"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
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Slaacckksss iiinnn ccyybbeerrssppaaaccceeee...
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
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
Monday, November 10, 2008
Hello out there in Cyberland! Another Public Service Announcement from the Chicken Slacks
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
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
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The Jerkus Circus - a truly spooky burlesque world!!
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!
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!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Election Special: Ronald Reagan TONIGHT at the Cantab
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
..............................
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
..............................
Thursday, October 9, 2008
2008 Photo Shoot complete!
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!
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!
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