THE LEGENDARY SHACK *SHAKERS: SOUTHERN BY THE GRACE OF GOTH!
The Legendary Shack Shakers' hell-for-leather roadshow has earned quite a name for itself with its unique brand of Southern Gothic that is all-at-once irreverent, revisionist, dangerous, and fun. Led by their wildly charismatic, rail-thin frontman/blues-harpist, J.D. Wilkes, the Shack Shakers are a four-man wrecking crew from the South whose explosive interpretations of the blues, punk, rock and country have made fans, critics and legions of potential converts into true believers. With the recent addition of former Jesus Lizard guitarist Duane Denison (Hank III/Tomahawk) and drumming wunderkind, Brett Whitacre, the Legendary Shack Shakers have quickly become known for providing some of the best entertainment (live or otherwise) that you can get for your hard earned money.
As a budding filmmaker, "Colonel" J.D. has recently made his directorial debut with the indie documentary "Seven Signs." The film depicts a struggling Appalachian and Delta culture that survives to this day, despite heavy modernization. The film has won both critical acclaim and even the "Best Featurette" trophy at Philadelphia's Backseat Film Festival, before moving on to Cannes.
Described as "...the last great Rock and Roll frontman" by Jello Biafra (of the Dead Kennedys), Shack Shakers front man J.D. Wilkes began yelpin the blues through a ham radio microphone at his boyhood home of Paducah, Kentucky...a short farmer's blow away from where his future bassist Mark Robertson was cutting his teeth on punk rock and gospel in Nashville, Tennessee. When their paths crossed a few years later in the lawless honky tonks of Music City's Lower Broadway scene, they found their individuated styles and common interests meshed. That's when the like-minded, red-headed musical misfits began their crusade.
For the uninitiated, the band's debauched live show is the necessary counterpart to their hard-hitting recordings. Hillbilly royalty, Hank Williams III once said after touring with them that it was "like having SLAYER open up for you every night," and called J.D. Wilkes and his crew, "the best damn front man and band in America." On stage, J.D. Wilkes is like a mad southern preacher with a bible in one hand and a glass of strychnine in the other. Meshing Pentecostal themes with pained lyrics and show-stopping moves that draw comparisons to Tom Waits and the grotesque facial and bodily contortions of Iggy Pop, the band has developed a live show like none other.
Having toured both the U.S and Europe relentlessly for the past two years, the word of mouth on the live Shack Shakers experience is so strong that it reached the likes of Robert Plant, who made it a priority to see them at the 2005 SXSW Music Festival in Austin, TX. One performance was all it took for Plant to join the converted. After seeing the band's show at SXSW, Plant invited the Shack*Shakers to support him on his recent European tour, which kicked off in Paris, France on November 9th. "It's F***ing Great," said Robert Plant on the Legendary Shack Shakers.
"We try to tap into basic primal instincts," said Wilkes. "Rock 'n' roll is a cathartic release. Anything that doesn't realize that bestial nature isn't rock 'n' roll."
The band is also well known for "The CB Song", a.k.a: the soundbed for the long-running "Sunglasses" Geico commercial, featuring the famous gecko spokeslizard. The song was even listed by author Stephen King as one of his top five favorite tunes in a 2008 article in Entertainment Weekly.
In addition to his musical accolades, J.D. Wilkes has also been recognized as an accomplished illustrator and painter whose works further the band's mission of celebrating and honoring the tradition of the American south. Alarm Magazine recently described him as the "Ambassador of Genuine Traditional Southern Culture" and compared his unique storytelling abilities to that of other Southern voices such as William Faulkner, Johnny Cash and Muddy Waters.
This just in: Order your DVD copy of JD's southern, musical documentary "Seven Signs" today!
A great show at RIBCO tonight. I only got to see 2 1/2 songs before I had to head to work, but it was well worth it. Once again you in fact legendarily shook that shack and it is as always appreciated.
Host Tony Misfit takes you to the Juke Joint in Anaheim, CA for a night out with The Rocketz, as they celebrate the release of their second album with friends Gambler's Mark, Inazuma, & The Faraway boys.
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