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Articles by John Flannagan
Shaky Knees deep cuts
The best undercard bets at the 2026 edition of the Atlanta festival Shaky Knees 2025 • Photo by Bill Foster Alice Phoebe Lou (7:30 p.m. Friday, Criminal Records) I’m not always an indie-folk easy mark, but a friend sent me Lou’s “Witches” earlier this year, and the spell took fast. The South African singer-songwriter has six studio albums to her name, each weaving together rock, jazz and folk with sharp production.
After a decade away, Bonnaroo still feels like home
Back on The Farm after 10 years, finding a festival changed by time but still powered by the same openhearted spirit. By John Flannagan and Rusty Odom Photos by Bill Foster Ten years is a long time to be away from a friend. The friend in this case is Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival.
BLANK’s picks to click at Shaky Knees 2025
Scouring the undercard for the best bets at this year’s rock festival in Atlanta It seems like forever since we (Bill Foster, Rusty Odom, Matt Rankin and I) roamed the hallowed grounds of Shaky Knees Music Festival, now in its 12th year. Change is inevitable, and such is the case with one of our favorite events, as 2025 has seen it switch up both the time of year (Sept.
Down on the farm (Second series) - Knoxville Smokies slide to 4-7 as they drop second series at Covenant Health Park
Smokies fall to third place in the Southern League after second series loss in a row The Smokies returned home last weekend after a tough road series against the Pensacola Wahoos where they lost four of six contests. Standout starter Grant Kipp won the first game for Knoxville, but dropped the fifth game, going 1-1 in the series. The Smokies faced strong pitching throughout that series against the Miami Marlin farm hands.
Who’s on first? - John Flannagan’s players to watch in inaugural Knoxville Smokies season
Top-heavy Cubs farm system leaves team in rebuild mode as it enters first season back in Scruffy City The Chicago Cubs farm system shot up the ranks last year, from near the bottom in 2022 to becoming a top-10 system in the major leagues in 2024.
Soaked in nostalgia, inaugural South Star Festival shines despite also being drenched by rain
Helene’s remnants leave mark on grounds, cause cancellation of second day As cleanup continues across large portions of the Southeast that were battered by Helene, it is remarkable to consider the impact the storm system had on areas even hundreds of miles away from the core devastation.
Josh Heupel excited by Tennessee’s new way of winning
By John Flannagan and Rusty Odom The glimmer in Tennessee head football coach Josh Heupel’s eye after the Texas A&M was evident. He could hardly keep himself from cussing on national TV as he basked in the first victory of his career when his team scored less than 30 points. Winning a defensive battle was possible and he was excited. This season has been a drastic step back on the offensive side of the ball. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
SPS from NWS RLX
National Weather Service Raw Text Product Displaying AFOS PIL: SPSRLX Received: 2023-07-03 03:39 UTC Previous in Time Latest Product Next in Time View All KRLX Products for 03 Jul 2023 View All SPS Products for 03 Jul 2023 View As Image Download As Text Bulk Download PIL: Start UTC Date @0z: 148 WWUS81 KRLX 030339 SPSRLX Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Charleston WV 1139 PM EDT Sun Jul 2 2023 VAZ003-004-WVZ025-026-033-034-515-516-030415- Dickenson VA-Buchanan VA-Wyoming...
“Feel like a brand new person” - Shaky Knees day three recap
FOALS • All photos by Rusty Odom Illiterate Light, The Nude Party, Slothrust, Foals, Maggie Rogers and Tame Impala cap off a remarkable end to Shaky Knees There’s no rest for the weary, especially when the first band of the final day, Illiterate Light, became our most anticipated early act of the weekend during our pre-festival research.
Bill Burr Presents: Jessica Kirson poised to be Comedy Central’s next special from All Things Comedy
It seems Jessica Kirson is (finally) getting a one-hour Comedy Central special. Bill Burr and his All Things Comedy banner appears to be producing the special, which tapes in New York City next month. Kirson is a comedy powerhouse long overdue for her own hour special. In recent years, her star power has picked up appearances on HBO’s Crashing, CBS’s Kevin Can Wait, and a role in the 2016 Robert De Niro film The Comedian.
Pitchfork Music Festival 2018
First day of annual Chicago event ruled by Australian might Article and photos by John Flannagan Getting the opportunity to cover such an important festival like Pitchfork is one upon which you pounce – even if it is for just one day of the three-day event. Although, size-wise, it is a smaller festival, it packs a huge reputation for boasting both up-and-coming acts and unique throwback performers.
Previewing FloydFest 2018
Rural Virginia festival asserts dominance through family-friendly atmosphere, blending of old, new-school performers By John Flannagan If you love family-friendly events that take place in the great outdoors amid thousands of like-minded, free-spirited individuals, then FloydFest, held in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains surrounding Floyd, Virginia, is where you need to be July 25-29.
Previewing Pitchfork Music Festival 2018
Chicago publisher stays ahead of curve for lucky 13th installment in Union Park By John Flannagan Pitchfork has been the gold standard for long-form music reviews and news about all things indie since before the turn of the millennium. Since that time, its online platform has revolutionized music journalism, kept the medium fresh and important, led to the quarterly publication of a high-quality magazine and spawned successful festivals both domestically and in Europe.
Steady as she goes • A look back at opening day of Shaky Knees 2018
By John Flannagan, Rusty Odom and C.W. Smith Shaky Knees has solidified its place in the festival canon by doing one thing and doing it very well. Since its inception, the festival has been straightforward and unapologetic: It’s a rock festival, plain and simple. The creative team behind the event has had to fight through various venue changes in order to keep it alive, and their resiliency seems to have paid off. The return to Central Park this year thus far has been a home run.
Previewing the undercard for Shaky Knees 2018
Boasting stellar lineup, Atlanta festival reaches elite status by sticking to indie roots When Shaky Knees founder Tim Sweetwood dropped his 2018 rock-heavy lineup in January, many in music circles crowned the fest as the year’s best. It seems as if the larger festivals with their indistinguishable lineups have lost a little of their luster, while regional festivals such as Shaky Knees, Governors Ball and Riot Fest are becoming more and more popular.
The Time Has Come: A Day One Recap of Shaky Knees 2017
Rainbow Kitten Surprise – Day one started off with a bang, as Rainbow Kitten Surprise were the first act we caught during the fifth installment of the Shaky Knees Music Festival. Hailing from just over the mountain in Boone, North Carolina, the five piece sounded very tight, hitting their stride towards the end of their early afternoon set. The listener-friendly rock drew in the crowd and made for an excellent start to the afternoon.
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