Based near SDSU, Americana/roots rocker Chris Giorgio, aka Jackslacks, was a founding member of Forbidden Pigs, Hot Rod Lincoln, and Dead Engines. Taking the name Jackslacks from the 1957 Sparkletones hit “Black Slacks,” he embarked on his solo career in 2002 with the smooth sliding rockabilly album Rock & Roll Dinosaur, with guest players Tommy Byrnes, Buzz Campbell, and Johnny Mercury on guitars, Billy Bacon and Johnny D'Artenay on upright bass, plus the ace studio production of Stray Cat Lee Rocker.
A full-length called Jackslacks Lucky Man was released in 2012, along with a single called “Best Friend Gone Away.” Farm Jazz was released on the indie label Shield Of Love in 2013. Collaborating this time around with San Diego State University jazz prodigies, Eric Hutchinson, Dave Votel, and Alejandro Aste-Nieto, the new title track “Generations Hypnotized” (b/w “Don't Mind Me”) was produced by Mike Kamoo and Jackslacks at Earthling Studios in El Cajon.
The Farm Jazz EP includes the track “Don’t Mind Me.” “That song was actually co-written with my ex-Pig mate Billy Bacon, who unfortunately suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and is unable to gig much anymore,” says Giorgio. “It was cool to work with him again after so many years.” A video was released for the track “Generations Hypnotized.”
Jackslacks founded a side band called Flipside Burners in 2013.
April 2014 saw the release of Jackslacks' Other Side EP, again on the Shield of Love label,
recorded at Earthling Studios with co-producer Mike Kamoo and mastering completed at DRT. Jackslacks sings and drums while brother Bill, frontman for Detroit’s Nobody’s Business, contributes his signature guitar licks, nephew Billy sings back-up, and Jackslacks’ daughter Taylor Giorgio plays violin. Other guests include guitarist Mark Fahl and upright bassist Bill Grubbs, both from Flipside Burners, Dave Roof (paino), and Chris Cote (acoustic guitar).
The Jackslacks full-length Earthling Sessions was released in January 2018, featuring an ode to O.B. called “The 92107.” “It seems to me, Ocean Beach has long been a place for songwriters to feel creative and free,” says Giorgio. The album includes guest appearances from Billy Joel guitarist Tommy Byrnes and his former Forbidden Pigs bandmate Billy Bacon.
A new full-length appeared in 2021 called Inside Out, on indie label Shield of Love. Said Chris Giorgio, "I wrote the new songs during the quarantine and the title track conceptualizes our world spinning out of control, upside down and inside out. It mostly leans upon roots-rock, like rockabilly, blues, country, and a surf instrumental with my old San Diego guitar-slinging mates Buzz Campbell from Hot Rod Lincoln, Jerry 'Hot Rod' DeMink from Forbidden Pigs, and Gig Fortier from The Hooligans. We recorded with Mike Kamoo at Earthling Studios in East County and Steve Wetherbee from local outfit Golden Track is back to master."
A new single called "The Unity Song" dropped in early 2022 via indie label Shield of Love. Produced at local Earthling Studios by Jackslacks and Mike Kamoo (who guests in harpsichord), the single features Jerry “Hot Rod” DeMink (guitar, vocals), Billy Raven (backing vocals), and Dave Roof (bass, vocals), along with guests Jeff Brown (acoustic piano) and Kenneth Johnson (horns). According to bandleader Chris Giorgio, "We recorded the song as sort of a bookend to last years full-length, Inside Out, which concluded a six week run at number one on the Roots Music Report's Top Rockabilly Album Chart by finishing fourth overall for 2021. The band also recently shot a cool retro video for the new track in town at The Ocean Beach Playhouse."