Ska is dead, right? Well, the Slackers are coming to prove you wrong. This seven-piece band has been soulfully tooting its horns since 1991, with an impressive array of accomplishments including a killer cover of Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive." Their eclectic mix of reggae, ska and jazz has earned them a spot on the Vans Warped Tour and the Montreal Jazz Festival.

The Slackers first came together during the third-wave ska craze of the early '90s when Reel Big Fish and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones were blaring on MTV. Their unique sound fuses Caribbean reggae with rock and jazz to produce the Slackers' distinctive "Brooklyn Soul" sound.

The Slackers' mellow sound is closely linked with the Jamaican-Al Green combinations of Q-Maxx, Vic Ruggiero and Glen Pine. The pulse of Ruggiero's organ and a firm upbeat can get your feet moving, and Marcus Gerard's bouncing bass rhythms will keep you going.

The Slackers joined Rancid's Hellcat Records in 1997, releasing Redlight, followed by an appearance on Hellcat's Give 'Em the Boot compilation. As their popularity increased, the Slackers earned the honor of playing with Joe Strummer and the Mescalleros.

On their current tour, the Slackers have played at the Melkweg in Amsterdam, the Troubadour in Los Angeles and, after tomorrow night's show at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, they will be at the notorious Fireside Bowl in Chicago. Since their appearances are mostly in East Coast areas and they tend to shy away from any activity at the major venues in Detroit, their appearance in Ann Arbor should prove to be a delight for Michigan.