was an opportunity to shout out the popular phrase to celebrate the beloved musical city!
The artists enjoy playing in Atlanta, too... Which means they spoiled us by dropping special ATL anthems, unreleased music, and unmatchable energy. GRiZ even cooked up some "ATL HOE" graphics for the special occasion!
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We could rave on about Shaky Beats, but don't take our word for it -- Make this a destination festival!