The Retrofitz Band is among the bands performing on the Main Stage during this year’s downtown Manteca Crossroads Street Fair & Watermelon Festival on Saturday-Sunday, June 6-7.
The band is appearing on Sunday, June 7, at 12:30 p.m. at the Manteca Chamber of Commerce event.
Retrofitz will also be playing on Friday, June 12, at 7 p.m. as part of the Lathrop Concerts in the Park at the Generations Outdoor Amphitheater. It is being staged by the City of Lathrop Parks & Recreation Department.
Both concerts are free.
Listening to the Retrofitz Band is like taking a long road trip while singing to the radio. T
he 3-piece group from the Central Valley perform unique versions of cover songs that span across three decades: 60s, 70s & 80s. Spanning diverse artists like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, CCR, Blondie, Santana, Van Morrison, The Clash, Steely Dan, and many more, you enjoy a sense of nostalgia and are reminded of how warm summers are best spent.
Singer, lead guitarist, and music director Ish Fuzz has been performing music professionally since 1981.
His music resume includes touring in Europe and across the United States with a wide variety of rock and funk bands. Fuzz was exposed to music at a young age, attending his first concert at 9, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, at the Nashville Speedway. For the last 10 years, he’s played throughout the Central Valley with The Retrofitz Band, serving as the band leader.
“When developing our setlists and song arrangements, I encourage everyone in the band to put their unique spin and style on these tunes to make them our own and give the audience some cool surprises”, said Fuzz.
Vocalist and rhythm guitarist Kelly Fry started as a solo singer-songwriter before forming The Retrofitz Band with Ish Fuzz in 2018.
Gravitating to smoky-voiced artists like Stevie Nicks, Carly Simon and Kim Carnes, she frequently covers songs by male vocalists, which adds an interesting dynamic.
A child performer, she developed stage fright in high school and hadn’t been onstage in 30 years. In 2016, Fry conquered her fear of performing at an open mic night. What followed was submitting original songs to contests and eventually meeting Fuzz in 2017 where they formed a duo and eventually created the trio in 2018.
Keyboardist Aubrey Scarbrough spent many years in Los Angeles performing in numerous Jazz groups before relocating to the Central Valley. He joined The Retrofitz Band in 2021 and is a highly sought after musician in the Central Valley.
“Aubrey has the ability to cover various instruments simultaneously, because he’s a musical ninja. Whether it’s the horns in a Chicago tune, honky tonk piano, or the analog synth vibes of classic 80s songs, he nails it everytime”, said Fuzz.
The Retrofitz Band performs over 40 shows a year.
