Slackers Show 1

First I stopped by Elephant and Castle for Derek's birthday, where I ran into legendary Albertan pointer and hair farmer Cody.

The opening band at the show was JK and the Relays from Calgary.

This is the first venue where I ever heard ska, or at least was aware I was hearing my new favourite genre. The show was in 1997 with Planet Smashers, Mad Bomber Society, and the Clones, when the place was called Rebar.

Jesse Wagner from the Aggrolites had come up with the Slackers for a show.

He was backed up by JK and the Relays.

It didn't hit me until just tonight that this was the first time I'd ever seen anyone who'd performed on Yo Gabba Gabba.

Vic from the Slackers joined them near the end of the set.

I like how they're all looking at Jesse in this shot.

And now time for the Slackers, with Marcus, who's grown a huge moustache since last time I saw them in Korea.

Glen hasn't aged a day.

And here's Vic. The merch table was selling "I Love Glen" and "I Love Vic" stickers.

Dave Hillyard, the guy who probably keeps the Slackers running.

They played the song "Old Dog," a great but depressing song. It's easy to spot this picture was taken during the chorus.

A lot of the shots I felt worked better in black and white but I still have issues throwing away colour data.

Crowds at Edmonton shows have changed somewhat. More skinheads I don't know, but also I get this weird vibe like I'm at a foreigner show in Korea.

In person Marcus is one of the friendliest guys ever, but when he's on stage he just stays back with his bass propped up on a stool or whatever and always just looks like he's having the time of his life.

I like how these hands seem to have accidentally become intertwined.

The shot I was probably trying to get.

On albums Vic is definitely the defining voice of the Slackers, but live in concert Glen really gives it.

Now that's terrifying!

I wish the exposure was just a bit quicker, and this would've been the quintessential Marcus shot.

This picture reminds me of the time in Korea when Dave played dead on stage, and two annoying foreigners began giving him pretend CPR, probably ruining the bit. It was not performed at this show, although without the old Skunk Hell counter it would've been tougher to pull off.

Then the stage was flooded by Jesse and JK.

JK took center stage.

Then Jesse did.

Terrorist fist jab!

Afterwards, yeah, the cops give us a hard time, while ignoring the assholes across the street who are probably doing shit ten times worse, just with more commercially bland music as a backdrop.

We concluded the night in Steel Wheels, by all accounts Edmonton's best Korean restaurant (though it's simply a Korean-owned pizza joint). The pizza was excellent, much better than actual Korean pizza.

And back home for the night.