The Slackers

Friday, May 29, 2026, The Slackers bring their New York ska and reggae blend to the Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver. Since 1991, the sextet led by Vic Ruggiero and Dave Hillyard has threaded ska, rocksteady and reggae with touches of soul and R&B, moving from mid-tempo grooves to a grittier edge. Their catalog runs deep, with 16 albums, EPs and singles that swing between the personal and the political. Recent releases on Pirates Press Records — the Money Is King EP, the tribute single My Last Star and the Lost and Found Vol. 2 compilation with Diskambobulated — show a band still writing sharp hooks and road-testing them on stage.

Opening, The Elixxxirs stir rockabilly, punk and ska into concise pop-rock. A fixture of Vancouver’s ska movement for close to two decades, the group led by Bobbi-Jo crafts candid, melodic songs about everyday twists and setbacks, built to lift the room and get feet moving before The Slackers take over.

Generous Thieves start the night. Formed in 2021 in Vancouver by singer-guitarist Andrew Conroy with Keely Rammage-Scott on bass, Ian Perry on drums and Eric Miller on keys, they’ve grown fast on the strength of singles Famous In Japan and 笑顔. After two tours in Japan and with a second album slated for 2026, they bring a tight, modern ska/reggae set back home to BC.