The Slackers, NYC legends, returned to Reggies for the band’s annual Slackfest. Dying Scene was on the floor for The Slackers’ night 2 performance.
The Slackers, founded in 1991, remain as compelling as ever. Lead singer, keyboardist, harmonica player, guitarist, and Bronx native Vic Ruggiero’s thick New York accent is most apparent when he breaks from singing to tell stories. These mini-monologues can be about the music itself, some anecdote about hanging out in NYC, or just a chance to declare “Fuck Ice.” Of course, that last statement was met with roars of approval, as Chicago has been, for months, besieged by the Department of Homeland Security’s fascistic crackdown on immigrants and US citizens alike.
The band is composed of top-notch veteran musicians. I was especially keen on the saxophone wizardry of Dave Hillyard, as I, for a few of my kid years, played the alto sax. When Ruggiero spoke of AI never being able to replicate the beauty of the saxophone he was absolutely right. Hillyard creates pure musical poetry with his saxophone.
But The Slackers is not a two-man crew. Marcus Geard – aka “Bass Man In White” – plays his electric bass as if it were a stand-up bass, propped on a chair bearing “I [heart image] NY.” On this night, he was actually a man in black but oozed his signature cool.
Guitar player Nugent often posts up a bit behind Ruggiero. Though he can sometimes be visually obscured, his playing never is.
Drummer Ara Babajian provides the muscular and steady backbeat for The Slackers. Motoring the band from the back of the stage, his presence and talent is undeniable.
And finally, there is trombonist Glen Pine who, at times, shares vocals with Ruggiero. Pine is also the one Slacker most in motion throughout the band’s set. Sporting a blue ruffled shirt, dancing, getting close to the crowd at the stage front, and with his expressive visage, Pine’s outgoing personality looms large.
As for the music, it was a generous set, with 20 songs. The band drove through the tunes, including “I Still Love You,” “Don’t Let The Sunlight Fool Ya,” “The Whole World Was On It,” “I’ll Stay Away”, “Sarah,” and “International War Criminal.”
The Slackers also covered terrific versions of The Skatalites’ “Christine Keller,” and Sam Cooke’s “Cupid.”
The Slackers members showed their appreciation for Reggies and Chicago, and the crowd returned the love. For a good portion of the fans in attendance, Slackfest is one of the first events to annually be penciled into their calendars. The show was reliably entertaining, and yet each time The Slackers perform, it feels transformative and never seems rote. In troubled times, the humanity of music and the musicians is a hug to the heart and balm for the soul. It also helps that Vic, Glen, Jay, Ara, Dave, and Marcus also seem to be a group of gentlemen with whom sharing drinks would lead to a long evening of funny, poignant, and wild stories. They seem like a good hang. Their shows always are.
See ya next year good sirs! Thanks and Cheers!
