On the way to Louisville for the sixth annual Lebowski Fest, I wasn't sure what to expect. But being as The Big Lebowski is one of my favorite movies of all time, I decided to it was time to check out the scene.

From humble beginnings as a fan fest, The Lebowski Fest has evolved to the point where it's as big as most trekkie/Star Wars conventions. For the past couple years, in addition to the annual Louisville event, Lebowski Fests have popped up in LA, NYC and this year, London. When we arrived at the Executive Strike and Spare bowling alley on the southside of Louisville the Afternoon Garden Party was in full swing, with games like Coffee Mug chuck and the bag of underwear throw, merch and a shitload of Jeffrey Lebowskis and Walters milling around as a horrible chick tried her best to channel Neko Case doing Wilco songs.



But then a funny thing happened I got my self introduced to probably one the most entertaining, dangerous and deranged bands I've had the pleasure to see in the past decade. The Legendary Shack Shakers just came on and promptly melted everyone's faces with a fiery set of Irish, punk-rock hillbilly music. The Guitarist, Bill Lee was a sight to behold, all tattoos and sweat in your face as he blazed his nice old gretsch guitar.



The real star of the show was The lead singer, the Col. J.D. Wilkes who looks like the product of an unholy union of Thom Yorke, Johnny Lydon and the Inbred banjo player from Deliverance. However he proved himself to be one of the most electric performers I've ever seen, His vocals were of the Jello Biafra punk school, and his harmonica playing was born straight from a black delta swamp. Where as most frontmen who also play the harp do little more the honk on it from time to time, Wilkes made the harp as much a lead instrument as the guitar.



A Nadir was reached when during a song called "Blood on the Bluegrass" he was bleeding from bashing his head with the microphone and was astride an audience member stimulating getting oral sex, playing the harp perfectly and screaming the lyrics almost stimutaneously. An astonishing performance.

Once the party moved inside the bowling alley, things took on a more surreal bent. Almost every major and minor character from the movie was represented. One guy came as a giant globe with a sledgehammer and axe contraption and called himself "A World of Pain." We ran into Tom and Brad from the Alley Cat who made for a picture perfect Dude and Walter. Tom, a local Bass playing legend in his own right, has been to 7 Lebowski fests and last year won as the Best Costume as the Dude. and indeed he does look just like The Dude. He is set to travel to London next month to catch a Stones show and of course attend the Lebowski Fest.



Good, good stuff a trip well worth it for the Legendary Shack Shakers alone.
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