We love New York!

"New York is definitely an adult portion, an adult dose. You go in, you get your ass kicked, you take off, and as soon as it heals up you come back again." - Levon Helm, The Band.

Truer words are seldom spoken, but the 'Slacks did their fair share of New York ass-kickin' during our debut in the Big Apple last weekend. Sure, we can rock the Boston scene, but New York City is a whole 'nuther beast. Would we be able to hang? Because, after all, "If we can make it there, we'll make it anywhere..."

Friday: 169 Bar, Lower East Side, Manhatthan: the mercury outside registering a mere 15 degrees, the club a small cozy place with a sensuous funky New Orleans vibe. Several drink-filled tables facing a small performance space, the bar featuring $5 Pabst/shot combos and a wide array of unusual voodoo elixers and adornments. The Slacks take the stage at 10:30 to a standing-room-only crowd. First song, instrumental feature, Curtis breaking fingernails on the house's upright honky-tonk piano, the audience's heads bobbing, unfamiliar smirks turning to full smiles. Second song, Diamond D introduced and a sense of wonder and uncertainty permeates the crowd, while they wait for this living spirit of cajun past to open his mouth and sing. And sing he does. Smiles now turn into dancing. Dancing turns into sweating. Sweating turns into swooning. And the spirits are alive and the groove is tight and the place is electric. 45 minutes and two encores later it's time to give up our post to the Love Man, and join the audience, who are now our bestest friends and confidantes in this small one-horse town.

Saturday: Black tie, beautifully ornate nuptual celebration at Battery Park, the sun setting behind the Statue of Liberty. Just as the Lady of the Harbor lit the beacon of freedom for millions of immigrants a century ago, the Slacks too felt warmed and welcomed by her grand presence. The staff the stuff of legend - courteous, helpful, with an air of nonchalance that is rarely encounted at these important events. The wedding couple completely giddy, more so for the band that anything else it seems, and the crowd soon loosens their bowties and kicks off their heels, and once again it's just the band and the crowd summoning the spirits of celebration and good will, with a cosmic trumpet solo thrown in here or there for good measure. It's now the witching hour and they don't want us to end. More? OK, more. And more? OK, more. Outside it's colder than the kitchen's walk-in freezer, but in our world at this moment it's hotter than the patissier's flambe torch.

Epilogue: Thanks to everyone who made our trip to New York so epic: The happy couple David and Elizabeth, Sarah and friends, Galin and friends, Jessica and friends, Aimee and friends, Alexis and friends, Matty, Joe, Charles from Slidell, the good people at Battery Gardens, Martha for the wonderful accommodations, the Green Kitchen 24 hour diner, Fontana's, the Blind Tiger, the FDR, our courteous drivers and the New York Police Department. Viva New York!

NYC Photos by Joe Russo