Emerging as one of the standout acts from the New York City ska revival of the 1990s, the Slackers features vocalist Marq Lyn, vocalist/keyboardist Vic Ruggerio, guitarist T.J. Scanlon, bassist Marcus Geard, saxophonist David Hillyard, trumpeter Jeremy Mushlin, trombonist Glen Pine, and drummer Luis Zuluaga. The group launched its career in 1991 by performing rocksteady and ska in the 2-Tone style before shifting toward a more traditional sound and incorporating a horn section in 1994. Its first full-length album, Better Late Than Never, arrived in 1996, with Redlight following the next year. The Question marked the band’s return in 1998, while Live at Ernesto’s came out two years afterward. Early 2001 brought Wasted Days, which included a version of Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive.” Close My Eyes appeared in 2003 as the band’s pointed response to the events of 9/11 and their aftermath; combined with the members’ growing family obligations, the record signaled a more mature direction. The International War Criminal EP and the Japan-only Slack in Japan came next, leading to the 2006 album Peculiar.
