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Catch a rave
The fun of rock and roll is not dead, as The Irreversible Slacks combine past and present into a stylish surf spectacular.
By DAWN EDEN
Offoffoff.com
Let's face it. Despite the influence that the West Coast's unique
brand of instrumental rock has had on many of the city's favorite musical
sons and daughters, from Lou Reed to the Ramones, New York is not Surf
City.
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| THE IRREVERSIBLE SLACKS |
Skipper Slack (Danelectro re-issue Longhorn bass guitar)
Circus Slack (Fender Stratocaster guitar)
Idlewild Slack (1964 Fender Tobacco Sunburst Jaguar)
Professor Slack (1968 Ludwig Blue Oyster Pearl drum kit, Sabian cymbals, El Vibraslap).
Related links:
Official site
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| AUDIO |
| Bulgarian Yogurt Volcano | | MP3 | | |
| Moon-Tang | | MP3 | | |
| Wall of Fiji Water | | MP3 | | |
| Walter PPK | | MP3 | | |
| © 1999 Irreversible Slacks. Used by permission. |
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Fortunately, over the years, a few brave hydrophiles have bucked the
tide and brought surf sounds to the local scene, though most of them, like
the Dragsters, Human Tornadoes, and the Supertones, actually came from
Ohio. But, with those acts gone, and the legendary Raybeats a distant
memory, Rockaway Beach was looking pretty deserted until the Irreversible
Slacks arrived on the scene two years ago. Since then, they have been
playing increasingly visible gigs, mostly at downtown venues like the
Continental, Brownies, and CBGB. It was at one of those clubs that they
were spotted by Dirty Mary.
"We just happened to go into this bar and they were playing," recalls
Dirty Mary's Jennifer Gunns. "There were only like four people in the bar, but
they put on exactly the same show [as at a crowded Brownies gig]. They made
such a big impression on us. They bring the
fun back to rock 'n' roll."
While I was not as taken by the Slacks when I caught them at the
Brownies gig — they could stand to be a little tighter in both the front
and back — I'll say one thing for them: they can't be pegged. Their hearts
may be in the early Sixties — witness their matching sharkskin suits and
eye-popping vintage gear — but that doesn't stop them from tossing a cover
of Nirvana's "Breed" in between their twangy originals (which have titles
like "Wall of Fiji Water" and "Moontang"). They also have a sense of
playful showmanship which is sorely lacking among too-cool downtown rockers.
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Drummer Professor Slack (like the Ramones, the group shares a last
name) says that they consciously set out to be not just performers, but
entertainers. "One of our big gripes is that, generally, bands in New York
take themselves way too seriously. Far too many stare at their
shoes all night when they get up in front of a crowd. I can't think of
anything more boring.
"It's so rewarding exposing people to this music and seeing how they
appreciate it. At our first CBGB's gig we had dudes with spiked
collars and green hair high-fiving us after the show! Surf music allows us
to put on a show for people, give them something different, something
funny, but still musically challenging and absolutely ripping."
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MARCH 15, 2000
OFFOFFOFF.COM • THE GUIDE TO ALTERNATIVE NEW YORK
Reader comments on The Irreversible Slacks:
SOOO COOL! from Ann (Warnke) Trippler, Aug 2, 2006
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