Shoppy, the explosive trio from Riverside, California, began their meteoric rise in the summer of 2000. Formed by multi-talented singer, rapper and drummer Chad Villarreal and Bassist Matt wyckoff, Shoppy's inventive blend of Rock, Rap, Funk, Jazz and Groove-oriented music was well on its way to breaking music genres. The group was rounded out by virtuoso muscian and multi-instrumentalist Gabe Hartman. Hartman, who completes the band's unique sound with his fierce and dynamic sax, keyboard, and even occasional flute playing, already had success sans Shoppy, touring North America and Latin America for two years as a sax and guitar player for BMG Recording artist Marisela. Just a year after Shoppy's inception, the band entered a contest at a local radio station 103.9 - the prize - the coveted spot of playing at Riverside's Orange Blossom Festival. Battling it out amoung fierce competition, Shoppy reigned supreme over more than 300 bands, winning the competition. Bringing their funk-fueled hybrid rock to 40,000 sweaty concert-goers, Shoppy gained immense notoriety and fan-base that day, sharing the stage with the legendary New Wave act Berlin, amoung others. The Performance at Orange Blossom Caught the eyes and ears of KROQ, the largest and most influential Modern Rock station in all of North America. KROQ gave Shoppy an opportunity that most bands would kill for - a chance to play their famous Inland Invasion concert in 2001, exposing the band to an even wider and hungrier audience. The Orange Blossom Comittee was so impressed with Shoppy's quick successes, that the band was invited back to play the festival each year since. Shoppy has gone on to record two ground-breaking EP's - the self-titled Shoppy and Hotcakes, as well as one full-length album, Welcome To Antarctica, which has a four star rating and is selling hand-to-fist at Inland Empire Music and music stores alike. Expanding on their energetic and whimsical originals, Shoppy continues to draw out an ever-increasing fan-base at their dynamic live shows, featuring fantastic renditions of Shoppy classics as well as cutting up some hits like Insane in the Brain by Cypress Hill. Shoppy has also shared bills with an impressive array of noteworthy acts that include Weezer, Long Beach Dub Allstars, Incubus, Alien Ant Farm, the Offspring, The Color Red, and Social Distortion. Known for not resting on their musical laurels, Shoppy continues to push itself sonically and professionally, even playing as Norwood Fisher's (Fishbone) back-up band, Trulio Disgracias, sharing the stage with members of the Skeletones, Weapon Of Choice, Parliament Funkadelic, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, an evniable position to any hard-working muscian out there. Shoppy continues to thrive and endure. It shows; they were recently noinated for Best Urban Band and won Best Metal Band at the Inland Empire Music Awards, categories that hardly describe the eclectic sound of Shoppy. CABANDS.COM REVIEW I found possibly the most exciting little trio in Riverside today. If you think music and having a good time should go hand in hand, I give you Shoppy. If you like songs about donkeys, this is the band for you. This is a rambunctious, versatile and ultra talented group of three. Their style is a little hard to box up and label, but since you'll want SOME sort of packaging, I'll give it my best shot. There's a sort of skankin' feel, funky but with a definite backbone of heavier, rock-like tendencies to produce a nice tasty flavor. Would you allow disco-thrash? You can dance or you can pit, both quite appropriately. You'll find a little smattering of jazz, a heaping serving of the funky, spiced with hard core, and a fair share of hip-hop influence in their tunes as well (evidenced by their enthusiastic coverage of Cypress Hill's "Insane in the Brain"...) The best part of the show for me was that this group of guys was obviously having a fantastic time playing music. Shoppy DO RRRock... so if you're in the IE, you should definitely check 'em out. They play the usual downtown Riverside spots about every week (see"shoppymusic.com" for info) and you can catch them on occasion on the X103.9 Local Band Spotlight. A definite "see live" kind of band, if you like to let go and have a really good time! (Disclaimer: These guys are purely FUN. I do NOT recommend Shoppy for the black leather mandatory, arms folded at the back of the room, gloom-and-doom type! Otherwise, GO SEE SHOPPY!!) By :PaulaH@CaBands.com"