Thursday, May 28th Victoria BC Ska & Reggae Society is excited to bring Brooklyn NY's ska/reggae kings THE SLACKERS to Cumberland BC for the first time at The Waverley Hotel. The last time The Slackers came to the Island in 2024 we celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Victoria Ska & Reggae Festival.

Through The Slackers' mixed repertoire of music ranging from ska and reggae to soul, R&B, folk, and bossa nova they've managed to capture fans that span the spectrum of music with audiences of all ages. The band also plays with an aggressive edge and their songs veer in themes from the personal to the political. Since forming in 1991, the Slackers have released 16 albums, 5 EPs, and countless singles. They have performed thousands of energetic concerts for their global fanbase and remain unstoppably prolific. In their 2025 releases on Pirates Press Records, the EP “Money is King,” an indictment of the powerful as only the Slackers can do, went straight to the top 25 of the Submodern Reports album list. Their single “My Last Star” was a tribute to Hepcat's Greg Lee, fulfilling the final creative vision of the late singer. The 11-track compilation “Lost and Found Vol.2” had a surprise boogaloo breakout streaming hit with “Diskambobulated.”

Opening for The Slackers are one of Canada's most beloved ska/rocksteady groups. Hailing from Victoria, Phonosonics will be on tour with The Slackers for both Island shows in Victoria and Cumberland. 

Phonosonics have steadily been gaining traction the past 10 years as the go-to band for the old school  rocksteady sound you can rarely find in contemporary bands in Canada. They have backed some of the world's best ska/rocksteady and reggae/dancehall artists including Leroy Sibbles of the Heptones and Sister Nancy at the Victoria Ska & Reggae Festival dating back to 2019. In addition to those historic appearances and playing on other major Western Canadian music festivals, they have also received airplay from radio reggae legend David Rodigan's BBC1Extra show dating back to 2016 when they released "Between Two Headphones/Dark Haired Lady" which reached #3 on Earshot's International Music chart. 

Phonosonics were a choice pick from The Slackers to support their Island shows and they will set the stage for another unforgettable Slackers experience. 

Now after 27 years of working with the Slackers, Victoria BC Ska & Reggae Society is excited to continue the tradition of Slackers music to future generations.