Inhaler Bring All the Energy to Shaky Knees 2025

Inhaler crossed the Atlantic to open Friday at Shaky Knees with a set that quickly spread through the Georgia field like ivy. Their sound crept from person to person, latching on and holding tight, until the whole crowd was swaying under its pull. Their visuals matched that slow-rolling takeover: red and black overlays twisting into purple, band portraits morphing and blending into psychedelic shapes at the edge of the screens.

They pulled from across their catalog, from 2021’s It Won’t Always Be Like This to their new album Open Wide, each member had a chance to shine. Ryan McMahon’s drumming was incendiary, one of the strongest drummers in rock right now. He pushed each song forward with a beat you could feel in your bones.

Elijah Hewson (Bono’s son) proved again that he’s more than a famous last name. He has a frontman’s instinct for movement and momentum. The band didn’t speak much between songs, but Elijah still had the crowd responding to every cue, lifting his arms like a gladiator and drawing roars of support as he darted from one side of the stage to the other.

By the time they closed with “My Honest Face,” the field erupted, cheering them off as if it were a headliner slot. No sooner had they left the stage than I, and half the crowd bolted across the grounds to catch Sublime.

Review by David Saxum; Photos by: Stephanie Heath & Shaky Knees

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