The folk outfit had an intimate night with fans soundtracked to deep cuts from their legendary catalog Bright Eyes at Variety Playhouse in Atlanta (Photo by Mikey Smith) When Bright Eyes announced they would be touring with Lullaby for the Working Class—the group that built the connections and laid the groundwork for their sound and style today—in some of America’s most intimate venues, I was excited to say the least. I’d seen them play The Tabernacle in Atlanta in 2025, and

Touring alongside The Shins and Silversun Pickups, the group's latest tour is made for all generations of Weezer fans Weezer at State Farm Arena in Atlanta (Photo by Mikey Smith) ATL just got Weezered! Last Saturday, the alternative rock crew packed out State Farm Arena as part of The Gathering Tour, and as a first-time attendee of one of their shows, I felt the love in this career retrospective dedicated to the fans. Nikki Monninger of Silversun Pickups (Photo by Mikey Smith

The not-so solo project of Jack Antonoff brilliantly combines synthpop and Springsteen at Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta Bleachers in Atlanta at Coca-Cola Roxy (Photo by Mikey Smith) There comes a time in every young person’s life in which they break free from the musical course set before them and venture into sonic worlds beyond the family minivan’s radio. It is a pivotal, often life-altering moment, representative of newly-found footing and a sprouting sense of self. Bleachers

The hyper-experimental artist reaches a next-level connection with The Eastern's sold-out crowd Jane Remover's sold-out ATL show at The Eastern (Photo by Mikey Smith) Since discovering Jane Remover’s debut projects (Frailty, Teen Week, Census Designated, Dariacore, etc.) around 2023, I immediately was blown away by how much talent was placed on display promising such great potential. Following in the footsteps of breaking hyperpop boundaries from DeadAir labelmates such as Km

The iconic queer band remains as honest as ever while still being a blast to see live MUNA at The Eastern in Atlanta (Photo by Mikey Smith) Prior to seeing MUNA live, I was notified via the band’s Instagram that their Atlanta tour stop would be quite a bit different than their usual fare. Naomi McPherson, one of the leading faces of the pop/rock trio, would not be present due to personal matters involving the loss of their mother. Fans and fellow band members shared their con

The group's Shaky Knees late-night set was a crazy, high-speed gift for ATL fans Knocked Loose's intimate, sold-out ATL show at The Masquerade (Heaven) (Photo by Mikey Smith) “It’s 1 o’clock in the f—king morning,” yells Bryan Garris, lead singer of Louisville’s Knocked Loose, in a sold-out, sweat-dripping room at The Masquerade’s Heaven stage. Lining up all the way to the back of the venue’s parking garage, the half mud-covered, half storm-soaked crowd cheers as the group ri

From legacy favorites to future headliners, the ASA staff reveals who they're most excited for at this year's edition of the city's favorite festival ASA reveals who they're most excited for at Shaky Knees 2026 (Photo Credit: Ismael Quintanilla III) It’s official: we’re one week out from Shaky Knees! Atlanta’s favorite rock fest is right around the corner, and fans are counting down the hours until Piedmont Park opens its stages and gates. This year’s lineup is stacked, to sa

The emo rock legends carry on the legacy of the band's catalog at their largest U.S. show to date My Chemical Romance continues their stadium status in Nashville (Photo Credit: Bryce Hall) In the scorching Nashville summer heat, thousands of fans from across the country migrated to Nissan Stadium for the 00’s rock event of the decade: My Chemical Romance’s performed their largest U.S. show to date to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their legendary concept album, The Black P

Today's queen of alt-pop turns ATL's legendary theatre into "A Summer in the Forest" Not For Radio performing live at The Fox Theatre (Photo by Mikey Smith) Last year, I was able to catch The Marías’ evening set at Shaky Knees as they closed the festival’s Piedmont stage on opening night. Sitting on a hillside eating a basket of tenders and fries, I found myself entranced with the group’s sound, stage design, and near-perfect recreation of their records in a live environment.

