Official Blog of The Chicken Slacks

Happy holidays to all!

2011-12-25T14:37:00.001-05:00

Dig this by Count Sidney and His Dukes.

Ski season is here

2011-11-19T13:45:00.001-05:00

Come see us kick off the season at the Cannonball Pub at Cannon Mountain Ski Resort, Franconia Notch, New Hampshire! Saturday, November 26, 3:00 - 6:00. NO COVER.

Winding down

2011-11-11T15:05:00.000-05:00

One last wedding tomorrow in Pittsfield, VT. Twenty wedding receptions this year in six states! Thanks to all for inviting us to the party.

Winter on it's way...

2011-10-25T14:37:00.000-04:00

Winter means reaching deep into the treasure chest and pulling out new gems to learn. Maybe this one by James Brown friend and partner Bobby Byrd.

"I Still Want to Sing"

2011-10-02T14:26:00.004-04:00

Written by Camille Dodero in 2005

Part 5: ‘It’s Too Bad We Had To Say Goodbye’

Money is a recurring theme with Cook. When asked if the Thrillers ever become blasé banging out the same tunes night after night, he replies, "I guess they do. But they don’t get tired of making that money."

Money was also cited as the major reason Cook yawed from the Cantab after his stroke. Last April, the Boston Globe reported that he wanted more money than Cantab owner Richard "Fitzy " Fitzgerald could afford, so Cook was out of a job. But Fitzy says the Globe report was overblown, that Cook wasn’t kicked to the curb, and that money wasn’t really the issue. "He was just going through something," says Fitzy. "And now he’s back."

But what is clear about the interlude is that Cook requested that the Nut Man caricature disappear, so Fitzy draped an American flag over it. Around the same time, Western Front owner Martin Gilmore heard about the severance, went to Cook’s house, and offered him a regular Thursday-night gig at his Cambridge club. "When Joe lost his job at the Cantab, I’d read about it and I took him in, "says Gilmore." He was broke. I stepped in because I loved Joe. He said he was through with the Cantab."

But a few months after Cook began working at the Western Front, Gilmore says Cook returned to performing at the Cantab — without informing his new boss. "Little Joe wasn’t being honest with us, so I just made a phone call to Joe and said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me that you were working at the Cantab? Month after month, I was wondering where the audience was.’ So I terminated him working at the club. "Gilmore says it’s against his code of club-running ethics to compete with nearby club owners. Besides, he points out, the two clubs’ close proximity can’t support back-to-back performances by the same musician. "It’s like if I’m your boyfriend and you’re going with me and you find someone else, you would have the decency to say, ‘It’s over, I’ve found somebody else.’ "

"It didn’t work out," is all Cook will say about the Western Front episode. " It was off the main drag. People wouldn’t come because it was real out of the way."

Fitzy doesn’t have much else to say about it, either. "He called and asked to come back. He’s welcome to play here for as long as he wants, "says Fitzy." I think he knows that. "

Part 6: ‘Peanuts’

Cook may’ve been alive just months before the release of Frank Silver and Irving Cohn’s ragtime shimmy "Yes! We Have No Bananas " — a Vaudeville-inspired novelty later squealed by Benny Goodman’s reed — but the song’s silly sketch seems to be kindred with many of Cook’s compositions. The titles of Cook’s dance numbers read like dishes in a child’s cookbook: "Let’s Do the Slop," "Doodle Pickle." Then there’s "Someone for Me," a track Cook plans to include on his next self-produced CD. On the version recorded live at the Cantab, the crowd howls as he sings:

Eye-talians love spaghetti

And the Chinese love their rice

Frenchmen love their perfume

And an Eskimo loves his ice

Like the Englishman loves his cup of tea

I know there’s someone for me

"I like to make happy songs, comical songs," Cook explains. " I don’t like to make ‘Baby, you left me’ songs. " Of course, on Blast from the Past, the sentimental vocalist does do his fair share of pleading, whining, and begging women called "Darling "to come back:" Please Don’t Go," "Lonesome," "Don’t Leave Me Alone," and "These Lonely Tears.” But by the early ’60s, the schmaltzy-suitor shtick segued into a silly streak that would eventually have him singing unabashedly about daddies, Elvis, booty, and items in his refrigerator with the same reverence.

And Cook does love the items in his refrigerator. He quit drinking decades ago — he was a Scotch-and-milk guy — and gave up card-playing last year ("After God healed me, I quit all that gambling. I promised God I wouldn’t gamble"), so gluttony is a last remaining vice. His most recent writing, an unfinished jingle that mingles two of his major passions, God and food, is the work of a trencherman:

Lord, make me able

To push myself back from the table.

Because I don’t want to be big and fat

And that’s the end of that.

Then there are a trio of Cook’s on-record paramours who share their proper names with groceries: Cherry, Stringbean, and Peanuts, Cook’s soul mate. "Peanut was a little girl who lived down the street," Cook explains. " Her older sister was calling her and all Peanut could say was ‘Uh-oh, uh-oh.’ "(In the original version, Cook sings "Peanut," not the plural version, but a typo altered how the song will forever be remembered.) In Cook’s discography, Peanuts is his first love. In the sequel to "Peanuts," the finger-snapping diddly-dee" The Echoes Keep Calling Me," Cook confesses to a day-long tryst in a valley with Peanuts. The final installment of the trilogy, "Stringbean," is a kiss-off to Peanuts: he disses his former flame, calls her a gold-digger, and boastfully admires the idiosyncrasies of his new sweetheart." I love this girl/She’s so tall/She sleeps in the parlor with her feet in the hall."

Peanuts’s influence is everywhere: around Cook’s neck, on his finger, in the car he drives, on the googly-eyed goober magnets on his refrigerator, on the street sign that marks "Little Joe Cook Square" in Cambridge. She’s his first love. She made him the center of attention. She made him feel special, important, and loved. She introduced him to Paul Simon, B.B. King, and Lionel Hampton. She has kept him employed beyond his 80th birthday. Peanuts made him a Legend.

Despite the fact that Cook’s wife doesn’t think he should be exerting himself as much as he does, despite the fact that he has to concentrate on the lyrics when he sings " so that I won’t forget them, " and despite the fact that his aching knees cause him to spend two-thirds of the night perched on a wooden stool, Cook refuses to retire. Until last weekend, his schedule included four nights a week at the Cantab — three nights singing and one night MCing a weekly blues jam. But a week ago, he suffered a second mild stroke and spent the weekend recuperating in the hospital. By Tuesday morning, he decided to reduce his performance schedule to Friday and Saturday, but resisted the idea of quitting entirely. "My wife wants me to retire," Cook says over the phone from his Framingham home, a day after being released from the hospital. "For what? So I can sit home and get fat?"

Cook’s utter obliviousness to the ticking of the clock — his refusal to dismiss the notion of scoring another hit, his inability to recognize that his golden oldie is antediluvian by oldies-station standards, his unwillingness to bow out after two minor strokes, a heart attack, and a bout with prostate cancer — is his true talent, the secret to his longevity. "Obviously, the fact that he’s unchanged in the times is pretty amazing, "says Cambridge city councilor Galluccio." He embodies a consistency and a kind of freezing of time — something for people to go see and escape a changing world. "

"I don’t want to sit home, eat, and look at the TV all the time," says Cook. "I still want to sing."

Little Joe Cook: "Us music guys are messy"

2011-09-26T14:19:00.003-04:00

Written by Camille Dodero for the Boston Phoenix in 2005.

Part 4: ‘Mine’

Little Joe Cook flings open the front door of his Framingham ranch house with a pit bull in his grip and a black cloth knotted around his head like Aunt Jemima’s kerchief. The dog is Fate, a friendly pooch he got from a granddaughter in Philadelphia. Though Fate snuggles with Cook in bed and whines when they’re apart, it was Joanne Cook who chose the dog’s moniker. "It wasn’t me, "Cook huffs. " I wouldn’t name it no Fate!"

In the kitchen, there are stamped envelopes, CD jewel boxes, spiral notebooks, crumpled invitations, paper napkins, unfolded bills, and a dog leash strewn across the table. "My wife gets mad because I mess up the table," he mumbles. "But, you know, us music guys are messy."

Hiding among the clutter is a mimeographed sheet listing the dates of Cook’s 1960 tour with B.B. King. There’s also a page of graphs representing the Billboard chart progressions of songs that start with the letter "P" ; "Peanuts" sits near Elvis’s " Peace in the Valley " and Freddie McCoy’s " Peas ’n’ Rice. " Deeper in the pile is a blue plastic pillbox divided into 28 compartments — a week’s supply of Cook’s medication. The slots labeled bedtime specify 8 to 10 p.m.; many nights, he hasn’t even started his Cantab shift by 10 o’clock.

Cook likes to answer questions with objects. When asked how he’s feeling, Cook says, "Good. I’ve started on a fruit diet. I ate fruit this morning. I ate a banana.” He spies a banana on the counter and points. "See?" He rolls his chair over to the refrigerator, swings open the door, and pulls out a plastic-wrapped container of cantaloupe slices. "And I had, what you call that?" Cantaloupe?" Yeah, I ate that. And a pear. That’s all I ate. "The refrigerator door is still open.

When asked about In God We Trust, his still-in-progress CD submerged in the confusion of his kitchen table, Cook disappears into the cellar and returns with a boom box. On the cover of the disc, his face is superimposed over an American flag. The packaging describes the collection as " a patriotic touch of gospel " ; this means Cook overhauled a couple of old songs and retrofitted them for the current international climate. " Say a Prayer for the Boys Over There "used to be" Say a Prayer for the Boys in Korea" ; the respectful antiwar anthem "Mr. Bush in the White House Chair" is an unintentionally hilarious overhaul of the Jimmy Carter tribute "Mr. Peanut in the White House Chair."

After the record is finished, Cook points to the radio. It’s tuned to WODS Oldies 103.3 and playing Sonny and Cher’s "I Got You Babe. " "They play everybody else’s record but mine," he mopes. "I get royalties from Philadelphia, Tennessee, New York. I don’t know why they don’t play my record here. I listen all the time. I tell some of my fans to call in." ("Fifties music is no longer a focus, "explains WODS-FM programming director Greg Strassell in an e-mail." WODS now features music mostly from 1964-1975.")

Cook’s home is a boxy place with brown shutters, a fusty basement studio, and lots of mirrors. Mirrors line cabinets and cover an entire front-room wall. Where there aren’t mirrors, there are images of the Cook family: graduation photos of 19-year-old Joe Jr., Cook’s son with Joanne; a painting of Cook wearing glasses with peanut-shaped lenses; Joanne’s painted portrait.

Joanne is both the cover model for Cook’s Lady from the Beauty Shop (Beantown International) and the inspiration for the song of the same name. In the dated picture on the record sleeve, she’s a beaming, shiny-faced girl nearly eclipsed by a bouffant perm. She’s obviously much younger than her husband.

"Don’t put her age in there," Cook snaps when asked. She’s younger, right? "Yep," he grunts. "There’s a big difference."

Cook cites his greatest accomplishment as his Apollo appearance. "They told me, ‘Little Joe, you make it in New York, you can make it anywhere.’ And they’re right. Apollo was a hard audience to accept you. They’d boo you off in a minute. "He swears he wasn’t nervous." It was just like eating, picking up your fork and stuffing it in. " Back then, he was playing to a different crowd — mostly black folks — and now he’s playing to a gaggle of white college kids. Cook isn’t fazed. "It doesn’t matter," he says. " I’m out there to make some money."

Little Joe Cook: Splish Splash, The Apollo

2011-09-16T14:25:00.004-04:00

Written by Camille Dodero for the Boston Phoenix in 2005.

Part 3: ‘My Time Ain’t Long’

The American Heritage Dictionary defines "legend"as an unverified story handed down from earlier times, especially one popularly believed to be historical. " There are plenty of unverified stories swirling around Little Joe Cook. One anecdote that often gets printed in the local press is a tale about how Bobby Darin offered the song " Splish Splash " to Cook, who’d already hit it big with "Peanuts." "He wrote that song for me and I told him to sing it instead," says Cook. " I went on a tour, came back, and heard that song playing everywhere. I was kicking myself."

Official Bobby Darin archivist Jimmy Scalia can’t confirm the story, so he asks Harriet "Hesh" Wasser, one of Darin’s best friends. "When I presented the story to her, she did not know of this to be true," he writes in an e-mail." She remembers Bobby writing the song and taking it to Atlantic. She also felt that if Bobby had someone in mind it would probably be Fats Domino. So we’re not saying that this didn’t happen, we’re just simply saying that we have no proof that it did."

Then there’s the tale of how Cook tried to record "The Twist" before Hank Ballard or Chubby Checker did, but it was too randy for his record company. "The Sensational Nightingales wrote ‘The Twist’ and they gave it to me in 1955 or ’56, "Cook says." Later, I took it to my record company. And they wouldn’t let me put it out. They said it was too suggestive. Then the Nightingales gave it to [Hank Ballard]."

