FTB

FTB is a ska/funk/rock band based out of the Bay Area in Northern California. In their seven years together FTB has cultivated a fun, original, yet familiar sound while also earning the respect of South Bay Promoters and Venues.

Generally regarded as a Ska-Funk band, newcomers are pleasantly shocked when FTB breaks into a Punk or Pop or Hip Hop number. Their onstage energy and antics repeatedly remind the crowd it's alright to have a good time.

The atmosphere of unity created at every show is no doubt what contributes to the exponential rise in popularity FTB continues to enjoy.

As much as the fans enjoy the show, the casual ensemble they portray onstage only vaguely resembles the highly motivated group of professionals their peers and co-workers would recognize. Behind the scenes FTB executes a seamless system rehearsed and perfected over eight years of performing live.



FTB was born on a cold winter day. yeah. No seriously. FTB came together in 2001, when San Jose was still awash with droves of metal bands. The Cactus Club had recently closed, & the rest of San Jose's venues were facing extinction as well. Metal was cannibalizing the scene, the term "Live Music" became synonymous with some guy screaming at you during a half hour of feedback. Needless to say concertgoers ran into the arms of what would be the next blow to the live music scene, DJ's.

Having spent 3 years as a ska/punk band it was in 2001; Josh, Doug & Drew resigned to the garage in Mtn. View where they would rethink their direction, Their ska/punk band had started as a joke, just somethin to do while they drank. Somewhere along the way, one by one the members of FTB realized their future was waiting in the music industry, whether writing it, recording it, performing it, or mixing it.

After watching Blue's Brothers 1000 times over, FTB crystallized their vision, and found their sound. Everything. If FTB was going to go on the road from town to town they better be able to play any genre of music. They better be able to fill 3 hours of time without playing more than a few covers. The first songs FTB wrote and performed were primarily funk, but FTB always closed shows with a rock ballad just for laughs. Naturally the bass grooves from the funk songs lent themselves to the hip-hop songs that followed. After those genres were locked the old ska itch came back and FTB developed a huge catalog of ska songs overladen with funk melodies and funk vocal arrangements. It was this era that birthed the song "Too Many Cheifs". Pop punk was the next genre on the list and FTB tackled it head on with little resistance, as exemplified in 'Where Did You Go". A standard punk-pop song with a casual nod to classical in the intro. FTB also resurrected a few old punk songs from their youth just in case people in other towns were still into that stuff.

Within a year FTB had over 4 hours of material to choose from. They had traded old equipment for a Dodge Ram Van. Ordered up Stickers, T-Shirt's and Albums. With all their ducks in a row FTB took off like a rocket and has never looked back. Touring up and down California several times a year, for the past 3 years. In this last year FTB has had the good fortune to open for major acts such as LYRICS BORN & MIKEY DREAD. Skateboard and BMX expos have become an ideal venue for this extremely versatile band. FTB released an album on June 10th by throwing a free concert in Downtown San Jose. It was the success of this show that established FTB as the "Big Deal" of the summer locally.



FTB is constantly touring the west coast playing shows from Vegas to Portland several times a year. FTB is proud to have opened for very large acts. In 2007 FTB opened for FISHBONE & The Phenomenauts @ a PAC Session held at the Avalon Ballroom, FTB acted as main support for LYRICS BORN on 3 separate occasions @ The Caspar Inn. FTB has also opened for MIKEY DREAD, not to mention touring and exploring the West coast alongside South Bay Ska legends MONKEY. Most recently FTB had the honor of opening for THE WARSAW POLAND BROS and also THE ENGLISH BEAT.