Slackdaddy  Slackdaddy is a three-piece rock/alternative/indy band from Athens, Georgia, USA, consisting of Andrew McCain on guitar/vocals, Bryan J. Howard on bass guitar and Ian Werden on drums. The band began in Alexandria, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC in the late 1980s. McCain and Howard had been friends since early childhood and played together in the Mt. Vernon Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, which Howard led. Later, while attending West Potomac High School, Howard befriended Werden who had recently moved to Alexandria from Detroit. The two played together in several short-lived bands, notably The Clockmen and Frankly Scarlett, with the guitarist Alex Lane. In 1989, Howard and Werden joined St. Stephens students McCain and Luke Taylor to form The Moorish Idylls. The band frequently played the "Open Mike Coffeehouse", a monthly gathering at the Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church, which featured local acoustic bands and soloists. The Moorish Idylls were the first band to play "electric" at the Coffeehouse. After the four band members had graduated from high school and attended separate universities, The Moorish Idylls played only a few shows. One notable gig was the first Cecilfest on July 10, 1993, where several new songs were debuted, indicating a new musical direction for the band. In autumn 1994, Howard's stepfather Harvard told him about his good friend from his 1950s army days whose nickname was Slackdaddy. Slackdaddy was known to be quite flirtatious and popular with women, yet as a married man, he never committed adultery. During an argument with his wife, who was convinced that he had cheated, she shot him dead. Howard was so moved by this "patron saint of misunderstood men" that he decided to rename the band Slackdaddy. It was also around this time that rhythm guitarist Luke Taylor left the band, leaving Slackdaddy as a power-trio. During summer 1995, the band played several shows in the Washington area, including several at Jenkin's Hill, a basement bar near the U.S. Capitol on Pennsylvania Avenue. On December 31, 1995, Slackdaddy played the Laughing Lizard in Old Town Alexandria. In 1996, the band decided to move to Athens, Georgia, noted for its lively underground scene. Playing many well-known clubs in the area, the group gained enough popularity to tour. They also hosted the 1997 Shanti Festival at their house in Comer, GA.