Kevin Parker and co. put on the best "arena rock" show in years (and it's not even really "arena rock") Tame Impala performing at State Farm Arena (Photo by Mikey Smith) “Arena rock” is a dying art form. While I believe that rock music as a whole is far from over, the spaces it thrives in today tend to be more intimate room focused on fan interaction or high-energy chaos. Even when a “rock” group does reach arena status, it can often feel artificial (unless it exists in the “

The modern-rock legend's music is intensified through the incredible Atlanta Symphony Orchestra St. Vincent performing with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (Photo by Mikey Smith) St. Vincent has been a fixture and force in modern rock for almost two decades now. The musician, whose real name is Annie Clark, was raised primarily in Dallas, Texas and later attended Berklee College of Music before dropping out to pursue music full-time, like many before her. Clark played with The

The comedic singer/songwriter continues to take his performances to the next level in Alpharetta "Weird Al" Yankovic performing at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre in Alpharetta (Photo by Mikey Smith) It’s been over a decade since I first saw “Weird Al” Yankovic in concert. Sitting down in Jacksonville’s Florida Theatre for the opening leg of The Mandatory World Tour, I was stunned by Yankovic’s high-energy, constantly-entertaining, absurdist masterpiece of a live show. It was unlike

The free festival celebrates its 49th year in between the raindrops at Piedmont Park Black Thought of The Roots (left), Esperanza Spalding (center), and Kamasi Washington (right) at the 49th Atlanta Jazz Festival (Photo by Mikey Smith) As we inch closer towards the second half of the year, Atlanta begins its extremely active festival season. Piedmont Park has recently become the home for our rock-oriented fest Shaky Knees, the rap, R&B, and soul-based OneMusicFest, and the no

The influential indie artist captivated ATL fans from start to finish Mac DeMarco performing at The Eastern in ATL (Photo by Mikey Smith) Fans from all over Atlanta packed into The Eastern last week for a sold-out show with one of music’s most beloved voices and creatives: Mac DeMarco. What they got was a stripped down but wildly entertaining set complete with his signature instrumentals, charmingly strange personality, and a dash of energy in just the right places. Mac DeMar

The pop singer/producer goes stateside for a well-deserved victory lap PinkPantheress in Atlanta at Coca-Cola Roxy (Photo by Fabian Fernandez) The modern pop world is a difficult game to win. With the rise of viral TikTok cravings and style-over-substance brands that plague the industry, it’s hard to find artistry that feels authentic (and when it does, these artists are often criticized for “trying too hard.”) For years, Victoria “Vicky” Walker, professionally known as PinkP

The pop-rap superstar spins tracks from BEFORE I FORGET on his latest tour The Kid LAROI performing live in Atlanta (Photo by Mikey Smith) Stopping through Atlanta on his A Perfect World Tour, The Kid LAROI had Coca-Cola Roxy singing through his catchy yet honest pop-rap catalog for the whole night. With immersive stage-production and camera-work, fans were able to step into LAROI’s world and feel his latest release on a deeper level. The Kid LAROI at Coca-Cola Roxy (Photo by

The alternative R&B artist invites a sold-out ATL crowd to his apartment Jordan Ward at The Loft @ Center Stage (Photo by Mikey Smith) This month, Jordan Ward hit The Loft @ Center Stage in ATL for a sold-out tour stop on his Apartment Tour. With a performance that radiated hangout vibes from the mix of live instrumental jams and DJ tracks, Ward’s journey into his 2026 record, BACKWARD , fed fans with a laid-back night of music. Here are 3 takeaways from my time at The Lof

Dev Hynes' beloved musical project proves itself to stand the test of time for a stellar live show Dev Hynes of Blood Orange performing in Atlanta (Photo by Mikey Smith) On the last night of his North American tour for 2025’s Essex Honey , Dev Hynes performed a sold-out show as Blood Orange at one of Atlanta’s most beloved venues, The Tabernacle . Through incredible visuals, dynamic vocals, and strong performances, this live show resonated as deeply as Hynes and co.’s lyrics

The innovating electronic act reach career highs at their show in Atlanta Machine Girl performing in ATL (Photo by Mikey Smith) I was not prepared for what digi-hardcore legends Machine Girl had up their sleeve for their show this past weekend at The Eastern. A true mashup of the two parts of the genre, the band fully embraced the hardcore part of their digital world. This concert was delivered in all-caps and whether a longtime or casual fan, you felt everything that was bro

CAOS comes to Atlanta in full swing with Miguel's opening night of his 2026 tour Miguel in Atlanta for the opening night of his CAOS Tour (Photo by Mikey Smith) At long last, R&B superstar Miguel made his return to Atlanta last Tuesday at Coca-Cola Roxy with a sold-out show, opening his CAOS Tour with a bang. Maximalist production and thrashing guitar riffs mix perfectly with the singer’s timeless voice for a night that fans won’t forget. Jean Dawson's custom microphone stand