Hellbent Productions

Fusik and Ketchy Shuby: Hot Skillet Album Release Concert

June 26, 2010, Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale, FL


Review by: Cali Sanford

If you're currently living in Florida, you've probably never heard of Fusik. If you're living in Asia or Europe, they might just be the thing everyone's talking about. Fusik is a group of five guys from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who love to make music that brings people of all ages and backgrounds together. Here's the interesting twist: they're known internationally, but aren't too recognized locally. On Saturday, Fusik held a concert at Culture Room to celebrate the release of their new album, Hot Skillet.


I was fortunate enough to have an interview scheduled with Fusik. When I stepped into the room, I received a warm, humble welcome and a Hot Skillet CD from the members. They told me about the band's beginnings in 2005 and stressed the importance of bringing people of all cultures together- the main message that they wanted to convey with the new album. They told me that they loved “the flow of things” at a show, and said that B-boy was more than just music, that it was a lifestyle they wanted to show the world. When I asked them about their thoughts on the music industry, they replied with a “there's room for everybody.” The entire group was funny and welcoming, and I had an awesome time. They truly are some great guys.


Ketchy Shuby, also a band from Florida, opened for Fusik. I got to Culture Room an hour before the show was scheduled to begin. I walked inside the mostly-empty building where Ketchy Shuby was beginning to practice. I immediately realized how lucky I was to be able to see these guys play; they were amazing! Soon, the show started and the band did an excellent job of warming the crowd up for the upcoming B-boy battle. I was particularly impressed by their xylophonist, but that's not to say that the rest of the band wasn't wonderful; the crowd demanded an encore before they exited the stage.


A B-boy competition began seconds after Ketchy Shuby played. Eight teams of two had signed up to break dance in the middle of the floor, and before the competition began, they were already dancing. At one point, a boy who looked to be about eight got out on the floor and was dancing better than most of the teams could! The competition slowly narrowed to a few contestants; soon the competition was over, with $600 in cash and prizes given to the winners. I had never seen break dancers with such talent before, and I was astounded.


After the B-boy competition, the crowd got pumped for Fusik to come on. The band stepped on stage dressed in sophisticated suits, giving them another twist the crowd did not expect; they seemed as though they truly wanted to impress guests at the show. They belted out a variety of their own songs and a couple of non-originals, including a version of “Fire”, originally by Jimi Hendrix. I was standing close to the stage, and as I looked back to gauge the crowd's reaction, I noticed that Fusik had achieved their goal of getting everyone to mesh together. People of all different backgrounds and of all ages were not just swaying in appreciation, but down-right dancing. Fusik has great beats and is definitely a crowd pleaser. Check out Hot Skillet, because it's a great album. This was, in all honesty, one of the best shows I've ever been to.