Show Review: Lebowski Fest LA 2010

James Hoosier, who plays Liam O'Brien Re-Creates the approach to his "Belly Shake" at the Screening Party at The Wiltern Theater in LA

Shortly after winning his Best Actor award at this year’s Academy Awards for his performance in Crazy Heart, Jeff Bridges was asked this question by the press:

“As we’ve seen tonight, for a lot of your career you’ve been defined by one movie: The Big Lebowski. Will this put that to rest, and how have you felt about that for the last two years or so?”

“No, I’m diggin’ The Dude. I love him!” proclaimed Bridges with a huge smile and a laugh. “It’s wonderful the success that it had. I was a little disappointed when it first came out and didn’t do much, you know? But now we got Lebowski Fest and all kinds of things.”

The Big Lebowski was released in 1998 as a follow up to Joel and Ethan Coen’s largely successful, award-winning film Fargo. The movie tells the story of Jeffrey Lebowski (AKA, “The Dude”), a laid-back unemployed stoner who enjoys a simple life of white russians and bowling. He takes life very easy: no stress at all, almost Zen-like. One day, he returns to his bachelor pad to find two thugs out to collect a cash payment owed to a loan shark and pornographer Jackie Treehorn. They mistake “The Dude” for another Jeffrey Lebowski, who happens to be a millionaire with a trophy porn-star wife. In the middle of explaining his innocence, Woo (one of the thugs) urinates on The Dude’s rug (it really tied the room together). The movie plays out with The Dude (along with his Vietnam vet bowling partner and best friend Walter Sobchak, played by John Goodman) getting involved in a very complicated situation involving a kidnapping, a severed toe, and a marmot among other things.

As mentioned above by Bridges, the movie didn’t do so well in the theaters, but it has become a huge cult favorite since being released to VHS and DVD.
This brings us to the not-so-distant past.

Lebowski Fest: what started in a small Baptist church bowling alley in Louisville, Kentucky back in 2002 has grown exponentially into a behemoth of a celebration of all things Lebowski. Founded by Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt, the fest has reached both coasts of the United States and points in between, drawing in thousands of Achievers (the self-applied title given to fans of the movie) over the years. It has even hopped across the pond, spawning the first-ever Lebowski Fest UK event in 2007.

The idea for the fest came when Will and Scott were vendors at a tattoo exposition in Louisville. Being bored out of their minds (attempting to sell t-shirts for Scott’s business), they started reciting lines from The Big Lebowski. Others around them started to chime in with their own favorite pieces of dialogue, the idea was born, and the rest is history.

This year’s event here in The Dude’s hometown of Los Angeles, California would be the fifth time for the Lebowski Fest crew. The first of two days of events took place at The Wiltern Theater in LA with a movie screening and performance by Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute band Paddy and the Poor Boys. When arriving at the Wiltern, the line to get in stretched about halfway around a city block. There were a lot of people, although not too many in costumes. Once inside, the bartenders were busy making white russians and film crews and photographers scurried about taking pictures of those who came in costume.

The evening kicked off with Will and Scott onstage welcoming everyone and bringing out the first of many special guests of the evening. Robin Jones, (Ralph’s checkout girl) and Andrea Nunn (Julianne Moore’s body double) joined Will and Scott on stage to talk about the filming of the movie. Peter Exline, whose real life experiences with a rug and stolen car inspired some of the Coen brothers’ plot line for the movie, also came onstage to share stories with the crowd. Joining Peter was Jeff Dowd.

Jeff is essentially the real life Dude and inspiration for the Cohen brother’s character portrayed by Bridges. Dowd can always be found at both nights of the LA Lebowski Fest with a large Caucasian (white russian) in hand, mingling with the crowd and rambling on about, well…anything while onstage with a mic in his hand. Dowd is definitely the life of the Lebowski Fest.

At this point, Paddy and the Poor Boys took to the stage. According to comments made by the band during their performance, they are not normally a cover band and apparently go under a different stage name, but on this particular evening they would be a CCR cover band. Hailing from Berkeley, California (interestingly also the same part of the Bay Area where CCR got their start), the four piece band covered some of CCR’s timeless and Lebowski-inspired tunes like “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” and “Run Through The Jungle.” Instrumentally, these guys are pretty spot-on, but the lead vocalist was quite off-kilter and really didn’t reproduce the vocal styling of John Fogerty, something that’s a tough feat in the first place.

