Sunday, September 27, 2009

Playground Boston: Slacks "the most fun."


Our thanks to Bryan Donoghue, co-founder of PlaygroundBoston.com, for these very nice words about the Slacks and our 4th Anniversary Circus:

"This past Thursday the Chicken Slacks celebrated 4 years of playing every Thursday at the Cantab Lounge in Central Square. If you’ve never experienced a Slacks party, you need to get yourself down to the Cantab as soon as you possibly can. I personally have made frequent stops in for the Chicken Slacks over the past two years and can honestly say its consistently the most fun I’ve had anywhere in the entire city on a Thursday night. Their longevity attests to what an incredible show they put on, every week, without ever getting stale.

"The Chicken Slacks throw down an amazing blend of funk, soul, and R&B that is guaranteed to get everybody in the house moving – from the arms-folded stoic-standing nod-along Allston hipsters, to the grizzled barstool regulars, to the MIT rocket scientists who wouldn’t know rhythm if it bit them in the ass.

"Every ‘Slacks show is more of a party than a concert – the tiny Cantab Lounge gets packed to the brim with people of all ages, ethnicities, and lifestyles, all ready for a good time. They play three sets over the course of the night, mixing in covers of legendary artists like Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Otis Redding and Sly and the Family Stone, with originals from the same vein. Chicken Slacks’ sets feature the occasional special guest as well (including recent appearances by Peter Wolf of J. Geils Band in June and Natalie Portman back in February, among others), so you never know what to expect when you walk in that door!

"When it comes down to it, a Chicken Slacks show is beyond words… which is why I’m happy Billy Korecki from Calmovita Photography was there last Thursday to capture the madness of their 4th anniversary party. Sure there’s a few more balloons than normal, but other than that it looks like any other Thursday night down at the Cantab! Check out these photos, and then go check out their live show – have a few drinks, loosen up and get on the dance floor, and just try telling me you didn’t have a good time."



Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Worcester digs The Chicken Slacks

Looking back over the summer-- we found these two reviews from the Worcester, Massachusetts media:

From Kara Olson in THE PULSE:

"Funk is back…but the Chicken Slacks beg the question, “Did it ever really leave?”

"You know when a song comes on the radio, one that you haven’t heard in forever, but when you hear it you immediately shout, “I love this song!” and you can’t stop dancing until the last note plays? These songs, at least for me, always seem to be in the classic funk and R&B genre, a la Stevie Wonder or the Temptations. This music has real heart and soul, something that seems to be lost in the days of one-hit-wonders and manufactured teen sensations.

"However, we are all in luck because The Chicken Slacks are working hard to keep the funk alive. These seven soul men have made it their mission to “Fill that hole in your soul” and “Put that beat in your feet.” The Chicken Slacks, the name a play on words from a classic Sam Cooke song, take pride in carrying on the music scene that has made so many legends like James Brown and Otis Redding.

"Their album Can You Dig It? is jam-packed with songs that will make you reach for the repeat button on your stereo. When you listen to this album, be sure to clear your schedule because you will not be able to stop moving until the last 43rd minute has played. And if that isn’t good enough, their live performances include classics like “My Girl” and “I Feel Good,” sounds that will warm even the most stone-cold of hearts and get those hearts beating fast.

"The Chicken Slacks have begun making their name in Central MA and Spencer native and band leader Justin “Pops’ Berthiaume” is ready for the band to become a regular on the Worcester music scene. It’ll be a match made in funk heaven. “I think a lot of people tend to give up on the area, but I’ve always had an eternal belief in Worcester and what it’s capable of.'"

The Chicken Slacks are looking forward to another Funky Friday at Worcester landmark club Ralph's on September 25. Details soon.

And from Worcester Magazine:

"Funk and soul revivalists The Chicken Slacks are a great live band, which is a distinction confidently made even though I’ve never seen them live. Can You Dig It?, their latest release, is a collection of originals and covers. The album kicks off with an obscure Beefheart tune that transitions seamlessly into Eddie Floyd’s underrated Stax single “On A Saturday Night.”

"The whole album sounds as if recorded in one take, lending the cover tunes some extra live-performance pep. And the originals range from knee-slap funny filler tunes — during “I Wanna Take A Shower With You,” front man Diamond D Wilkerson expresses his desire for a female shower companion — to sensitive and tender ballads like “Only A Fool Gets To Heaven,” where vocalist/trumpeter John Moriconi vents about being cheated on by his woman, then blames himself for taking her back. Only a great live band could make such a sappy song feel passionate on a recorded effort, and that’s something The Slacks do to perfection on Dig It!"

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

"Can You Dig It" makes Joe Vig's Top 40

Thanks to Joe Vig for these cool words about the Slacks and "Can You Dig It?"

"Calvin Arnold's "Funky Way" (to treat me) is a great indicator of what this veteran Boston soul/funk/r&b group puts out in the live clubs on the scene. Walking across Willie Alexander's "Mass. Ave" one Thursday night in April, 2009, a loud rendition of The Temptations/Rare Earth "Get Ready" (not on this disc) was blasting throughout Central Square - the Chicken Slacks Soul Revue playing to a packed Cantab upstairs where Little Joe Cook kept the college students entertained for years.

"Piano/organist The Reverend Curtis Jerome Haynes and drummer Justin Berthiaume co-produced the CD, engineered by Chris Lannon who worked with Girls Night Out back in the 1980s, and though the times have changed from the days when GNO were putting a thousand people into the Channel Club, packing hundreds into the Cantab in this 2009 economy is a major accomplishment.

"Vocalist Durand Wilkerson takes John Fogerty's "Long As I Can See The Light" and pulls all the pop stylings out of it, bringing it purely into the realm of Stax/Volt. "Any Other Way" could be the reincarnation of Clarence Carter on this R & B party disc."


Check out Joe Vig's Top 40.