Nightingales tenor JoJo Wallace can confirm this. "Before I accepted Jesus, I was doing rock ’n’ roll and blues," he says. "I never will forget it. During that time, we were courting two little girls and we were singing to them, ‘Come on baby, let’s do the twist,’ so they’d shake and spin and dance ... that’s how we wrote the song. "Wallace says they’d sing the ditty for friends and acquaintances and eventually, it got passed along." Joe Cook heard it too and he got on fire. We said, ‘Help yourself.’ We didn’t know anything about any copyrighting."

Other stories have more official verification. "Let’s Do the Slop," the single released before "Peanuts," was a regional hit in Philadelphia and New York; the strength of its popularity scored the band a spot on American Bandstand and an engagement at the Apollo Theater. Cook returned for a solo appearance at the Apollo, toured the country, and felt golden. He followed up "Peanuts" with the single "The Echoes Keep Calling Me," but it didn’t chart.

Thus began the post- "Peanuts" period. Cook fulfilled his five-year contract with OKeh and moved to smaller labels. He managed his daughters’ group the Sherrys. By all accounts, he taught Tammi Terrell — who would later become famous for her duets with Marvin Gaye — to sing. He got divorced, relocated to Massachusetts, and met his second wife, Joanne, at the Cantab. He played clubs with names like the Beach Ball, the Downtown, Railroad Inn, the Blue Mirror, the Italian Villa. He sang at blues festivals and doo-wop revivals. He landed a gig at the Cantab and stayed. And all along, he sang "Peanuts," he guesses, "more than a million times."

Little Joe Cook: The Back Story

2011-09-09T19:34:00.009-04:00

Here's our second installment of the Little Joe Cook article written by Camille Dodero for the Boston Phoenix in 2005.

Part 2: ‘This I Know’

No birth record exists for Joseph Cook, the only child of Annie Bell, a blues vocalist who once toured with jazz singer Ethel Waters and Bessie “Empress of the Blues" Smith. Cook’s grandmother, a mother of 13 who found time to be a preacher and a midwife, helped deliver him at home on December 29, 1922, in South Philadelphia.

Though he’s used his paternal cognomen throughout his life, Cook never knew his father. Performing and preaching were both in Cook’s blood, so at around 11, he and three cousins started singing spirituals together. "I was a natural, "Cook recalls." My mother was an entertainer and my grandmother was a preacher, so I was just gifted. " Cook also danced throughout his adolescence, winning Philly-area dance competitions and earning the nickname " Jitterbug Joe. "

After dropping out of high school to work full-time, 18-year-old Cook married his first wife, Lilly, who would later be the muse for "Lilly Lou," the love song on the B-side of "Peanuts." Over the next few years, Cook earned a living working for the Navy, helping to construct the USS Wisconsin, toiling as a jitney driver for Campbell’s Soup, and sorting coins at the US Mint for 85 cents an hour. With Lilly, he also fathered three children: two daughters (who would later be two-thirds of the Cook-managed ’60s girl group the Sherrys, along with Cook’s niece) and a son, who died at a year old.

Meanwhile, Cook sang. He’d grown up listening to Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, and Louis Armstrong. But his mother forbade him to sing secular music, even though she herself had spent many years crooning the blues. "She came off the road and got religious," Cook writes in the liner notes of Blast from the Past, a nearly complete collection of his late-’50s and early-’60s recordings. " That’s when she didn’t want me to do what she was doing as long as she was living. "

So instead of singing rock and roll, Cook taught it. "He loved gospel," recalls Joseph " JoJo " Wallace, a long-time friend and a tenor for the 60-year-old gospel quintet the Sensational Nightingales. " But that wasn’t all that he wanted. "

While performing with the spiritual group Evening Star Quartet, Cook managed a doo-wop group of seven male vocalists. "I taught them guys how to sing, how to walk on stage," Cook remembers. " I wrote all the songs and everything. "Some of them had to be fired — a few kept skipping daily rehearsals to shoot hoops — but there were always replacements waiting in the wings." Back then, I had a good ear, " Cook reasons. " Everybody used to come to me. "

"Word got around that Joe had this band," says fellow Philly native Reggie Grant, 62, the Thrillers’ saxophonist who’s known Cook for nearly 50 years. "I would be riding by this church and hear this group rehearsing down in the basement. I would sit at the window and watch them perform. But they weren’t singing spirituals in the basement of that church, "he says, pausing for dramatic effect." They were singing rock ’n’ roll."

"My wife’s sister used to make fun of us," Cook recalls. " She’d say, ‘You guys sound like frogs.’ We said, ‘People’ll pay us to sing like this.’ She said, ‘I wouldn’t pay no money to hear you guys.’ "

But eventually, people did: Cook convinced the owner of the local club Diamond Horseshoe that his "nice-looking" boys would attract girls to the venue if his group sang there weekly. "We’ll pack this place clean, "Cook remembers telling the owner. They did. And it was at the Horseshoe where Cook’s band got its name. "One girl said, ‘You guys thrill me,’ "says Cook." I said, ‘I like that name, I’m going to name you guys the Thrillers."

Soon after, Columbia Records heard the buzz about the Thrillers and sent a talent scout to a rehearsal. The way Cook tells it, Farris Hill, the Thrillers’ lead at the time, screwed up in front of the scout. "I would say, ‘Faz, do it like this’ when he’d mess up, "Cook explains. " And I’d sing it. So the Columbia guy says to me, ‘I like your voice. Why don’t you sing it?’ I said, ‘No, this is the group the Thrillers. I’m singing spirituals.’ He said, ‘You could do the record and let him learn off the record.’ Faz said, ‘Yeah Joe, I can’t sing it like you do.’ "Cook pauses." My mother didn’t want me singing no rock ’n’ roll. But she’d been passed away. "

So Cook sang. "I didn’t want to stop them from making money," he rationalizes. When Cook & the Thrillers were offered a deal with Columbia subsidiary OKeh Records, they didn’t have the money to get to New York. So Cook pawned either his first wife’s jewels or her sewing machine — the recollections vary — and paid for the boys to go to New York. "The rest, "he says, " is history. "

2011-09-03T15:43:00.004-04:00

The Chicken Slacks were fortunate to be offered Little Joe Cook's Thursday night spot at The Cantab Lounge back in 2005. As our Six Year Anniversary draws near, we offer five installments of a fine article written by Camille Dodero for the Boston Phoenix in 2005.

The Little Joe Cook Story
by Camille Dodero

Part 1

Joe Cook gets mad when people call him a fad. Doo-wop devotee Phil Groia called him that in the 1991 liner notes of Little Joe Cook & the Thrillers Meet the Schoolboys (Sony Music Collectables). Cook, who likes to boast that his squeaky-trumpet shrill "made me famous all over the world, " is not a fad. Just look at the embossed script on his glinting, gold-leaf business card. Or the sign bearing his glossy headshot outside the Cantab Lounge, the Central Square watering hole where the 80-year-old warbles two nights a week. They both read: LEGENDARY LITTLE JOE COOK.

That’s right, Little Joe Cook is Legendary — with a capital "L." Back in the ’50s, he fronted a rock-and-roll vocal group called Little Joe & the Thrillers. In 1957, their signature single, the doo-bee-doo-wah ditty " Peanuts, " rode the Billboard charts for 15 weeks, peaking at 23. That same year, he bopped on stage at Harlem’s historic Apollo Theater and hoofed a self-choreographed, toe-tapping shuffle called "The Slop" on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand; he also appeared at New York’s Paramount Theater for an Alan Freed showand flitted around the country billed with the likes of B.B. King, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, and Lionel Hampton. Simon & Garfunkel’s first paid gig was opening for Little Joe Cook & the Thrillers in New Haven, Connecticut.

Nearly half a century later, Cook recalls these triumphs repeatedly in conversation, as if his legendary status — albeit a self-appointed one, since the shimmering business card and photo caption are his own design — consists entirely of 45-year-old feats. But despite his insistence on reliving those faded nights of bright lights and grand finales, Cook’s post- "Peanuts" period hasn’t been all epilogue. Rather, those ephemeral days of national radio play are, in many ways, the prologue to Cook’s story.

‘Down at the Cantab’

The Cantab Lounge isn’t a place you’d take your 80-year-old grandmother — unless grandma likes the smell of booze, exudes the soul of Aretha Franklin, and doesn’t mind the occasional shady man asking her to dance. It’s inclusive, unrefined, and random. On weekend nights, the joint is rollicking with college students and post-grad professionals, birthday parties and liquid-courage displays. During the daytime, it’s a racially diverse dive of hard-boiled barflies, sunken-cheeked smokers, and blaring television screens. Tiffany-style Michelob Light lamps hang from the ceiling; a white clock behind the bar tells time, but its numbers are clustered in a shriveled heap around the six, as though passed out, appearing beneath the words WHO CARES? Nearby, a framed painting of a naked woman’s backside hangs, her peach-like bum mooning the customers.

This is the second home of Little Joe Cook, a/k/a the Nut Man, an old-school octogenarian who praises God, hot nuts, and hot women. A soul singer with arthritic knees, stubby bowlegs, and dyed hair, Cook has been performing here intermittently with the Thrillers, his four-piece backing band, for nearly 25 years. Every Friday and Saturday, he plods to the microphone at 10:20 p.m. Usually, he’s outfitted in a dapper jacket and turtleneck, and gilded with a golden peanut-shaped ring and matching necklace.

"When most people think of the Cantab, they think of Joe," says Cantab owner Richard Fitzgerald. " The two go together. "

Even in his absence, Cook’s influence is palpable. On one wall, there’s a cartoon-y mural of a toothy peanut surrounded by a silhouetted quartet of instrument-playing goobers. The staff’s green golf shirts read CANTAB LOUNGE/THAT’S WHERE IT’S AT, a line borrowed from Cook’s boogie tune " Down at the Cantab. "Even the regulars mention him when he’s not around: on a recent Thursday afternoon, as updates about the Rhode Island nightclub fire spill from the television, a pudgy, mustachioed guy mutters to no one in particular, "They better leave us alone here. Joe Cook of all people is going to have pyrotechnics? I don’t think so."

Cook isn’t a pyrotechnics kind of performer — some nights, he and the Thrillers can barely run the sound system — and the closest his live show gets to special effects is when an unidentified chunk falls from the ceiling and thumps long-time guitarist Candido Delgado on the head. And for the most part, Cook’s recital seems dictated by a script rather than a set list. Lately, he begins with "This Little Light of Mine," a hymn most Christian kids learn at vacation Bible school. He tells the crowd that God healed him from his 2001 stroke and asks everyone to give God a nice round of applause. Then he segues into "Hot Nuts," a song in which he hobbles around the dance floor, points to men seated at nearby tables, and says things like, " See that fella dressed in brown? He’s got the biggest nuts in town. "The audience laughs when he does this — pretty girls especially, who tend go " Woooooh! " when they hear Cook talking about nuts.

Women love Little Joe. They kiss him. Some press their lips against his fingertips; others nuzzle against him for snapshots. More than a decade ago, a group of female fans made up T-shirts and called themselves the "Beauty Shop Girls, " a reference to Cook’s sexy-siren serenade " Lady from the Beauty Shop. " During one recent late-night break, Cook ambled out of the Cantab’s bathroom and three blond girls standing by the jukebox cheered, waved, and high-fived him.

"I was told that I had to check out Little Joe Cook before he died," says 25-year-old Evan Monsky, a Philadelphia transplant who moved to Brighton six months ago and went to see Cook after hearing about him through a friend. " This kind of reminds me of a bar mitzvah."

Cook & the Thrillers do perform at weddings, graduation parties, and birthday bashes. And with the exception of fervent sax player Reggie Grant, the Thrillers do sound somewhat like a wedding band: traditional, comfortable, rote, and unmoved. The drummer, Shane O'Donohoe, a dead ringer for every high-school social-studies teacher you ever had, occasionally looks like he’s napping. And their covers are dance classics with family-function pasts: Leo Sayers’ "You Make Me Feel Like Dancin’," Marvin Gaye’s "What’s Going On."

But Cook’s on-stage charm wins audiences. "I love seeing him," says Cambridge city councilor Anthony Galluccio, a long-time friend of Cook who designated an intersection beside the Cantab" Little Joe Cook Square " in 1999, when he was mayor of Cambridge. "You know what songs he’ll be playing when you walk in, you know how he’s going to act, and you always know how you’re going to feel when you leave."

Six year anniversary coming up

2011-08-29T18:39:00.002-04:00

Doing design work for some of our giveaways, gearing up the promotion...it's about time to celebrate our six year residency at The Cantab Lounge on September 22! More info to follow.

It was our good fortune to take over the Thursday slot when Little Joe Cook became too frail to carry on, back in 2005. In celebration of the great Little Joe Cook-- the Peanut Man-- and his 25 year run at The Cantab, we'll soon be posting a multi-part article written by Camille Dodero for the Boston Phoenix in 2005.

