The Slackers, the Sentiments
8 pm., Wednesday February 27 | $12 advance, $14 day of show.
[SUIT-UP SKA] It seems unlikely for any ska band that came to prominence in the ’90s to have aged gracefully, but, I tell you, the Slackers are actually cooler now than they were in the heyday of Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger. The soulful, horn-driven New York City band—which owes as much of a debt to Sam Cooke, Charles Mingus and the Beach Boys as it does to the Skatalites—has proven to be an indestructible touring force over the past three decades. More impressively, a handful of the Slackers’ early records—including 1998 double-album The Question, soon to be reissued on vinyl—have grown more endearing with age, and seem prime candidates for the kind of rediscovery the Specials and Madness enjoyed at the crest of ska’s largely forgettable “third wave.” Regardless of whether a ska revival is on the horizon, a Slackers show is cause for celebration—and maybe just a little skanking.
Where: Branx
Phone: 234-5683
Address: 320 SE 2nd Ave.
Website: http://myspace.com/branxpdx
