Lebowski Fest is a national phenomenon that celebrates everything to do with the ’90s film “The Big Lebowski”. There are now Lebowski Fests from coast to coast in the states, but its humble beginnings and largest annual festival are in Louisville, Kentucky along with the founding dudes Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt.
What started as trading lines from the movie between friends on a boring afternoon grew into a network of fandom, where ‘achievers’ come from from far and wide to spend two days enjoying Lebowski music, games, costumes, trivia, film and of course bowling. I had the pleasure of participating this year, my band C+ played, and I took some pics along the way. Despite the intense heat, achievers from all over the country came to show their love and eerie knowledge of every nuance of the movie.
Some highlights of the 9th Lebowski Fest that deviate from the norm are that ABC’s Nightline came to interview Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt (the founding dudes) and do a piece on the festival. Liam (actor James G. Hoosier) who was bowling partner of ‘The Jesus’ in the movie was in attendance to the delight of all the achievers. And it seemed like this year there were even more obscure and cerebral costumes that often times referred to a quick bit of abstract dialogue or an inanimate object in the film.
The photos say more than I ever could about it, so without further ado:
1
Hit the target with a bag of underwear
1.My friend Kent flings a bag of underwear at the target to try for a prize.
2
Liam from The Big Lebowski (far right) with some achievers.
2.Liam from The Big Lebowski (far right) with some achievers.
3
don't need your fuckin' sympathy, man, I need my fucking johnson!
3."I don't need your fuckin' sympathy, man, I need my fucking johnson!"
8.The ingredients for a white Russian and some "Chinamen" as seen on TV.
9
White Russians
9.White Russians $4.50.
10
Find a stranger in the Alps
10.Me and the Seedy Seeds (a band that also played the show) whose costumes are in reference to the overdubbed for TV line "You see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?" The line being covered up for the censors is "You see what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass?"
11
White Russians
11.A girl from the dream sequence, an In and Out worker, and a Walter