It's quite a story....

Here's a pic of Little Joe Cook at The Cantab.

See you on the 22nd for our Sixth Year Anniversary Circus.!

Travel time

2011-08-13T20:01:00.002-04:00

Busy month...on the 6th we played a wedding reception in Peterborough, NH. Tomorrow, the 14th, we play a wedding reception in Newton, RI, and then we play The Narragansett Cafe on Friday, the 19th, in Jamestown, RI, followed by a reception the next day in Hyde Park, VT. Then, on August 27, we play a wedding reception in Bethlehem, CT. Traveling, traveling, traveling...

And, of course, we're at The Cantab on Thursdays...

We're looking forward to our first appearance at The Narragansett Cafe-- the club has a great reputation as a friendly neighborhood bar, attracting big acts, simply 'cause Cathleen Squires and the staff love the music and make it easy. "Best live music in Newton County," says Rhode Island Monthly. Also, says Rhode Island Monthly: "the best neighborhood bar in all of Rhode Island."

See you there!

The Narragansett Cafe

25 Narragansett Avenue

Jamestown, Rhode Island

call (401) 423 2150 for more info.

Spotlight on Mark Purrington

2011-07-11T18:17:00.001-04:00

Now and then we'll be sharing video featuring performances by each of our great players. We start here with a great drum solo by Mark Purrington from last week's Cantab performance. Mark was using the small kit that night-- just a snare, bass, hi-hat, and crash cymbal, and shows here how much music you can make from a limited setup. Mark is one of the best in Boston.

Mark, 24, is from Dartmouth, MA. He has studied at Bridgeton Academy and Berklee School of Music, and continues to be a voracious student of all great musical genres. And he's a great golfer!

Enjoy!

Busy week...

2011-06-13T19:06:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's a busy time of year-- the week of June 13 includes an outdoor concert on Wednesday at Titus Sparrow Park in South Boston, our regular Thursday night residency at The Cantab in Cambridge, a return to Johnny D's Uptown in Somerville on Friday, and a wedding at the Boston Public Library on Saturday...

Congrats to all graduates!!

2011-06-01T15:44:00.000-04:00

Our college fans have been very good to us-- we thank you for your support and wish you many prosperous and happy years upon your graduation. And don't forget to come back and visit!!

Wedding season is here

2011-05-17T18:19:00.001-04:00

The cool thing about The Chicken Slacks playing weddings is that we bring the same music and the same show that you'll find at any Slacks performance-- classic soul and funk, played Slacks-style. This year we'll be playing some twenty wedding receptions in six states, and almost all of these gigs come to us by word of mouth, many from our Boston fans who have no interest in a typical "we play all styles of music" wedding band.

We've had some memorable times in memorable places-- Squirrel Island, Maine (quite the boat ride under stormy skies), Battery Gardens, NYC (great view of the Statue of Liberty), the Fogg Museum at Harvard (getting paid to see all that great art!), Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Hall (one of so many great historic barn venues), and that wedding in Gloucester, MA, where all the men wore tuxedos and fishing boots...

We have a great time playing weddings for fans! Thanks to all who have invited us to the party.

Benefit for Minds Matter on April 16

2011-04-08T20:24:00.004-04:00

Each year The Chicken Slacks perform for two or three benefit events that we believe to be important and life-changing. We're looking forward to joining Minds Matter of Boston for their Spring Soiree this April 16 at the Cyclorama in Boston.

Minds Matter is a non-profit organization with chapters in eight cities nationwide, helping prepare disadvantaged high school students for college by arranging test training, career panels, financial-aid guidance, and preparatory mentorships.

Tickets are still available! Learn more in this article from Stuff Boston magazine.

Hope to see you there for this important event.

New material from down deep in the soul bag......

2011-03-25T15:36:00.005-04:00

Wow, Diamond D has sent a CD around to band members of some very cool and off-the-radar deep soul gems. We started learning these tunes last week, and the band is psyched.

Proud to play the music of these fine artists: Harrison and the Majestic Kind, Kip Anderson, Stacy Lane, Tiny Watkins, Otis Clay, Renaldo Domino, Marion Black, Perk Badger. These artists put out some terrific songs that never made it to mainstream radio.

But they'll make it to a Chicken Slacks dance floor near you!

Stacy Lane

Slacker portraits from Mardi Gras season

2011-03-15T10:30:00.010-04:00

Jeremy at Johnny D's.

Curtis at Johnny D's

Mark at The Cantab

Mike Reavey at Johnny D's

Mike Duke at The Cantab

Slick Rick backstage at The C-Note

Diamond D with band friends Polina Itelman (left) and Lauren Strader (right) at The Cantab.

Thanks to our fans and venues for three great parties!

This just in: join us for Fat Tuesday!

2011-03-03T13:44:00.003-05:00

The Chicken Slacks are celebrating Mardi Gras-- the actual day of Mardi Gras-- at Johnny D's in Somerville, Massachusetts. Lots of New Orleans funk and classic soul. See you there!

Mardi Gras season almost here...

2011-02-16T14:02:00.004-05:00

So when exactly IS Mardi Gras?

Mardi Gras 2011 falls on Tuesday, March 8. Mardi Gras, “Fat Tuesday”, is the last day of the Carnival season, as it always falls on the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. However, up here in New England we just find a good date close to Fat Tuesday and have masquerades and costume balls, celebrating the funky music of New Orleans.

Find The Chicken Slacks this year at the Second Annual Chicken Slacks Costume Ball, at the great C-Note in Hull, Massachusetts. New Orleans dance party!

See you there on Saturday night, March 12....

Check out our YouTube channel

2011-02-06T17:49:00.007-05:00

We're having fun with our Chicken Slacks YouTube channel, adding new live videos of the band, plus posting dozens of classic videos of the music that has inspired our vision.

New live Slacks video includes three songs from our recent appearance at Johnny D's in Somerville, Massachusetts-- covers of deep funk classics from Clarence Reid, Rufus Thomas, and Johnny Guitar Watson.

Our "favorites" collection includes many obscure gems-- Cardell Funk Machine, The Soul Investigators, The Soul Brothers Six, The Soulfadelics-- and great cuts from more familiar names-- Spencer Wiggins, O.V. Wright, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin and more.

Drop on by Chicken Slacks TV! Updates every week.

Looking through the photo album

2011-01-24T14:55:00.008-05:00

Some faves from 2010...

Private party at Copperfield's on Landsdowne Street

Opening night at The Tap in Haverhill, MA

Another Thursday at The Cantab Lounge...

New portrait by Ron Pownall.

Just found this...

2011-01-15T20:28:00.002-05:00

...on The Highlife:

From Dec 22--

"I only just found this out recently, but The Cantab Lounge in Cambridge, MA has a gem of a night every Thursday. Brought to courtesy of one of the funkiest and most soulful units this region has to offer, The Chicken Slacks. One of the gentlemen sitting by where I was just happened to be the father of the drummer, Mark, and was himself a drummer. He also happened to mention that Mark had randomly broken out his old Gretsch drum kit from 1957 for that night. Talk about classic. Please ignore my giggly commentary, I was kinda caught up in the funkiness of it all. Check them out one of these days when you get a chance."

Thanks!

Happy Holidays

2010-12-24T14:31:00.002-05:00

A little shameless self-promotion

2010-11-09T17:05:00.007-05:00

Gratifying to read recent posts on Yelp about the Slacks at The Cantab Lounge.

“The bar-- Cantab Lounge. The band-- The Chicken Slacks. The day-- Thursday. The night-- Funky. The mood-- Elated. The evening-- oohhhhhh sssoooo grroovvyyyy…”

“Two Words: Diamond D...”

“Everyone should go to Cantab Lounge on Thursday nights. The band, The Chicken Slacks, were far from slackers. Not only did they jam until 2am, but also Jeremy (sax player) could be seen smiling while billowing into his horn…”

“In a phenomenal move of showmanship, Diamond D leaves the stage completely at least a few times and retreats to the back office...then returns minutes later to crazy applause. Serious performers know how to enter and exit a room…”

“You need to come on a Thursday night to be funkified ASAP if you have never been…”

“But for my money, there is undoubtedly no better night of dancing in Boston then the Chicken Slacks on Thursday. This funk-soul outfit brings together twenty-something hipsters, soccer moms, and a plethora of goofily grizzled barflies…”

“On Thursday nights, Cantab Lounge is THE place to be. Why? Two words: Chicken Slacks. ..”

Thanks to all who took the time to be kind!

Photo shoot on the docks

2010-10-14T12:58:00.003-04:00

Had a fun photo shoot recently with the legendary photographer Ron Pownall, hanging around Pier 4 at the Boston Navy Yard. We were in good hands-- Ron has shot a huge collection of iconic photos of Dylan, Janis, Tina Turner, Springsteen, Marvin Gaye, the Stones, on and on, including a few covers for Rolling Stone magazine. Check out his work here, and look for our new band portraits soon!

We had a great Fifth Anniversary Circus

2010-09-23T15:32:00.003-04:00

Thanks to all who came to celebrate our five years in residence at The Cantab Lounge in Cambridge, MA. Our Fifth Anniversary Circus was the best one yet-- some 350 came out to party-- and we are grateful for the support of our long-time fans and our new fans, as well. Check out our Facebook page to see a few photos.

Here's a couple pics to get you started:

The party started outside The Cantab

Diamond D and Steve, our favorite bartender

Jeremy interviewed by The Worcester Telegram and Gazette

2010-08-05T16:02:00.010-04:00

Victor D. Infante, of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette has a column called "What Are You Listening To," and our Music Director Jeremy Valadez gave these answers:

Here's Jeremy's list:

1. King Curtis – “Memphis Soul Stew” Live at the Fillmore West. One of the best Live performances All-Time! You can't go wrong with Aretha backed by King Curtis.

2. “Check the Rhime” – A Tribe called Quest. (They used a lot of sampling in this album. This particular track has the saxophone line from “Love Your Life” by Average White Band.)

3. “Bad Luck” - Hank Carbo (We pay homage to Hank by sometimes playing “Hot Pants” Thursdays at the Cantab.)

4. “Gentle Thoughts”- Herbie Hancock, from the album "Secrets." (My favorite Herbie tune of all time. It just sounds… right.) On this YouTube link you'll find a sampling of all the tracks on "Secrets."

5. “The World Is Round” - Rufus Thomas. Another classic from Rufus.

6. “On Fire” - JJ Grey & Mofro via YouTube, live at The Second Annual Blackwater Soul Revue in Saint Augustine, FL,2008. It’s raw, gritty, and the music video would do the song justice, I’d have to imagine.

7. “Danseuses De Delphes” – Claude Debussy ‘Debussy: Preludes Book 1’ I like listening to Debussy in the winter. Very serene; ephemeral. On the other hand “Minstrels” from the same Preludes Book is, what I believe, a jovial jaunt between some musicians on the street busking and fighting over which one deserves the tips from the next patron.

8. “Nothing Can Change This Love” – Sam Cooke. A beautiful ballad that I want to add to our repertoire. Sam's voice is oh, so smooth.

9. “Hip City” aka “Do That Shing A Ling ” - Jr. Walker and the All Stars Live on Soul Train. His range is absolutely amazing! He just keeps popping out all of those “F’s”!

10. "Show Me Something Beautiful" - Trombone Shorty. If you don’t know who this is, you’ll need to find out as quickly as humanly possible. I had the pleasure of meeting him back in 2000 in New Orleans when he was just a teenager. He had the most clear, crisp, and precise tone I’ve ever heard come out of that horn. That night aI got a lesson on self-expression. I knew he was going to be big, but damn! I saw him again when I played in a brass band that opened Sound Session 2010 in Providence, RI. Great guy, too. He is the new sound of New Orleans.

Thanks, Victor!

Summer greetings

2010-06-08T16:06:00.004-04:00

Just a check in...how's everybody?

Summer means lots of wedding gigs, about 20 this season, in six states. Our wedding reception gigs are a blast, as we play the same show we play at our club gigs. The Chicken Slacks always bring a Chicken Slacks party.

What else? Our trumpeter Mike Reavey has a new baby girl!

The Cantab continues to be packed every Thursday night!

We are playing an important benefit on the Boston waterfront on July 15 for Make-a-Mark, a foundation that provides sailing opportunities for kids. With this benefit, Make-a-Mark can provide scholarships for kids in need. Check it out. Mayor Tom Menino is the honorary chair for this worthy cause. The great Erin and the Soul Drivers will cover our Cantab night while we play this benefit.

A couple great club gigs coming soon: Friday, July 9, at Johnny D's in Somerville, and Friday, August 6 at The C-Note in Hull, MA. The best way to track our appearances is on our MySpace page.