At one point during the set, both Jeff Dowd and Andrea Nunn took the stage to sing backup for the band. Most of the crowd sat in their chairs and watched and listened. Some patrons made their way to the lobby of the theater, where there was a meet-and-greet with some of the stars of the film taking place during the show.

After about an hour of waiting (due to the very long line of fans wanting to get pictures and autographs with the stars of the movie), Will and Scott retained their position on stage to bring out the next round of special guests. They introduced Jim Hoosier (Liam, Jesus’s bowling partner) who performed his signature “belly shake” celebration move for the crowd. Hoosier has been a consistent attendee to the nationwide Lebowski Fest, always humble and beyond appreciative to the support and kindness of the fans.

Jack Kehler (Marty the Landlord) was next up onstage, talking about how he created his “cycle” dance and went on to recreate it for the crowd. It was one of the most crowd-pleasing parts of the night.

Lastly, Peter Stormare (Uli the nihilist/Karl Hungus) strolled on stage. Stormare was also in Fargo and has been seen in many commercials and other feature films. Stormare talked about how he’s recognized by people worldwide as being in The Big Lebowski and how grateful he was to the fans for all the kind words and support.

Then, without any further delay or interruption, it was time for the big screen showing of the movie. The experience of watching The Big Lebowski with a group of extreme Achievers is pretty amusing. Imagine a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show where intoxicated viewers hurl the F-word rather than pieces of toast or toilet paper. The only complaint I had about the screening was that someone cranked up the volume beyond eleven. I mean, it was seriously too loud. Night one was in the books. The next night would be the bowling party at Cal Bowl in Lakewood.

After a little pre-bowling party get-together at my apartment, we caravaned to Cal Bowl for a night of more costumes, more white russians, and unlimited bowling. Once inside, we got a lane and started to bowl it up with fellow Achievers. Bowling is not essential when it comes to getting the Lebowski Fest experience. I find myself having a better time walking around with a white russian in one hand and my camera in the other, taking pictures of people in costume and talking about the movie.

I have to admit, though, that I was a little bit disappointed in the creativity of this year’s costumes. I ran into a guy who attended last year as a carton of half and half (very true to scale) and he too was disappointed in the lack of creative costumes. The costumes that were displayed, however, were excellent: plenty of Dudes, Walters, and Jesuses were represented, as well as a whole slew of Maudes (including a group of male and female Maudes who made up “The Maude Squad”). There were a few Jackie Treehorns and two entries as The Dude’s car (one was awarded “best costume”).

There were also a few nihilists dressed up in the full red jump suit featured in The Dude’s dream sequence. One couple (with whom I bowled last year; they were the Knutsens, Bunny Lebowski’s parents) came as “dead beets” in reference to what Treehorn’s thugs call The Dude. For the first time that I can remember, someone came dressed as Donny (Steve Buscemi’s character, and Walter and The Dude’s bowling partner and friend).

The bowling party also brought out a few stars from the movie. Jim Hoosier and Mike Gomez (the Auto Circus Cop) made it out, as well as Jeff Dowd who did his share of mingling with the crowd.

In all, the 2010 LA Lebowski Fest was a good time for all who attended. Sure, it’s a bit nerdy obsessing over a movie made 12 years ago — but hey, we’re talking about one of the funniest movies ever made! The movie is almost universal in appeal — find yourself reciting lines from The Big Lebowski at any social gathering and you are bound to have someone come up to you and start a conversation. It is truly a film that brings people together. There’s no doubt in my mind that Lebowski Fest will continue to grow as word of mouth spreads. The love people have for this film is deep and it brings people together in droves nationwide.

Don’t be an amateur…grab a white russian, a DVD copy of The Big Lebowski, and enjoy life as The Dude would.


Lebowski Fest will be in Orlando, Florida on May 21st and 22nd; Louisville, Kentucky on July 16th and 17th; Chicago, Illinois on September 17th and 18th; Seattle, Washington on October 15th and 16th; and New York City on November 4th. Find more information at www.lebowskifest.com

UNIVOX – S/T

A little bit of Iggy Pop influenced vocals, some driving garage rock beats, and some prevalent four-part harmonies make up the main ingredients for the debut album from Univox. This four-piece band from Philadelphia gives the listener a sound so intermixed in various musical styles it’s hard to categorize their tone.

