Th' Legendary Shack*Shakers

Part Pentecostal tent revival, part theater of the absurd, part circus sideshow– Nashville's Legendary Shack*Shakers are a greasy, southern-fried combo of gonzo blues, punk, gospel, and rockabilly, led by stone-cold wild man Colonel J.D. Wilkes. One of the most animated performers you'll ever see, Wilkes could be speaking in tongues when he sings, so possessed is he by the rock-and-roll spirit. The quartet's still touring behind last year's killer Swampblood- in fact, they're always touring, and the last time I talked to Wilkes, he told me, "It's the real man's way of doing things- this is a hardworkin' outfit. But you know, we stay in our own motel rooms nowadays, so you can at least get some privacy at the end of the night, and you can go take a bath and soak your balls and do whatever you need to do to unwind. Long as I get to soak my balls every night, I can do the show a million times."
Thu., July 3, 8 p.m., 2008