Have you checked out our guitarist Michael Duke singing "Ooh Poo Pah Doo," live at The Cantab? Great crowd participation. Here you go. Check out our many other YouTube videos, too.

We are really pumping out our Facebook postings. Check out our many posts of rare classic soul concert footage, such as this one, Barbara Lynn singing "You'll Lose a Good Thing." Simply awesome.

Have a great summer-- make it funky and full of soul! We'll stay in touch!

Thanks to My Secret Boston

2010-02-25T13:18:00.002-05:00

Thanks to My Secret Boston for this recent post:

"This generation needs a soul cleansing. These days it's too easy to get caught up in distractions-- iPhones, Twitter, Lady Gaga-- and forget about the true party favors. Deep down we are begging for a savior, perhaps a righteous cocktail of relentless rhythmic entitlement. You know-- the type of beat that grabs booties of all sizes and gives them a nice shaking.

We are talking about soul, and, lucky for us locals, The Chicken Slacks have turned Thursday nights at The Cantab into a sweat-drenched ode to a time we can all dig, a time when the Godfather of Soul was alive and sane, a time when people willfully danced around divine beats, all while carrying the devil's intentions in their hips.

The Slacks make you believe that somewhere the Reverend Al Green himself approaches a gospel choir and asks, "Can I get a witness?" Why not witness it for yourself? Amen. Wallace."

Thank You Chicken Slacks Nation!

2010-02-09T12:13:00.002-05:00

Hey Y'all

I wanted to take the time to thank the band and the wonderful people of the cantab lounge as well as the rest of the chicken slacks' nation for welcoming me into the band with open arms! These Past two months have been an absolute blast playing with The Chicken Slacks and a true education of Soul! A Big Thank you to Justin Berthiaume for believing that i could help carry on the Slacks tradition, without is love for soul, none of this would be possible. Thank y'all so very much!! Now Get your pants on and get down to the Cantab this thursday, cause its the only way to start your weekend!!

Cheers!

Mark

Getting ready for Mardi Gras

2010-01-30T15:31:00.013-05:00

Our guitarist Michael Duke is taking the leadership on prepping the band for this year's Mardi Gras season.

The Duke has strong New Orleans credentials, having toured with the great Johnny Adams for six years, serving as Adam's music director. He seems to have about 10,000 classic and obscure New Orleans recordings in his iPod.

Listen for the Slacks playing party faves from Professor Longhair, The Hawketts, Jessie Hill, The Meters, Chris Kenner, Dr. John and more.

The Louisiana connection is strong with The Slacks. Diamond D hales from Slidell, LA., and Texans Jeremy Valadez and Curtis Jerome Haynes are known to have crossed that border a few times.

Come party with us for Mardi Gras:

Feb 5: Ralph's Rock Diner in Worcester, MA.

Feb 19: Johnny D's in Somerville, MA.

Feb 20: The C Note in Hull, MA.

And, of course-- Every Thursday night at The Cantab Lounge.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Happy New Year

2009-12-30T16:41:00.012-05:00

Thanks for all your support in 2009. It was a great year.

To commemorate, we have new video to share.

"On a Saturday Night" is a photo montage from many of our 2009 gigs, set to the great Steve Cropper/Eddie Floyd composition as recorded on our CD "Can You Dig It." Thanks to all the great photographers.

"Sookie Sookie" is our take on the funky Don Covay classic, recorded live at The Cantab Lounge in Cambridge, MA.

"Funky Way to Treat Somebody" is a little-known Calvin Arnold piece that we recorded for "Can You Dig It?" Here, we perform it live at The Cantab.

Thanks again for all the great times.

More live tracks on MySpace

2009-12-08T17:08:00.003-05:00

We've added some more hot tracks to our MySpace jukebox-- all recorded live at The Cantab Lounge in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Check out the beautiful harmonies backing Diamond D's lead on the Eddie Floyd ballad "I've Never Found Me a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)." There are great solos all around on our funky version of Walter Wolfman Washington's "You Can Stay (But That Noise Got to Go)," and our guitarist Michael Duke plays two spectacular solos on Little Milton's classic composition "That's What Love Will Make You Do."

These tracks really give a sense of the hot vibe at The Cantab Lounge, where we have played every Thursday night for four years to packed houses of loyal fans. Music starts at 9:30. See you there!

The Slacks open for BLOWFLY @ Ralph's Diner!

2009-11-21T03:34:00.004-05:00

Whew! Just got back from a rockin' night in "Wormtown"!!!
Ohhh Ralph's! You never cease to amaze me.

This time we were called upon to open for the X-Rated alter ego of Clarence Reid, Blowfly!
This foul-mouthed singer/songwriter had quite a bit of success in the '70s.
We do homage to Mr. Reid by playin' his tune "Nobody But You Babe". One of my favs!

His specialty is making dirty parodies of famous soul and pop hits.
I'll save you the vernacular...
Check him out!!!
http://www.myspace.com/blowfly

ALSO! Check out Blowfly performing live at the Talking Head in Baltimore! Clarence Reid - Vocals. Cris Chavez - Guitar. Dennis Murcia - Bass. Mr. Lock - Keyboard. Tom Bowker - Drums
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g_4JAF8QSg

Boston Blues Society parties with The Chicken Slacks

2009-10-06T11:00:00.008-04:00

Thanks to Mike Mellor for this fun article appearing in the Boston Blues Society's October 2009 issue:

Funky Way: The Chicken Slacks At The Cantab Lounge
By Mike Mellor October 2009
Photo by Billy Korecki

"The first time I saw the Chicken Slacks I had no idea who they were.

"It was one of those oppressive summer nights when even after sunset you start sweating the minute you walk outside. My friend and I were on a mission to do some old-fashioned weeknight drinking and the Cantab Lounge was right down the street. The bar wasn’t much cooler than it was outside, but the beer was and we knew that Steve the bartender never leaves you with an empty glass. We decided to stay.

"The music hadn’t started when we got there but the band was setting up. They were seven dudes with horns and keys, and some of them were old enough to be my father. I shot my friend a jaded glance and said, “Oh boy, looks like we showed up for the fuddy duddy soul all-stars.” I was expecting something lame, like a cover band you’d find in a cheesy hotel bar off some suburban highway.

"The next morning I woke up fully clothed on my friend’s couch with a pounding headache and vague memories of the night before. There was a pimp in a burgundy suit and a matching fedora, a woman twice my age (and twice my size) with whom I’d had a heart-to-heart, and soul music so earnest and strong that by eleven o’clock most of the barflies were shaking on the dance floor.

"The band that looked so unassuming had kicked a hole through both standard and obscure soul songs, showing not only a breadth of knowledge but also a real love for the music they were playing. By the middle of the second set they eliminated any doubt as to whether they belonged with this weird little bunch of carousing drunks. Never mind belonging, they commanded it, and I had the sweat and the crow in my mouth to prove it.

"A couple of months later the Chicken Slacks strung a few Thursday nights together at the Cantab and they haven’t looked back since, having played 209 consecutive weeks as we go to publication. What started as an unpretentious band in an unpretentious bar has turned into a wildly popular dance party and a Cambridge institution that brings together all walks of life like few things in this stuffy town can.

"That unpretentiousness is important. As party bands go, there is the kind that just shows up for the party and the kind like the Chicken Slacks that truly is the party. What makes them different is that their approach does away with play-acting bullshit and focuses on the nuts and bolts of the music. They don’t have matching outfits and they don’t get too cute with gimmicks; they just play their music with the talent, love, enthusiasm and knowledge[1] that matters.

"“That's what we've always wanted it to be,” drummer and founding member Justin Berthiaume said when I mentioned it. “Have people come and forget their troubles, have a great time and want to come back and see what we're going to pull off next week.” Based on the number of repeat partygoers I’ve seen at their shows, that is exactly what’s happening.

"The key to the band’s style seems to lie in the collection of individuals and how they cohere. It’s interesting to see, for one, how two accomplished front men share the spotlight. Trumpeter John Moriconi had success in his twelve years fronting Mission of Blues, but in this band he graciously defers center stage to Durand “Diamond D” Wilkerson (who they refer to as “lead vocalist and main mojo”). Wilkerson, in turn, shares his vocal duties with Morconi and bassist Rick Rosco.

"You’d be hard-pressed to find a front man as talented and charismatic as Wilkerson or a horn player as powerful as Morconi, and the fact that they are willing to share the front of the stage says a lot about the ethos of the band. The great thing is that they know they are all the better for it.

"The band also effortlessly mixes younger players into the mix, which gives the band a balanced sound that other soul bands in the region don’t have. “It's a good combination of experience and youthful exuberance,” is how Moriconi put it, and the same can be said for the makeup of their audience. Especially true at their fourth anniversary carnival last month, the crowd at a Chicken Slacks show transgresses boundaries of age, race and social group. It’s always fun to see a group take on the personality of the band it’s following and that’s what happens every week. The vibe is decidedly come as you are and get down.

"[1] Speaking of knowledge, John Moriconi let me in on a little secret as to where their obscure covers come from. “We have a really good resource,” he said. “His name is Brother Wayne,” soul music aficionado, record store rat and radio DJ. “His scope and breadth of knowledge of the genre is beyond anything I've ever known.” Check him out Wednesdays between Noon and 2pm on 88.1 WMBR, or on his blog at recordkharma.blogspot.com"

Check out The Boston Blues Society

Playground Boston: Slacks "the most fun."

2009-09-27T03:45:00.012-04:00

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."

See more of Billy Korecki's Circus pics.

Worcester digs The Chicken Slacks

2009-09-15T19:59:00.010-04:00

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!"

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

2009-09-08T14:32:00.008-04:00

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.

Mike Null takes China sabbatical

2009-08-27T14:06:00.004-04:00

We are very excited to announce guitarist's Mike Null's three-month musical sabbatical to China!

Mike is taking his satellite project, humbly named "The Mike Null Blues Band," to the other side of the world to play The House of Blues and Jazz in Shang Hai until December! You can learn more about his trip and follow him as he funks up the Orient at his blog. We've also enlisted him to do some on-location reporting for us about what it's like to be a young, good-looking, killer American guitar player in the most populated city in the most populated country in the world. And we've given him specific instructions to GET US A GIG in China! So check back here for more updates from our roving six-stringer. We wish you all the best, Mike, and as Confusious says, "He who breaks a leg, must sit down to play." Or something like that...

"What on earth will you do without Mike?" you might ask? Never fear, for the 'Slacks always pull it off with the grace and soul that's kept us running for eight long years now. We're pleased as punch to announce our fill-in "acting" guitar ace, Mike Duke. Mr. Duke has a very long and impressive musical resume, having been the musical director and guitarist for Johnny Adams and Mighty Sam McClaine, and having performed with the likes of Van Morrison, Boz Scaggs, Cab Calloway, The Coasters, The Drifters, and dozens of New Orleans artists. Mike Null's sabbatical offers us the chance to perform with (and for our fans to witness) a tried and tested veteran guitarist of the American soul and funk scene. We're truly thrilled. Come check us out over the next couple of months and let us know what you think!

And be sure to wish Mike Null the best of luck out there in Chinatown. Come home safe!

2009-08-12T13:41:00.001-04:00

Check out our live tracks on MySpace

2009-08-05T14:29:00.005-04:00

We are posting some great live tracks from our Thursday Cantab gigs on our MySpace jukebox. Check out our two most recent adds: the Dyke and the Blazers classic dance tune "The Wobble," and our funkified version of "Night Train."

Check out more live cuts.

Slacks 2009 Weddings in Full Force!

2009-07-14T00:07:00.004-04:00

It's summer! And that means the 'Slacks are on the road virtually every weekend headed to some of the most beautiful, romantic, fun spots in New England to rock a very well dressed, well fed crowd. We love helping to plan these shindigs. Each one is different, and each happy couple is another unique example of the power of true love (we eat that stuff up)! And we love hearing the jaw-dropping compliments from folks who've never heard us before!

Thanks to Amanda at Orchard Grove Photography for the great images below from Dan and Liz's wedding...

An historic Houseparty at the Cantab!!

2009-06-19T12:37:00.005-04:00

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

2009-06-09T20:40:00.007-04:00

(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

2009-06-03T18:11:00.005-04:00

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

2009-06-03T17:45:00.003-04:00

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!

Headlining Harpoon's Summer Session Friday June 5

2009-05-18T12:56:00.004-04:00

The Chicken Slacks will be headlining the first night of Harpoon Summer Session on Friday, June 5! This is Harpoon Brewery's summer festival of beer and bands. Outside and under tents, Harpoon celebrates the coming of summer with Harpoon beer fresh from the brewery and great local music from some of the area's best up and coming bands. The event takes place at the Harpoon Brewery, 306 Northern Ave., on Boston's Waterfront.
There's a free shuttle from South Station, and the silver line T takes you right there. If you drive, please have a designated driver!
The Slacks will play two long sets of funk from 6:30pm until 10pm, with DJ Claude Money and DJ PJ Gray spinning tunes during our break. S e e you then!

