Trying to put a neat label on what genre the Legendary Shack Shakers play is akin to trying to put a sweater on an octopus.
You could start with rockabilly, but that doesn’t nearly cover it all. You could mash it all up and say: hillbillygypsyswampcarneysoutherntwangabilly. Yeah, that’s a good start. Monday, September 15th at the Black Cat in DC, the pandelerium that is the Shack Shakers returns, and it’s up to the audience to determine whether you’ve just been saved or dragged straight to hell.
If you ask anyone who knows about the Shack Shakers, you will most certainly hear about their absolutely untamed live shows. When asked about their unbridled energy, frontman J.D. Wilkes has laid it out pretty clear. “We try to tap into basic primal instincts. Rock ‘n’ roll is a cathartic release. Anything that doesn’t realize that bestial nature isn’t rock ‘n’ roll.”
Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra has called Wilkes “…the last great rock and roll frontman.” The band has received accolades from luminaries such as Robert Plant, Hank Williams III, and Stephen King.
The band has been on hiatus since 2012, allowing Wilkes to focus on the Dirt Daubers, a rock/country blues band with his wife, Jessica. Not one to sit still for very long, Wilkes had this to say about splitting time between the bands: “The Dirt Daubers will always be the band that my wife and I are in. Therefore we will continue playing from here on out, alternating tours with the Legendary Shack Shakers, my book signings, painting gigs, filmmaking stints and solo banjo appearances. All of these express different facets of who I am.”
The Shack Shakers recently blew the doors off of the barn, put a hold on their hiatus, and gave a full-on revival to the fans at the Muddy Roots Music Festival in Cookeville, TN. The Muddy Roots gig was just the beginning as the Shack Shakers have embarked on a two-month tour of the states to celebrate their return.
Tickets for Monday’s show at the Black Cat can be purchased here.
