There’s a new musical act coming to perform at Chesterfield’s annual Fourth of July celebration next week, and its name – The Tight Slacks – has absolutely nothing to do with an ill-fitting pair of dress pants.
“It’s a play on words,” explained Joshua Scolaro, who plays keyboard and guitar for the band in addition to contributing vocals. “We take what we do seriously from a musical perspective, but this really is just another way for us to get to hang out as friends and do the thing we love.
“We keep it tight,” he added with a laugh, “but we love slacking off with each other too.”
Scolaro and Karanja Burke (guitar, vocals) formed The Tight Slacks in 2019 following the breakup of their previous group, Party of Four. They and the other five members – Bryan Stell (bass), Joel Lewis (drums), T.J. Rasmussen (guitar, harmonica, vocals), Lindse Besedich (vocals) and Jen Dodge (vocals) – all live in the Richmond area, had known each other for many years and even played together in different bands.
“It’s absolutely a family vibe,” Scolaro said. “Most of us are at the age where we have kids between the age of 4 and 14, so we’re in that mode of life. We have family picnics when we’re not playing. We take trips to the beach or the pool together.”
After a successful first year, their event bookings mostly dried up in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As life slowly returned to normal, however, The Tight Slacks got back to performing consistently, covering an eclectic blend of music from Motown classics to 80s rock and pop and even some of today’s hits.
Asked to describe the band’s style, Scolaro replied, “It’s fun, family-friendly and a full-on party with a little something for everyone.”
“When we started the band and were first picking songs, our main goal was to keep people dancing the entire time. We do a lot of weddings and that’s such a rewarding feeling to keep the dance floor packed for three hours,” he said. “There’s just an energy with live music and when somebody is playing songs that people grew up with or even stuff that’s coming out now. That’s why we call it playing music. It should be fun.”
Gates open for Chesterfield’s Fourth of July celebration next Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the county fairgrounds, 10300 Courthouse Road.
The Tight Slacks will play at 6 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. A DJ will provide musical entertainment when the band is not on stage.
In addition to live music, there will be 15 vendors with food available for purchase, a kids zone with bounce houses, a juggler, a magician and a hula-hooper. Fireworks will begin at dark.
For more information, visit chesterfield.gov/fireworks.
The Tight Slacks are excited about getting to perform at Chesterfield’s signature community event for the first time, Scolaro noted.
“You’re going to see smiles on all of our faces because that’s the enjoyment we’re getting from each other. It’s all about the hang, truly, and that translates to the stage big time,” he said. “There’s definitely an energy that reads, from the audience perspective, as a band that truly enjoys what they’re doing versus a band that’s just going through the motions.”