New Article/Interview in Metronome Magazine

2009-05-05T12:08:00.006-04:00

From the April 2009 issue of Metronome Magazine. Join author/poet/reporter Jade Sylvan as she visits The Chicken Slacks at their rehearsal loft and finds out who these bad boys of Boston funk really are.

Read the full article here.

2009-05-05T08:58:00.001-04:00

Eddie Bo 1930 - 2009

2009-04-24T14:35:00.004-04:00

The New Orleans Jazz Fest begins today, and Eddie Bo’s name will be spoken often in these two weeks to come. At last year’s Jazz Fest, Bo had a joyous evening with Marcia Ball and others at the WWOZ Piano Night, and a return was planned for this year. Sadly, Eddie Bo died of heart failure on March 18, at 79. But it's New Orleans, of course, and any sad talk of Bo’s passing will quickly turn to happy celebration of a good man who left a great legacy.

Eddie Bo was one of those “most influential/least known” artist types. He grew up in NOLA’s Ninth Ward, with Fats Domino and Professor Longhair as neighbors, and eventually performed and recorded for some fifty years, working with at least a dozen labels. His musical interests crossed genres, and he was a master at weaving all those interests into a music that was always textured, colorful and grooving. His late sixties and early seventies funk was some of the best ever to come out of New Orleans.

For an excellent two-part blog on Eddie Bo's music, with sound files, check out Dan Phillip's very cool Home of the Groove: http://homeofthegroove.blogspot.com/2009/03/in-pursuit-of-bo-consiousness.html

AND, we thank Chas Lewis for beginning his March 27 tribute to Eddie Bo with our version of Bo’s “Hook and Sling.” We’re honored.

Check out The South Side with Chas Lewis, Fridays 7-10pm PST, on KHUM 104.3 FM and 104.7 FM, In Humboldt County, CA. Find Chas on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/chaslewis

Slacks at the 6th Annual Boston Cares Awards Reception

2009-04-21T20:09:00.004-04:00

It was a perfect day for an awards ceremony, I tell ya!
The Slacks' jazz cocktail crew was up for playing at the Boston Cares 6th Annual Awards Reception at Nixon Peabody LLP in downtown Boston; come rain, come shine!
It was the former, by the way...
This was by far one of the smoothest, easiest gigs I've played in some time. We all had such a great time!
So, the Sox were rained out, but the Slacks were cool and dry like a martini. The show must go on!
A special thanks goes out to Lynn Weisel for helping us with this and for her warm welcome. As well as, a big Thanks to the catering staff for filling us full of tasty treats. We look forward to seein' ya next year. Or, even sooner than that!!!
To find out more about Boston Cares, Click here
Peas

Johnny Blue Horn in the Patriot Ledger!

2009-04-13T11:35:00.006-04:00

Who's your favorite Chicken Slack? If, like so many of you, it's Johnny Blue Horn, today is your lucky day! The South Shore's daily newspaper The Patriot Ledger recently interviewed the Quincy native...read on for all things Johnny:

Johnny Blue Horn couldn’t be happier
Jay Miller - The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, MA)
Friday, February 20, 2009

Quincy’s John Moriconi has followed his love of rhythm and blues and soul to many interesting places. But he’s seldom been happier than when he’s performing as a trumpeter and secondary vocalist for The Chicken Slacks.
The septet, which plays every Thursday night at The Cantab Lounge in Cambridge’s Central Square, has just released an album entitled “Can You Dig It?,” a baker’s dozen of incendiary soul and R&B tracks, including four originals.
The band is a featured attraction at tonight’s Mardi Gras Ball at Johnny D’s in Somerville.
Most South Shore fans will recall Moriconi - also known as Johnny Blue Horn - as the multi-talented frontman for Mission Of Blues for more than a dozen years. That band, led by guitarist Steve Todesco of Roslindale, also includes Rockland drummer Gary MacDonald. But Moriconi, who held down a day job in an administrative office for all of that run, eventually grew restless and wanted to explore other options.
“I had been with Mission Of Blues about 11 or 12 years, and I loved the band,” said Moriconi. “But it was staying where it was. I just felt I needed a different path. Rhythm & Blues and soul music had always been my first love, and Mission did some of that, but mostly blues covers. I made a decision in about mid-2006 to leave that band, simply because I wanted to go in a different direction.”
Word soon worked its way through the Boston-area music scene, and before long Moriconi had a new offer.
“That summer…The Chicken Slacks told me they were looking for a trumpet player,” said Moriconi. “I had never even seen the band before, but I went to one of their shows and I knew this was a good fit.”
Moriconi is a native of Colchester, CT, who began playing trumpet when he was eight years old. From school bands he soon gravitated to garage bands, listening all the while to the variety of tunes FM radio offered in the 1970s.
“It’s not easy to be in a garage band when you play trumpet, and all the music is made for guitars,” Moriconi said.
After high school, Moriconi joined the Air Force, where he tried out unsuccessfully for the Air Force band and worked on expanding his collection of cassette tapes.
“I developed a knack of invading people’s record collections,” Moriconi said. “Whenever someone new arrived on the base, I’d ask if I could check out their record collection and I’d make my own cassettes. I ended up with about 400 tapes of all kinds of music.”
When he finished his tour with the Air Force, he came to Boston to team up with a friend who was a drummer studying at Berklee College of Music. Moriconi landed a spot in a band called Drive All Night soon thereafter. In 1992, Moriconi answered a newspaper ad for a blues band and became one of the Roadhouse Sheiks, a band best remembered for hosting the weekly blues jams at the Days Inn in Brighton for a time. Around ’95, Moriconi spotted another ad, this time for a singer/harmonica player. It turned out to be Mission Of Blues, and Moriconi convinced them his trumpet was just as good as a blues harp, and undoubtedly more unique.
Mission Of Blues spent a few years developing its sound, and by 1999 shocked many Beantown hipsters by winning the Battle of the Boston Blues Bands at Harper’s Ferry in Allston.
“We came out of nowhere that year,” Moriconi said.
But the time had come to forge new territory, and that was with The Chicken Slacks. He said it’s been a kick from the first notes they played together.
“What I like most about The Chicken Slacks is that their repertoire is not the same standard tunes that 50 other bands around town are playing,” he said. “On this album we have four originals, but some really obscure songs from other artists, too. Everyone in this band is a really good student of music, so we have a lot of great input. The first tune on the CD is actually a Captain Beefheart song - he’s best known for his satirical music, but he also wrote some really good soul music, too.”
Besides Moriconi, The Chicken Slacks include Durand Wilkerson on lead vocals, Jeremy Valadez on sax, Curtis Jerome Haynes on keyboards, Mike Null on guitar, Rick Rosco on bass and Justin Berthiaume on drums.
The weekly sessions at the Cantab have been a godsend for the band, offering exposure and a great venue to unveil new material.
“The Cantab residency is a true rarity, a long-term gig at such a legendary spot,” Moriconi said.
Jay N. Miller covers popular music on the South Shore and in the Boston area.

Metronome Review

2009-04-13T11:27:00.003-04:00

Boston's Metronome Magazine published another great review of Can You Dig It? Here it is:

The Chicken Slacks have been evolving steadily over the years and their new album Can You Dig It? finds them sounding better than ever. With the additions of singer "Diamond" Durand Wilkerson and guitarist Mike Null, The Chicken Slacks have found a solid residence in the world of soul and R&B.
The group has been holding a residency at Cambridge's Cantab Lounge for several years now and it really shows in their tightness, funky interplay and spot-on dynamics. Boasting grooves that smolder slow and sure from this savvy septet, the songs of "Too Much Time," "On A Saturday Night," "I Wanna Take A Shower With You," John Fogerty's "Long As I Can See The Light," and the Curtis Mayfield inspired "Tragedy," signify that The Chicken Slacks have arrived in style. -Douglas Sloan
BUY THE CD DOWNLOAD THE CD

Brother Wayne

2009-04-03T18:11:00.006-04:00

A couple weeks ago, D burned two CD's for me of a recent Brother Wayne "Lost and Found" program for my long drive to a Vermont Slacks gig. Thanks D, and thanks Brother Wayne.

Brother Wayne, a world-reknown collector of rare 60's and 70's funk and soul singles, is a deep treasure for the Slacks, not only by dropping by The Cantab every Thursday, but also by turning us on to some very hip music. One of my favorites from the March 25 show was "Somebody Got to Love You," by Don Covay and The Good Timers. Nice push-ahead gospel feel.

Brother Wayne hosts WMBR's "Lost and Found" every Wednesday, 12:00 - 2:00 PM, playing vinyl singles from his warehouse-sized collection. Check out http://wmbr.mit.edu/www/sched-mul and click on "Wednesday" for a link to Wayne's playlist and archives.

This goes straight to Wayne's blog: http://recordkharma.blogspot.com/

It doesn't get any better.

Big shout out to Brother Wayne.

The Noise review of Can You Dig it?

2009-03-10T05:34:00.006-04:00

The Noise's Julia Rose DeStefano had some great things to say about the new CD Can You Dig It? Check it out below.
Click here for The Noise online version.

The Chicken Slacks, appropriately dubbed “Boston’s hardest-working funk and soul band,” do not disappoint with their latest release. Having just celebrated the third anniversary of a Thursday night residency at the Cantab Lounge, the Slacks are renowned for their incomparable energy. Can You Dig It? captures the essence of their live performance. The album alternates smoothly between catchy simple structures geared towards dancing and slower sensual grooves. Music aficionados will instantly recognize the opener: lead vocalist Diamond D’s harmonious rendition of Captain Beefheart’s “Too Much Time.” There’s also a stunning take on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Long As I Can See the Light.” Playful, tongue-in-cheek sexual innuendo is offered in “Going to the Shack” and “I Wanna Take a Shower With You,” which was penned by drummer Justin “Pops” Berthiaume. The most defining track of the album is without a doubt “Funky Way.” Clocking in at over three minutes, this little gem embodies the Slacks’ beloved, signature sound. The Chicken Slacks bring funk to a whole new level; hell yeah, I dig it. (Julia R. DeStefano)
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Mr. Belding joins The Chicken Slacks

2009-03-03T19:16:00.007-05:00

Over the years The Chicken Slacks have played some pretty crazy gigs. That "School For The Deaf" casino cruise was challenging. The Fenway Park show was historic. And last Friday was another one for the Slacks' Hall of Fame.

We had an absolute blast playing for Barstool Sports' annual Mardi Gras party at McFaddens in downtown Boston.

It all started out pretty low-key: scantily clad supermodels wrapping everyone in Mardi Gras beads. Free shots of SoCo and lime. And a long line to get in the door. Typical 'Slacks gig, right?

But then they one-upped us. There was talk of a celebrity appearance that night but no one expected what El Presidente from Barstool Sports delivered: Save By The Bell's own Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins)! That's right, everyone's favorite wacky and zany high school principal from NBC's long running hit pre-teen comedy was the big draw of the night. And it didn't take long for him to find the bandstand and sit in with us for a few numbers.
Since we didn't know his first requests ("School's Out" or "any Skynard") he let us run the show and sang backups behind Diamond D for It's Your Thing and Brickhouse. D then graciously stepped aside as Belding led the band in a very moving and spot-on version of What A Wonderful World. It truly is a wonderful world when you get to share the stage with such a television phenom (check out his resume online - pretty impressive)!

So thank you Barstool Sports and thank you Dennis Haskins (aka Mr. Belding) for yet another memorable gig. It's not often we brave the nutjobs down in the Faneuil Hall area on a weekend, but this time it was worth it!

The 'Slacks featured in the Weekly Dig

2009-02-26T03:14:00.005-05:00

Jonathan Donaldson from Boston's weekly alternative-alternative newspaper, Weekly Dig, gives the 'Slacks their props on page 20 of this week's issue.

Lasseiz Les Bon Temps Roulez!!

2009-02-22T15:38:00.004-05:00

A new year, a new venue - but the same fun and frivolity held court at Johnny D's Uptown last Friday night for the 16th annual Mardi Gras party, hosted by the venerable Mickey Bliss. Once again, the Slacks were called upon to wrap up the night with some funky, sweaty music to please the revelers who came in droves to hear not only the Slacks, but the Second Line Social Order Preservation and Pleasure Society Brass Band (I think that's right), Preacher Jack, and the Confederacy of Dumpsters as well. We had a great time, again!!! Thanks to all who attended, and to those who didn't...well...there's always next year!

Intergalatic Funk

2009-02-06T08:30:00.000-05:00

Okay...So, I'm a Star Wars fan, right?

We're playin' our second set last Thursday @ the Cantab. And, we're all movin' & groovin'; shakin' and bakin'. And, whom do I see in front of me? None other than Padme, Queen Amadala herself, Natalie Portman, bustin' that thang on the floor. In front of me!

