For those of you living under a rock, allow me to introduce Ketchy Shuby. Ketchy is a homegrown seven-piece musical collective that has been kicking it since 2008. They are known in the local live music circuit for their energetic shows led by frontman, Jason Hernandez-Rodriguez.
Ketchy Shuby marches to the beat of their own drum and dances to the tune of their own horn. They’ve created their own music genre, Downtown Soul, encompassing elements of jazz, reggae, soul, blues, afrobeat, funk, and psychedelia. Frontman, Jason Joshua Hernandez-Rodriguez, is Downtown Soul, personified.
Charles holds it down on the keys and organs for Ketchy Shuby while Robert Smiley wails on the saxophone and flute. Daniel and Karim, who also often jumps in for vocals, form the percussion team. Matt Pyatt and Andres Sanchez keep the rhythm with solid basslines and solid drum patterns.
They blew up in 2011 after they put out their first reggae release, NOTIMETOHATE. The Energy EP was also released that March and soon after, Ketchy released their first full-length album, Tiny Vices, which received some serious airplay on WVUM. They have since been performing at venues all over the city.
Earlier this year, the boys released an all-covers mix-tape, Downtown Soul Record Singles Club Vol.1, featuring covers from Nirvana, Notorious BIG, Ween, Frank Ocean, The Rolling Stones and more.
Recently, the band put out an additional track, Long Live The King, in celebration of Record Store Day.
ONE NIGHT
By Jonathan Szydlo
On February 18, 2012 Arboles Libres threw themselves a birthday party with their friends Ketchy Shuby setting a bouncing-on-the-walls kind of vibe for the night.
The show kicked off at midnight, and in no small part thanks to Ketchy Shuby’s amazing showmanship, Churchill’s turned into a scene straight out of Animal House, you know, the one where they stumble into Otis Day and The Knights playing Shout.
Needless to say, the crowd was getting down, like Downtown Julie Brown. You had shoeless vixens on the left and lady killers on the right, all of which got together for a sloppy dance party with all dignity lost in the wind.
Ketchy weaved back and forth through the musical realms with some Beatles like tunes that had the sax man put down the brass and pick up the flute sending his band mates into a synchronized shuffle, to the surfer rock drum beats that lead to the closing of their set that gave a Ramones meets salsa feel.
Even Miami blues-man, Jesse Jackson looked as if he had fallen head over heals for this seven piece.
And then, cue Arboles Libres.
It’s pretty difficult to follow-up the type of performance that Ketchy Shuby put on, and even for a seasoned act like Arboles Libres.
With a bit of metal, a dash of blues, and a trip down the rabbit hole, the set was brought to a close with the members of Ketchy Shuby joining Arboles Libres, filling the pint-sized Churchill’s stage with 10 guys jamming to a 10 minute cover of The Grateful Dead’s Fire on the Mountain that caused my heart to grow triple it’s size.
A three song encore wrapped up the three-hour show that had members of both bands shuffling on and off the stage bringing different personalities within the different sets. I can’t help but give this show two thumbs up. [Full Article]
ANOTHER NIGHT
This Saturday, June 30th Ketchy Shuby returns to The Vagabond for another performance plus special birthday blow-out. Despite the on-going construction on 14th Street, frontman Jason insisted on hosting his birthday celebration at his home away from home where he along with the rest of Ketchy Shuby will take the stage and break it down with their peoples who they know won’t let a little bit of dust or debris stop them from partying. More Details