Worcester digs The Chicken Slacks

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

From Kara Olson in THE PULSE:

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

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

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

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

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

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

And from Worcester Magazine:

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

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