I'm glad you could join us!
Hope to see you again next time you're in town. We'll have a Pabst waitin' for ya at the bar!

See y'all next Thursday. And, may the funk be with you!

Peace and Chicken Grease

Have Birthday, Will Party

2009-02-01T11:00:00.007-05:00

It had been awhile since I've been back to Roslindale. Village Sushi. Mid-Nov. '07. A bottle of warm, house sake. Sushi and a Dragon Roll. Then, a bowlin' party @ The Milky Way. Ahhh, yes. That was awesome.

So, my return didn't cease to delivery another great time!
This time it was a Birthday Bash!!!

So, again, a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jefferey!
Everything was amazing! The food. Sweet, savory, and overall yummy-licious.
The atmosphere at the Sons of Italy in the heart of Roslindale Square was more than playful! Everyone runnin' around havin' a great time. I'm glad the Chicken Slacks could be a part of that night!

We all had a great time. Thanks, Jeff.
And, a Special Thanks to Jackie, Lizzy, Julia, Sue, and Nat for your help!

See y'all @ the Cantab this Thursday where we'll be gettin' ya to shake your money-maker up and down for that stroke on the dance floor!!!
Until then,
Peace and Chicken Grease!

New YouTube video from Johnny D's

2009-01-15T15:51:00.005-05:00

A great show last weekend at Johnny D's! Despite the snowstorm, some 200 folks braved the weather to get down to some heavy soul. We love your dedication.

Check out this YouTube video that was shot that night of a 9 minute "Rollin' With The Punches." Look for the "View in HD" option on the bottom left to see the High-def version. Dig those dance moves - both on and off the stage!

Enjoy!

Can You Dig It? New CD Available Jan. 27

2008-12-20T03:35:00.003-05:00

CAN YOU DIG IT? THE CHICKEN SLACKS FIND THEIR OWN FUNKY SOUND

The new 13-track album from Boston's hardest-working funk and soul band hits stores on January 27th

BOSTON, Mass. - December 16, 2008. A year in the making, Can You Dig It? is the culmination of the latest chapter of the now seven-year 'Slacks saga, closing a year that could be considered one of their best. With the 3rd anniversary of their Thursday night residency at The Cantab Lounge in Cambridge, The Chicken Slacks also starred in a short "rockumentary" (available on their website), and will appear as the wedding band in the upcoming Hollywood film Bride Wars starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway.

"We worked very hard to make this record sound like us - with all the energy, humor, and groove that our fans have come to appreciate," says Justin Berthiaume, the band's drummer and manager (and only remaining founding member). "We've gone through a lot of personnel changes over the years, but this current lineup has a chemistry and comraderie that really shines. That's unusual in a band, and you can hear this on the CD."

Can You Dig It? mixes original songs penned by the band with their own take on several obscure covers, some of which you may not think of as classic soul or funk. The CD opens with a surprisingly soulful Captain Beefheart tune "Too Much Time", and track 9 has singer Diamond D crooning Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Long As I Can See The Light". Throughout the CD the band stays true to the classic themes of the soul and funk genre: love and heartbreak (Diamond D's "I'm In Love" and trumpeter and vocalist John Moriconi's "Only A Fool Gets To Heaven"), tongue-in-cheek sexual innuendo ("Going To The Shack" and Berthiaume's "I Wanna Take A Shower With You"), and social justice (Diamond D's "Tragedy") all get their due.

Even the CD artwork alludes to The Chicken Slacks long story. Inside, the 3-panel fold-out features a collage of 'Slacks fans boogying down against a backdrop silhouette of the Boston skyline. "It's a nod to our fans and to our city," explained Berthiaume. "We love them and we wanted them to feel a part of this CD."

Can You Dig It? is now on sale at The Chicken Slacks shows, and will be available in stores and online January 27.

A HUGE Thank You to Scott Couper and Lenny Bradford. Oh yeah... Thank YOU, too!!!

2008-12-12T20:59:00.002-05:00

If it weren't for these guys, we may have not had a night!

Last night at the Cantab you may have been wonderin', "Just, where in the heck are Rick "The Dapper" and Mike "The Hammer"?

As, Rick was in a far, off distant land and Mike was... well, "hammerin'" away with other obligations, we decided to call upon the talented efforts of Mr. Lenny Bradford and Mr. Scott Couper. Bass and guitar respectively.

Not only did these guys step up to the proverbial "musical plate", but boy could these cats sing, as well!

"Back In The USSR" is now one of my new favorites! Thanks, Scott. And, Lenny's "The Way You Do The Things You Do" was outta sight! Thanks for "passing it around". (That's Muso Slang for: Givin' each one of us a solo, for y'all hep cats)

If you'd like to hear more of these cats, visit:
Couperbrothers.com to check out Scott and his brother, Jay
and visit: Entrain.com to hear a little more of Lenny and Entrain.

Let's do this again sometime! I know I had a blast. I hope y'all did, too!

See ya next week when we'll be at the Cantab with OUR NEW ALBUM!!! Can You Dig It?

Peace Y'all
-J

We love New York!

2008-11-25T15:02:00.007-05:00

"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

2008-11-17T16:56:00.001-05:00

Slaacckksss iiinnn ccyybbeerrssppaaaccceeee...

2008-11-11T16:15:00.005-05:00

Hey all,

We here at Slacks headquarters are always reminiscing about the past. We like our music like we like our fashion: old school.

But, recently we've jumped aboard a new school train and signed up for MySpace and Facebook! Come be our friend, fan and cyberspace confidante!

The Chicken Slacks on MYSPACE!

The Chicken Slacks on FACEBOOK!

Happy Geekin,
Mike

Hello out there in Cyberland! Another Public Service Announcement from the Chicken Slacks

2008-11-10T15:33:00.003-05:00

Them seasons are a-changin' and so are we. We'll be hitting the rehearsal "warehouse" (Coop, if you will.) in the next few weeks. Very exciting!

We have some funky tunes that'll satisfy your needs for this holiday season. Which ya know is right around the corner!!
Whoever wants a Funky Christmas, raise their hands!

We want to give ya some new tunes to shake your booty to.
So listen up for some of your NEW favorites! And, hey! Ya never know if we'll be puttin' some of your old ones in the bag, too.

Peace and Chicken grease

The Jerkus Circus - a truly spooky burlesque world!!

2008-11-04T10:04:00.003-05:00

Oh my gracious, if you didn't happen to make it out to Ralph's Diner in Worcester this past Halloween night, let me hip you to what you missed out on.

I walked up the stairs to the stage area and found two gorgeous young ladies (the Steamy Bohemians) performing a singing-comedy routine with acoustic guitar accompaniment to a rapt audience of finely costumed patrons. These gals were followed by:

a) a most bewitching witch doing a mesmerizing R-rated striptease,
b) a funny comedian,
c) more from the Steamy duo,
d) another funny comedian,
e) a troupe of gender-crossing hotties gyrating to the strains of "Transsexual Transylvania",
f) a fellow who laid down upon a platform of broken glass and actually had audience participants WALK ON HIM (this creeped me out, personally!),
g) Steamy Bohemians redux (boys, I'm tellin' ya - these ladies were SMOKIN'!!!),
h) a very funny routine where two people dressed in suits brought an uncostumed male from the crowd onstage and proceeded to dress him up as a baby doll while miming to the tune of "The Doggone Girl is Mine",
i) a naked - yes, as in fully unclothed - male comedian who was very self-depricatingly funny,
j) and yet another interjection of Steaminess before the stage was finally swept clear for the Chicken Slacks to do what we do, which in this case was to put a cap on a very fun, funny and titillating evening of frivolity.

In other word, babies - NEXT YEAR, COME OUT TO WORCESTER and see for yourselves what the Jerkus Circus has to offer. Perhaps we'll see you there!

Election Special: Ronald Reagan TONIGHT at the Cantab

2008-10-30T02:44:00.004-04:00

Ronald Reagan makes a special appearance tonight at our weekly Cantab show, in celebration of the American spirit, and to urge you to GET OUT and VOTE. Come witness the excitement (and music) of trickle-down economics!

Below is the transcription of Reagan's press release regarding this historic moment.

We’re “Ronald Reagan”, Boston’s Premier 80’s Pop Saxophone Duo, and we approved this message:

It seems that with each passing decade, our country has faced increasingly difficult times. But everywhere we go, Kelly and I still hear optimism and hope and strength by focusing our attention exclusively on 80’s pop music. For the past 20 months, we’ve scoured the record bins of this city, and Kelly and I have found so many 80’s pop songs that had real and lasting effects - songs that made a difference in people’s lives. The stories in these songs are American stories, stories that reflected the state of our union in that bygone era. We’d like to introduce you to some of those songs tonight.

And that’s why we’ve paid to bring you a 30 minute set of 80’s pop music, faithful to the original recordings, arranged with attention to each specific detail, for two saxophones, to the Cantab Lounge this evening.

You can catch us at midnight (12:00!) tonight, a pre-election special feature in the Chicken Slacks weekly Thursday night r&b dance party.

So please join us and witness our infommercial-length midnight set, as well as dance the night away (9:30 -1:30!) with the Chicken Slacks Soul Revue

- Alec

www.myspace.com/ronaldreagan80s
..............................

2008 Photo Shoot complete!

2008-10-09T11:35:00.007-04:00

The guys all sacrificed a Sunday afternoon last week to complete a much-needed photo shoot. With the addition of Jeremy and Mike to our entourage, the band needed to update it's portfolio. Sunday is usually our designated "day of rest," and with the Patriots pounding the gridiron in San Francisco, and the Red Sox deep in the Division Playoff Series, getting seven guys together to "look pretty and smile" on our usual Sabbath was something of a challenge. But for the 'Slacks, it was just business as usual - get in there and get the job done right. And this time we didn't skimp...

We were lucky enough to retain the services of the great classic rock photographer Ron Pownall, who got his start shooting the Stones in '66 and has since shot everyone from Aerosmith to Dylan to Blondie. We met at his studio in Somerville, where our friends, the lovely Polina and Sara Joy, did their best "make-up artist" impressions and made sure we looked all hot and sexy for the camera. Then Ron started directing us, shuffling us around like a deck of cards, trying different poses and expressions and moods, all the while changing lenses and vantage points and clicking what seemed to be hundreds of shots per second. Then he packed us into several tinted limos (OK, that's not exactly true, we carpooled) and he led us to a few different outdoor locations in Cambridge and Boston, changing outfits in the car and on the sidewalk, and 4 hours and a billion shots later he set us free. By the end of it all we were pretty wiped - it was like a gig, but without the playing. But it was a fun day and it won't be long before we have our pretty powdered mugs and open collars all over billboards in Paris (or at least on our website!). Say CHEESE!

3rd Anniversay Circus

2008-09-19T03:49:00.004-04:00

What did you guys think? Did everyone enjoy themselves?
Man it was crowded! It seemed like we were violating about 6 fire codes there, but hey, good times call for desperate measures. All are welcome! Actually, our apologies to those who had to wait in line or didn't get in at all. Luckily we do it all again next week (minus the belly dancer). Thanks to Boneparte the Magician, Jungle Jim with the crazy balloons, comic Andy Peters and our lovely belly-dancer-in-residence and sword-wielder Alicia. Thanks also to Claudette for the killer slide show, Brother Wayne for spinning his tunes during set break, and to Motorcycle Mike and Chris for the excellent and hilarious crowd control. And thank you fans! Another successful Circus!
If you were there, please let us know what you thought!
Photos coming soon!

Hearing the music

2008-09-11T04:43:00.003-04:00

By living in Concord, New Hampshire, I often have an hour more in my gig commutes than others in the band. An hour and a quarter to the Cantab every Thursday night, three and a half hours to our Newport, Rhode Island gig last Friday. I measure my trips by CD listenings—two, four, or six CDs per round trip, and I try to set myself up with a variety of choices to get me through all the usual early and late night moods of solitary travel.

I had the rare short ride last Saturday to our private gig in Readesboro, Vermont, just two beautiful hours of country driving from my Concord home. I started the trip under sunny skies with Elvis Costello’s “Get Happy,” but switched early to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” as the skies clouded up, and I soon replaced that one with “Hank Williams Alone with His Guitar,” as the clouds hung low and foggy in the mountains and the first rain started to fall.

The gig, a classy but relaxed wedding party, was held inside an enormous tent on the grounds of a country home, and we all loaded in before the rain got too bad. We parked in a fresh mowed field across the road that got more and more muddy as the rain settled in for the night.

I spent about half of each break in my car, listening to the rain on the roof, seat back in full recline, remembering how so often a musician will miss the music in a song by listening too intently to how the music has been written, performed, arranged and recorded. I’ll sometimes listen to a Jimmy Smith recording and hear nothing but reverb and organ riffs I should have learned by now. With the band’s current recording project, it seems that all I hear these days is studio technique-- mic placement, mix levels, stereo pans, drum sounds, horn voicings, all that, and I’ve been forgetting just to hear music.

