January 10th, the lineup was dropped for Shaky Beats Festival 2018. This will be the festival’s third visit to downtown Atlanta and, just like fine wine, it only gets better with age. On May 11-13, expect to have your hearts lifted, your face melted, and your trap thirst satiated. With over 50 artists, there’s something for everyone at Shaky Beats ranging from EDM to hip-hop to indie rock, and with 4 stages across 3 days you’ll feel like a kid in a candy store. So who should you keep an eye out for at Shaky Beats 2018?
3 words, 2 guys, and fresh off of their Last to Leave tour: Louis the Child. Why? These guys are B2B legends. Need I mention their Holy Ship! 2017 set? When they went back to back with Big Gigantic, Slander, Ghastly, Jai Wolf, and Manila Killa! It still gives me chills. This year pictures are already surfacing of their Holy Ship! 2018 set involving LTC, A-Trak, Josh Pan, and Hotel Garuda. Louis Futon joined them on their recent tour and they have previously produced with Whethan. This may be an indication of a Shaky Beats B2B in the works. They’ve come a long way from 2 kids in Chicago that got their break by winning a contest to play at Spring Awakening. They are a can’t miss duo and their set will definitely be talked about.
Up next? Kygo! 2017 was a busy year for our favorite piano playing Norwegian. He treated us with his release of It Aint Me with Selena Gomez, his first EP, Stargazing, and his second studio album, Kids in Love all in the same year! There is no doubt that he’ll have plenty of material to blow us away with. But wait, it gets better. Over the last 4 years, Kygo has only played in the States an average of 10-15 times a year (including his Vegas residencies). He likes to play hard to get, so make sure you don’t miss him! And just in case that didn’t hook you? If you have seen him before, you know he loves to bring his vocalists along, especially Conrad Sewell and Parson James. I can’t wait to see what he throws down this summer!
Who can we expect to steal the show this year? The tyrannosaurus himself, Excision! Last year he decided to make his mark on the summer festival loop with his own prehistoric themed festival, Lost Lands. Lost Lands consisted of a line up of the heaviest dubstep DJs around and succeeded in leaving 25,000 attendees with huge smiles and sore necks. Having been a significant leader of the industry for over 7 years, there is no doubt Excision will rattle our minds and bodies with premium bass. This year, prepare for higher production value, a brand new set, and a glimpse into what he has been working on since The Virus dropped in 2016.
Atlanta will never lose its roots as the home of hip hop, so be sure to celebrate A-town style with Ludacris, Playboi Carti, Troyboi, and London On Da Track. But don’t worry, if you want to take it easy you have K?d, The Him, Bonnie x Clyde, and San Holo to rejuvenate your soul. Be sure to stay up to date with our favorite Snapchat celebrities, Dillon Francis and Phantoms (my homeboys on the right)! They’re sure to keep the hype up all the way till May with their crazy skits and I’m sure they will have plenty of hilarious things to say all throughout the weekend!
There are so many incredible artists and not enough time for me to gush about all of them. Keep an eye out for new album drops (cough- Kayzo -cough) and dust off your kandi! I can’t wait to see your beautiful faces in Atlanta!
Julia G – 21 Jan 2018