The album opens up with the extremely catchy garage rock tune “Pi” and moves on to the driving indie acoustic guitar ditty “Everybody Knows.” The move between electric and acoustic is a constant theme through this album. All though the album, each member contributes a piece of the vocal harmonies that at times echo a doo-wop vibe, especially during the 10^th track “Conan.” Another interesting vocal contribution occurs during the a cappella dirge, “All This Blood Came From My Heart.” I don’t know whether to take the song seriously due to subject matter and the odd and silly sounding intonations. It almost sounds like something created by Monty Python.

The last two songs on the album, “Mind Traveler’s Song” and “Nobody’s That Smart,” return back to that rockin’ vibe that started the album with “Pi.” Technically speaking, the mixing and production quality is well executed. Everything is mixed to accompany each other rather than over powering another. This album has some really upbeat tracks that will get the foot a-tappin’, along with some somber and low-key acoustic pieces that add some emotion to the mix. An interesting album full of ups and downs.

(ROIR, PO Box 150-460, Van Brunt Station, Brooklyn, NY 11215)

V.I.T.A.L. EMCEE – Versus – Verses

I became familiar with Noel Vinson’s (AKA V.I.T.A.L. Emcee) work while checking out the Southern California hip-hop group Seekret Socyetee. The group, which also features Matt Embree of RX Bandits (founder of MDB Records) and Maylay Sage was one of the first hip-hop acts to be featured on MDB’s roster of artists.

V.I.T.A.L. released his debut album, The Secret of the Invisible Man in 2006. Its dark sound and socially conscious subject matter were clearly a continuation of what was started with Seekret Socyetee’s material. Leading up to present day, things in Camp V.I.T.A.L. had been fairly quiet until the release of his sophomore album Versus – Verses. This 16-track album comes off as a total departure from V.I.T.A.L.’s last release. The subject matter isn’t as political or dark, but rather comes off hitting on a much more personal note.

There are a few political tracks that are featured here. “I Don’t Want To Be Right” revolves around the argument here in California around Proposition 8 to legalize gay marriage; the “right” being the evangelical conservatives who are against gay marriage. Lyrically, the song has a scathing message to those who claim to be speaking a message of “love,” yet come off looking very hypocritical. “Against the World” is a beautifully sung song that deals with the high and low points of being in a relationship, clearly touching on some personal experiences. The song features Lauren Colman, who also is featured on the song “Boomerang.” Her amazing voice adds a lot to both of these tracks. I was also impressed with the diversity of the beats that accompany V.I.T.A.L.’s vocals. Many of the tracks in The Secret of the Invisible Man were simplistic in their beat structures. There was very little sampling and scratching on that album, but this new album features a wide range of beats and samples. From a soulful sound with the song “It’s Love” to a very cool sample of Richie Haven’s performance of “Freedom” at Woodstock, the beats featured here make the album extremely diverse in sound. V.I.T.A.L.’s vocals are smooth and are well executed, especially when he flows with quickness (something he attributes to studying Bone Thugs N’ Harmony).

Versus – Verses is a fine example of what hip-hop should consist of. It’s not watered-down, mass marketed dribble found on the radio or television — it’s real music from the heart.

(MDB Records, PO BOX 941, Seal Beach, CA 90740)

THE MORNING BENDERS – Big Echo

In the span of only five years, The Morning Benders have had a total of eight releases.  Their newest effort, Big Echo, reveals a mix of jaunty tunes filled with handclaps, tripped-out guitar effects and forceful drum beats.

The album starts off with the song “Excuses,” an acoustic guitar- and drum-driven tune that has a very carefree feel to it. There is an almost do-wop feel to the song and the orchestral accompaniment reminds me of Etta James’ timeless song of love “At Last.”

Many of the tracks on Big Echo have a very mellow, almost dreamy feel to them. Take the song “Pleasure Sighs,” a very laid back cut that almost creeps along at a snail’s pace in tempo. The vocals are light and airy and whimsical at times. There are a few faster tracks that pop up here and there on the album. “Cold War (Nice Clean Fight)” is an upbeat song full of claps and jamming acoustic guitar, and “All Day Daylight” is a heavily drummed tune that features electronic distortion and both electric and acoustic guitars.

The easygoing, smooth-flowing feel of this album makes this a pleasant listen for those who fancy the indie pop sound.

(Rough Trade Records, 66 Golborne Road, London UK  W10 5PS)