That’s when the rain does me a lot of good. Rain, or the sound of city traffic, or even the hum of a neighbor’s air conditioner-- any ongoing noise that I can’t pull apart and figure out. Sound being what it is and nothing more. Something my ears can enjoy-- yes, even an air conditioner-- while my thoughts take a rest.

Returning to Concord after the Vermont gig, I chose not to play any CDs. I just listened to rain, tires and wind, and I remembered what Miles Davis used to say, that the space between the music is music, too. The drive home that night seemed a lot shorter than two hours, and upon pulling into my driveway, I turned the motor off and listened a bit more to the rain. “I think I liked it better with the tires in the mix,” I thought, and then I walked up the old creaky stairs to my second floor apartment and put on “Charlie Parker with Strings.”

It's Officially "Hammer Time!"

2008-09-08T11:51:00.007-04:00

Folks, we want to officially introduce you to the latest member of the Slacks entourage, our new guitar player Mike "The Hammer" Null. Mike comes to us from San Francisco where he grew up singing in a world-class boys choir (no kidding!). He travelled extensively with the choir, performing for everyone from your grandmother to the Pope! That's right, Mike's larynx has been blessed by the holiest man on the planet. If it's good enough for God, it's good enough for the Slacks!

But of course Mr. Null (the name means "zero" or "absence of anything" which Mike tells us is a GOOD thing) can also play one mean guitar. One day a few years back he quit college to practice all day every day, and it certainly shows! The man has a great sense of rhythm and will tear your face off whenever we cut him loose with a solo! Those of you who have seen him in action will attest!

Of course the big question since Mike joined the group has been "What happened to Mighty Slim?" Well, it's a sordid, foggy story, one that will make a great network mini-series someday, but as far as we can put together, Slim blacked out one night after a particularly cosmic Cantab gig, woke up in the U.S. Navy, went AWOL because they wanted him to cut his hair, got marooned on the Ivory Coast and fell in love with a rebel leader's daughter. Soon after, she was killed in battle, and he was so heartbroken that he sought amnesty in China and is now studying Shaolin Kung Fu with Mongolian sheepherders on the outskirts of the Gobi desert. He now goes by Mighty Sahn. You just never know with that guy...

So let's all welcome Mike Null to the lineup - a great addition to the cause!

New Locale, Same Great Flavor

2008-09-07T17:01:00.007-04:00

Hello there everyone in Blog-vania!

I just moved to Central Square and BOY is my back a-hurtin'! First off...I wanna thank Mara, Amanda, and Brad for helping me with this move. THANKS!

I didn't want to head out "into it all" with the rest of the college folks on Sept. 1st. That day is the Day-of-ALL-Movin'-Days. So, I decided to get a jump on it and did it the week before. I feel like I can NOW catch up on my sleep. But, nuh-uh... not so fast...The Chickenslacks have some more amazing times to offer you! And I'll be danged if you catch Yours Truly sleepin' at the wheel!

I've just moved into this great place only a block away from the Cantab! (I'm already liking where THIS is goin'! tee-hee... No more cab rides, and I get to "stumble home"... ) But, I've FINALLY unpacked everything, and I'm ready to head out into Cambridge, my new home away from home.

Oh yeah... At least I know one person living here in my apartment. Mr. Lee Lundy. He is our resident go-to bass man when our main fella, the indelible Rick Roscoe, is away in some far off land. So, if you ever see me or my roommate Lee, don't hesitate to stop us and say HI.

One more thing....Any good places to eat and hang?!?!

Peace and Chicken grease!
Your Saxyman,
Jeremy D. Valadez

3 Year Anniversary Circus set for Sept 18

2008-08-28T14:16:00.004-04:00

For 156 Thursdays in a row, The Chicken Slacks have been pouring the best classic soul and funk onto a sweaty and eager Cantab Lounge crowd, creating a weekly juke joint dance party that has aptly become known as “Your Gateway to the Weekend.”

On Thursday, September 18, the Chicken Slacks host their annual Anniversary Circus to commemorate yet another year of “Every Damn Thursday.”

Besides the usual get-down music from the ‘Slacks, past Anniversary shows have included jugglers, caricature artists, belly dancers, balloon twisters, giveaways and raffles. What to expect this year? Expect to be wowed, in many ways.

Heating it up on the Vineyard

2008-08-27T17:06:00.004-04:00

Hiya Slackers!

The Slacks are riding the high from two great shows on Martha's Vineyard! We packaged up the soul, threw it on a ferry, and bussed it over to Lola's in Oak Bluffs where we played two straight nights.

Friday's show appeared to be jam packed, but the staff kept apologizing for a small turnout! There were some fireworks going on nearby, and they promised us a full house the next night! Full house? The crowd we saw wasn't a full house? Oh boy..

Saturday.. was a full house. Felicia Taylor (daughter of the great Bird Taylor) kicked the night off with some beautiful soul singing that set the mood just right. When the Slacks hit, not only did we see a few people return from Friday's show, but we saw a slew of new faces all shakin' it out on the dance floor. We also saw some our fans from the Cantab travel all the way out to see us!

To all involved, we'd like to express our sincere thanks for the great hospitality. Here's to the opportunity for a return trip!

Signing off,
Hammer

Rave Review!

2008-08-26T13:59:00.005-04:00

We've just discovered a nice review of the Chicken Slacks by a photographer who worked at a wedding where we were performing. It's great to hear such positive feedback! Check it out...

http://christinkhan.blogspot.com/2008/08/chicken-slacks_25.html

Diamond D and his Voodoo Tea

2008-08-14T03:32:00.002-04:00

You'll see it at every Slacks gig - before the show and on the breaks, the consumate musician caring for his instrument. Diamond D screws open his little blue thermos and carefully pours out a few drams of hot tea. He sips it meticulously. "It's for my throat," he says softly. "I can't sing without it."
But this is no ordinary Oolong or English Breakfast. No no, it's homemade by Mr. Wilkerson himself, according to strict rules and ancient rituals. What's in it? I have no idea, but I know the recipe has changed - no, evolved - over the years. I know that D frequents a local Chinese market to obtain certain special leaves. I know he also travels to Salem, Massachusetts (home of all things wicken) to procure a special additive. I know it takes over 30 minutes to steep a small batch.
One night I asked him what was in it, and he gave me a pretty long (but clearly incomplete) list, including ginger, honey, and licorice. "Any voodoo?" I asked. "Not yet," he replied with his signature mysterious sneer. I guess it hasn't come to that yet. I was going to ask him for a sip, but I'm afraid.
So next time you see Diamond D sipping his tea, ask him what's in it, maybe he'll tell you. And then ask if you can have a taste. I dare you.

Hot Fun In The Summertime

2008-07-29T10:00:00.006-04:00

So here we are, half way through the summer already - and man, it's been busy! The Cantab has been packed with new faces (and old), we've been killing them at the weddings (there has not been a dancefloor large enough...), the new CD is almost finished (and sounding great!), and the weather in Boston has been beautiful!

It's a nice time to sit back, work on our tans and pop a cold one, but we're also busy planning all the exciting stuff coming up in a couple of months - the release of the new CD, the 3-Year Anniversary Circus at the Cantab (Sep. 11) , The Halloween Masquerade Ball (Oct 31), and a few other fantastic unmentionables.

So stay tuned, and in the meantime, please, enjoy some Hot Fun In The Summertime. And drop us line sometime, if you had a good time! We love ya!

See you all at Johnny D's!

2008-06-26T17:29:00.005-04:00

A rare Boston-area weekend performance!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Johnny D's
17 Holland St. Davis Sq Somerville

The band is really pumped for this show, our first at this great Boston-area mainstay since..oh...2003 I think. "We've come a long way, baby!"
Please call Johnny D's for dinner reservations. The Slacks play two different sets (thats about 40 tunes!), but the price of admission gets you into both. 9:30 and 11:30.
Bring your Boogie Shoes!

Powerhouse soul CD from the Slacks!

2008-06-19T00:31:00.002-04:00

You've all probably heard that we'd recently whisked ourselves away to Powerhouse Studios in central Massachusetts to lay tracks for our much-anticipated, and as-yet-unnamed, CD. Well, with the help of a wise technical wizard named Chris Lannon as our engineer, we've put down some slammin' grooves for this project. We anticiapte a final product of twelve tunes, including four Slacks originals. We still have some more work to do, but trust me, it's going to be some of the best soul sounds you'll hear in Boston! Ol' pal Alec "Big Al" Spiegelman has lent his talents on baritone sax and horn arrangements and I put my just-recently-purchased flugelhorn to the test on a few tunes as well. So hang in there, babies - the final product will be available to all in just a short time. Meanwhile, we'll keep honing our skills on the Cantab stage every Thursday night as always, so come on down and dance a while! You'll be glad you did.

The Slacks play Fenway Park

2008-06-04T13:12:00.010-04:00

The band played a very memorable gig last Saturday at one of Boston's most hallowed grounds - the jewel of America's favorite pastime - and the home of the World Champion Boston Red Sox - historic Fenway Park. Last Saturday The Red Sox were on the road in Baltimore, so Fenway opened it's gates to host the annual benefit ball of the Junior League of Boston. For those of you who don't know, the Junior League is a charitable organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities. We certainly have an affinity for women, and charitable women are even cooler!

We got the gig like we get so many gigs - people fall in love with the band at the Cantab and, when they need to plan their own party, they think of us. The night was a great success and the Junior League raised a lot of money through their auctions and raffles. The women running the show were very helpful and (may I say?) dressed to kill and looking fine. We've played plenty of clubs, lots of wedding, been on the set of a Hollywood movie, but nothing compares to the Junior League of Boston when it came down to a knock-out crowd.

It was great just relaxing in the open-air box seats when we took our breaks, listening to Johnny Blue Horn weave his tales of Red Sox lore and recounting stories of visiting the park as a youth.

And we even saw the 2004 and 2007 World Series trophies! Go Sox! Go Junior League!

Howdy!

2008-05-21T08:42:00.003-04:00

My name is Jeremy Valadez, and I'd like to thank each and everyone of y'all for the greatest of welcomes a Texan could've wished for. I will be your new auditory saxmaster for the duration of your ride with the Chickenslacks.
I hope I can fill the shoes of Mr. Alec "Chairman of the Board" Spiegelman. He is a good friend. And, I don't think that you've seen the last of him.
I am totally psyched out that I've been given this chance to play with the 'Slacks! These guys are awesome! I've enjoyed every downbeat and upstroke, and every Up for the Downstroke, so far. And, I plan on makin' you 'shake e'ry thang you've got'.
So, next time you see me, make sure to stop me and introduce yourself. I look forward to meeting and playing for "all y'all" (that means 'everyone' where I come from).
Catch y'all on the dance floor!

Another Film?

2008-05-14T00:10:00.006-04:00

This Thursday there'll be a film crew at our gig shooting a mini-rockumentary about Thursday nights at the Cantab with The Chicken Slacks. We saw them in there last week filming some test shots, and we just heard that today they were in the Cantab having long discussions about lighting, using terms like "subtle diffusion" and "saturated contrast". Sounds like they know what they're doing! In any case, bring your best dance moves, gel that hair just right, and come down and party with us, because you might just see yourself on the big screen one day!

T-Shirt Giveaway

2008-05-13T01:16:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to our T-Shirt winners Dawn from Boston, Jeremy from Las Vegas, Lee and Maria from Worcester, and Grace from Rhode Island. Their brand new designer Chicken Slacks comfy Tees, in their favorite respective colors and proper sizes, are now being delivered First Class by a happy United Stated Postal Service mail carrier as we speak! Wear it every day with pride!
And if you missed your chance for a free T-Shirt, be sure to sign up on our Funky News email list so you can hear about all the giveaways and contests here in Slacksdom...

Kudos to Jeremy

2008-04-25T15:31:00.002-04:00

Hey everybody, I just wanted to say that I am extremely pleased and delighted to perform with the newest Slacks member, saxman Jeremy Valadez. He's really committed himself to learning a lot of horn lines on a lot of tunes in short order and he's excelled at the task. He's also been an able and willing participant in all things Slacks with a cheerful disposition and ready smile. Glad to have you on board, Jeremy!

Hollywood Swingin'

2008-04-18T11:56:00.012-04:00

Apologies to the folks who came out to see us this past Thursday at the Cantab and found us noticeably absent. It is the first Thursday we've missed in 127 weeks. But there was good reason! The band got a last minute casting call to appear in the Hollywood blockbuster (ahem) film "Bridal Wars" starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway, and the shoot was Thursday. The Slacks were Kate's wedding band! Were on the set from 10:30am to 1am. Talk about a long gig! We hope your night wasn't totally ruined by our absence and we're sure Chris Waller and Candy's band put on a great show. We'll be back next week and every damn Thursday after that (barring any more calls from L.A.), and we'll see y'all on the big screen!

