An historic Houseparty at the Cantab!!

Did that really just happen? Were we, The Chicken Slacks, performing per usual at our Thursday night residency gig at the Cantab Lounge when, suddenly, in walks none other than Peter Wolf, famed one-time vocalist for the J. Geils Band and a respected solo artist in his own right?

Yes, Johnny - it really happened. Peter only stayed for a few songs in the second set and then left. But then, he came back! Just in time for the third set, and when the Slacks launched into the well-known Geils party anthem "Ain't Nothin' But a Houseparty," Peter Wolf rushed to the stage, grabbed a microphone (actually, he grabbed a few until he found the loudest one) and belted it out with us!! Oh man, the Woofa-Goofa himself in a classic manic frenzy at the Cantab!! Weekend favorite Diane Blue was there also, and she whipped out a harp and played along, too - what a rush.

Turns out Peter is a personable fellow. He stayed the rest of the night and spoke with us, asking where we were from and where we got some of our repertoire. And he said he'd be back...

So now you know one more thing about the Cantab - you never know who is gonna walk in that door to catch a Chicken Slacks show!

Beer and Wine Weekend

(photos by David Day)













It began with a high-G take off Friday night at the Harpoon Brewery in Boston, and made a velvet landing in at Jonathan Edwards Winery in North Stonington CT on Saturday evening. Beer on Friday...and wine on Saturday... It just doesn't get any better than that!

Thanks to our friends at the Weekly Dig and the Harpoon Brewery, we filled the tent on Northern Ave and barreled through the Harpoon Summer Session. Local favorite Comanchero warmed up the evening with a rocking set. That gave us a chance to sample some fine brews including my favorite the Helles Blond Bock before taking the stage and tapping our own keg of soul-quenching rhythm and blues. The crowd at the Summer Session was hopped up and the tent swelled as brew afficiandos poured onto the dance floor. They brought us back for an encore of Shout that will be a high water mark for the Slacks this summer!

If that wasn't enough, the next day we made our way down Route 95 to a sun filled wine tasting party at the Seventh Annual Summer Festival at Jonathan Edwards Winery. By the time we got set up, the vino was flowing including wines from Connecticut and Napa California. After peeling a couple of grapes and delighting in the delicious flavors, we uncorked some vintage R&B for these Connecticut Yankees who showed us they sure know how to fill the dance floor and get down! We saw friends there from all over New England delighting in the varietal blend of classic soul and fine wines.

All too soon the weekend came to a close and we returned home, thirsting for the next Slacks adventure, whatever libations are flowing!

Weekly Dig: The Slacks Bring The Funk

The Chicken Slacks are all over this week's issue of Boston's Weekly Dig! It's the Dig's Local Music issue and in highlighting Boston's vibrant FUNK scene they had this to say: "It’s mainly been the guys in The Chicken Slacks at the head of this revival." Click the images below to read the whole story, which include quotes from our fearless leader Justin "Pops" Berthiaume, who tries very hard to describe our unique "scene."

Boston music veterens in the house last week

At last Thursday's Cantab show we were treated to some well respected Boston music scene veterans who came out to get their groove on with the 'Slacks. It was wild to see all of these folks in the same room hangin' out with us 'til the wee hours. First, of course, DJ Brother Wayne from WMBR was in the house gettin' his thing on. Later on, "Blues and Beyond" DJ Jim Carty from WMFO showed up with his posse, which included Wendy, the owner of Smoken Joe's BBQ in Brighton (which hosts some great blues and folk acts like Shirley Lewis and Geoff Bartley). Also in the crowd was the legendary Doug Bell of Bellevue Cadillac, and "The Godnephew of Soul" JB Junior from the Boston Soul Revue, who go up on the bandstand to kick a rousing James Brown medley with the band. What a treat!