Bride Wars

2008-04-18T10:53:00.003-04:00

Man what crazy work it is to make a real movie! The band got the call to appear in Bride Wars (starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway) on Sunday, with the shoot to take place Thursday night. By the time I got the band's OK and got the music to them, it was Monday night. Then they changed the shoot time from Thursday night to Thursday day! Needless to say we didn't have much time to prepare. But we're the Slacks, and we like a challenge.
We loaded in our gear to the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston at 10:30am Thursday, into the Venetian Room amid dozens of technical-looking men and women, some rushing around, some standing still looking bored. The place was completely decked out for a wedding, Hollywood-style. While we were setting up, some guy came over and covered up all the brand names on our instruments with tape. Apparently, if Fender wants their guitar in a movie, they have to pay for it.
After set-up, we were shuttled over to the "extras" holding area in the basement of Trinity Church, where 150 wedding extras were signing in, getting dressed, and standing in line for hair and makeup. I've never seen a more beautiful crowd (except for some Thursday nights at the Cantab).
About noontime, we were hustled back to the shoot and put in place on stage. They brought in the extras (wedding guests) onto the dancefloor and set up the shot. Eventually Kate and Anne and their leading men (didn't catch their names) showed up and got into position. Words like "cue playback" and "T-mark" and "Rolling" and "Action" started up and the Chicken Slacks officially began our acting careers.
The first thing I noticed was how incredibly slow the filming process takes. We were on the set for about 14 hours, and they must've shot about one minute of footage! I just kept thinking "Can't we just run this a few times and move on?" But of course I have no idea how it all works, I guess there's lighting and sound and foreground and background and all that cinematography stuff that needs to be considered. And this was just Bride Wars, can you imagine what filming Lord of the Rings must be like?
And acting it was! Did you know that all the music you hear in a movie is mimed? That's right, we set everything up as if we were about to play, and then mimed our way through the songs. Sound ridiculous, but I guess they have to do that in order for the microphones to pick up the actor's dialogue, although I hear 90% of that is overdubbed as well! I'm glad I spent all those hours when I was a little kid, before I had a drumset, sitting in my room playing air-drums to Rush and Van Halen. Who knew one day I would be paid so well for it!
They would have us play (or pretend to play) about 8 bars of the song. Then they'd take five minutes to adjust whatever they needed to adjust, and we'd do it again. At least Curtis and I got to sit down. The other guys had to stand, and the poor women on the dancefloor had to stand there in high heels for hours.
They had us work through lunch, and by the time we broke for dinner (about 7pm) they had shot about 30 seconds of footage. Curtis was pretty depressed because it was fairly obvious he did not get into any of the shots they took. By the end of the night he and his keyboards were surrounded by lighting equipment and baffles, so he was clearly out of the frame. We had fun teasing him about that. In the dinner line, the band broke out an impromptu acappella version of "Hollywood Swingin'". We were that desperate to play some real music.
But we had lots of fun. They had flown in a popular young singer named Ryan Shaw to be featured in the movie, so he sang (mimed) with the band as well.
By the end of the night the band was so anxious to just plug in and rip a few numbers for all these people - we all really needed it. But alas, they finally called it a wrap around midnight and we packed up our gear and headed home without ever even tuning up.
Not sure what will come of it, whether you'll even see us in the shots they took. But it was a great experience and they took care of us. I think the movie will come out at the end of the summer. We'll keep you posted!

Section J at the Subtab

2008-04-08T20:40:00.014-04:00

Sounds like a scene from Star Wars, but "Section J at the Subtab" was exactly what the Slacks encountered this past Monday. Some fans of the band (and graduate students at the Harvard Business School) hired us to perform for them and their classmates at a private party this past Monday, at a venue we know so well: The Cantab. But the twist was that the party was in the basement, where Mickey Bliss hosts his Club Bohemia local-band-extravaganza every Friday and Saturday. Diamond D was quick to dub this intimate low-ceilinged concrete salon the "SubTab". It's got a wider stage than upstairs and the place almost has a NYC jazz club vibe, without the pretention.
As you may well know, Harvard Business School puts a lot of careful time and thoughtful, creative effort into naming the different classes of the school something inspirational and descriptive of their nature. Thus, the students we played for were from the "Section J" class. Section J. Almost makes you feel like you're part of a family.
Anyways, we had a blast. It was fun to play on the stage downstairs, much more room and the sound was pretty good down there. The party-goers were a fun bunch and those that left early for that "other party" missed a rockin' second set and some great disco dancing with a random barstool.
We were asked to do this gig at the last minute, and as a result we had to get subs for Mighty Slim (who went to the DIO reunion) and Rick Rosco (who was still in Aruba, lucky dog). But Mike Null and Lee Lundy, our go-to fill-ins, filled-in seamlessly and added a nice "abnormal" element to the Slacks that was refreshing for us. Man, Lee can slap those bass strings, and Mike is just spewing with gritty funk. Thank you Section J, we wish you the best success!

The Slacks take it to the River!

2008-04-08T11:29:00.001-04:00

The Chicken Slacks made their way down to the Lighthouse Bar at Twin River Casino in Rhode Island recently and we had a fun time playing on their BIG stage! Folks, this is a nice place - the bar is right smack in the middle of a sea of slot machines, but the sound system there makes the ringing din of the slots fade away. Everyone there was really nice to us and made sure we had what we needed. And the crowd! Booties were shaking a la Cantab on the wide dance floor. Made us feel right at home! The night was a complete success as the casino folks booked us to appear there again on June 13th, so if you weren't one of the familiar faces we saw there last week, come on down to Twin River and check out the Slacks in June. Maybe you'll get lucky while you're there, too - in more ways than one!

Slim's radio show featuring vintage Rick Rosco

2008-03-20T03:00:00.006-04:00

From Mighty Slim:

Gents: I will be doing Lost and Found
(the show that Wayne does on Wednesdays)
tomorrow or today depending on when you receive this e-mail,
Thursday, that is, from 12pm-2pm.
You can stream at www.wmbr.org.
I will be featuring or at least be playing vintage
Rick Rosco circa '70 from his band Gauze.
What a kick ass 4 piece horn section those cats had.
And Rosco's bass playing?....fugetaboutit....


                                                                                                                                   -Slim

LAISSEZ BON TEMP ROULE!!!

2008-02-20T10:25:00.003-05:00

Cajun expression meaning let the good times roll. And roll they did. The Slacks had the pleasure of playing not one, but two Mardi Gras parties. Fri. night 2/1 @ Ryles and Sat. night 2/2 @ Ralph's in Worcester. (The first appearance there for the Slacks). I especially enjoyed Ralph's. It was good to see some old friends, some I haven't seen in years. And coudos to the opening band Uncle Billy's Smokehouse. Check out the pics on our website. (a picture is worth a thousand words); the bands smoked, the burlesque dancers were amazing, and the crowd was awesome! The staff @ Ralph's was REALLY tremendous, they really appreciate the music there and moreover, THEY TAKE CARE OF THEIR BANDS!!! This was one of the best parties we have played. Being from N.O., Saturday's show was next best thing to being there. For me, I can't wait to return to Ralph's.
LAISSEZ BON TEMP ROULE! Let the good times roll.

Diamond D

Soul Mountain, NH

2008-02-20T07:35:00.002-05:00

What a rush to play for you skiers at Cannon Mountain on a frosty Saturday afternoon where you showed your boogie shoes fit as well as those ski boots! The Sam Adams beer trivia questions and the fabulous staff at Cannon Mountain added to the fun. We were thrilled to see so many of our Granite State friends from our show last year along with the skiing soul crowd from Boston-Cambridge. After a quick pack up and short drive, we set up at the Cannon Mountain View Restaurant an Inn for a get-down evening of hot soul in the cold north woods. You guys really made it a fun time for us and we look forward to this mini road trip again soon!

Spamalot comes to the Cantab

2008-01-25T17:10:00.000-05:00

The cast and crew of "Spamalot" filled the Cantab last night. Let no one say that theater people don't know how to have a good time! There was dancing, there was drinking ... and there was lot's of pizza.

I feel I learned a valuable lesson by example, and, henceforth, I will always look on the bright side of life.

Fittingly, Slim demonstrated his classic "silly walk". Though, come to think of it, he does that every week.

- "Big" Al, "Chairman of the Board", "Spiegelman"

Brother Wayne's funk radio show

2008-01-23T12:36:00.000-05:00

You may have seen him at the Cantab gettin' his groove on, but on Wednesdays from 12pm-2pm Brother Wayne serves up some of the deepest classic funk and soul cuts you ever heard on the radio. Wayne has one of the largest collection of funk 45s this side of Memphis, and he digs deep each and every week. Nobody else plays this stuff!

The show is Lost and Found on WMBR 88.1 (MIT radio). Your Wednesday lunch break will never be the same! For those outside of the Boston area you can hear it on the web at www.wmbr.org.

Keep those 45s spinnin' Wayne! We love it!

New Years Eve at Mount Snow

2008-01-03T03:01:00.000-05:00

Usually we like to ring in the New Year close to home, but this year the band traveled a few hours from Boston to the winter wonderland that is Wilmington, Vermont and the aptly-named Mount Snow. We performed to a sold-out lot of highly energetic and intoxicated ski bums at the Snow Barn. Luckily it really isn't a barn, and most of the snow stays outdoors. Inside, the big firepit was roaring, the drinks were flowing and the music was pumping from the stage. The folks up there were great and the staff treated us real well. I'm sure there'll be some more photos posted from the show.

Of course one of the fun things about the road gig is the after-gig hang. It's not like we're the Stones or Van Halen, but we do our best to carry on a certain tradition. The good folks at Mount Snow put us up in a nice ski condo with a big circular walk-around fireplace. I appointed myself the official "fire marshall" and set about starting a fire in the fireplace. (Ever note how interesting a word like "fireplace" is? A "place" for the "fire". Fireplace! Genius.) Anyway, without any kindling and some pretty wet wood I had my work cut out for me, but my backcountry skills came through once again. I earned my merit badge on that one!

We all gathered round the "fireplace" and passed around the guitar and the champagne, for a little impromtu late-night singalong. I think the highlights were Slim's version of "Ventura Highway" with Alec playing beer bottles (and you thought they were just for holding beer!) and Rosco's "Secret Agent Man". I pulled out a good "Tequila Sunrise" I thought.

The next morn Rosco cooked us up a great lumberjack breakfast with all the fixin's. The mimosas really hit the spot. Sure enough the snow started up, and didn't let up all day. When it was all over another foot had fallen. Most of us split for home after breakfast and ended up with an extra two hours tacked on to the drive from traffic and snow. I thought better of it and lit another fire, waiting 'til nightfall, driving back on gorgeous, freshly plowed roads with a luxurious coat of bright snow on all the trees, houses, and fences along the way. Damn but Vermont is beautiful in winter! Happy New Year!

2007

2007-12-26T21:32:00.000-05:00

Here we are at the end of another year. I was sitting here looking @ the tree & contemplating this past year. It was a very good year. It was a very busy year for the Slacks. The band has come a long way in the past year. And I must say it has been an honor and a pleasure to play and work with talented professionals who really care about the music. More importantly, I am proud to call these men FRIENDS. I am looking forward to 08 and making sweet soul music, capped with the release of our first original Slacks CD.

But I also can't help but think of all the friends and great music makers we lost this year. Ike Turner, jazz great Oscar Peterson, Little Milton, Luther Ingram, Boots Randolph, just to name a few. And last, but not least, one of the Slack biggest fans, Apache. To you all, R.I.P

Yes, it was quite a year, ending with the annual Slacks Christmas party. That was BIG fun. We met & made alot of new friends. HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all. And let's have a prosperous and SAFE 2008.

Diamond D

Cantab Chicken Christmas!

2007-12-21T14:45:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Chicken Slacks Christmas/Winter Solstice show last night, it was a good turnout and a fun time had by all. The Slacks got down and played some holiday ditties along with our usual funky fare. Santa never actually showed up but we had plenty of Back-door Santas out on the dancefloor and it was a sight to see! Here's hoping your holidays are joyous and we look forward to partying it up with you in the coming year of Thursday nights and beyond. Merry Christmas!

Money talks...

2007-12-07T13:42:00.000-05:00

Usually it's a great joke when, after someone in the audience shouts out a song request to the band, Diamond D tells them: "Just write your request on the back of a $50 bill, and we'll consider it." It always gets a laugh. But last night at the Cantab some dude actually called us on it! He pulls out a crisp new "fitty" and said "Sign Sealed Delivered", a tune by Stevie Wonder that the band has never performed. Doh! After a quick survey of the band (Slim knew it, Rosco knew it, Curtis sorta knew it, I sorta knew it, and Johnny would try the vocal) we launched into it. Fantastic! What a joy it was to whip this one out off the cuff and have it rock! That's one we'll be adding to regular rotation. So folks, bring down those Ulysses S Grants and stump the band!