The Shuffle Demons return to Winnipeg with funky flair and fresh tunes.
After 40 years of high-energy shows, outlandish outfits, and genre-bending music, The Shuffle Demons are back in Winnipeg for the first time since 2009. They’ll hit the stage at Old Market Square on Wednesday, June 18 at 9:30 p.m. as part of the TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival.
Known for their unique blend of jazz, funk, rap, and performance antics, The Shuffle Demons are still going strong — and still surprising audiences. “We've always loved playing in Winnipeg. We've always gotten a great response there, so I'm really happy that we're coming back,” said drummer Stich Wynston.
A band born on the street
Saxophonist Richard Underhill recalled how the band began, not with a big plan, but with a bunch of friends making music on the street. “None of it was preconceived. At no point did we decide that we're going to start a band. It was just friends busking on the street and the whole thing. First of all, really organically — the music, the suits, everything.”
Underhill, originally from B.C., met co-founder Mike Murley while at York University. “I was busking to put myself through school, and he was doing wedding gigs,” he said. “We come home on Saturday night and to have a beer. And I would have a sack of change. And he kind of made about the same amount doing a wedding gig.”
MuchMusic and the Spadina bus
As their street shows gained steam, the Shuffle Demons caught the attention of MuchMusic — Canada’s then-new music video channel. A spontaneous encounter at CityTV led to their first music video.
“MuchMusic was just getting started at that time. They were looking for Canadian content and there we were,” said Wynston. “They started giving our music videos heavy rotation and that really put us on the map. Everyone all of a sudden knew who the Shuffle Demons were.”
The infamous “Spadina Bus” video almost didn’t happen. “The main stumbling block was we couldn't get a bus,” Underhill recalled. “We wrote a letter wanting to rent one. And they were like, you know, typical Toronto fashion… you mention the word ‘groin.’ Yeah. Can't rent you a bus.”
So they filmed guerrilla-style, and the bus drivers themselves joined the fun: “The bus drivers started figuring it out. So they were stopping at the right moments and helping us out.”
A new album for a new era
In March 2025, the band released Are You Really Real, their latest album — and a reflection of heavier themes. “The subject matter of our vocal tunes is a lot more serious and I think the music we're doing now is a lot more challenging,” said Wynston. “So yeah, it's absolutely evolved.”
Underhill added that the title track was inspired by a deep dive into AI and concerns around its growing influence: “There were warnings that it might get out of control, which we see… it has done some strange things and it's hallucinating and it's completely, you know, sort of mucking up things in a lot of ways.”
Still, the band’s sense of humour and spontaneity remain intact. “We rarely ever rehearse,” said Wynston. “So basically when we're recording a new album, we show up in the recording studio… I just come up with the grooves on the spot.”
The saxophone sound that defines a band
Even as the band’s themes have matured, their iconic three-saxophone sound has stayed central. “Originally… the other guys would make up some harmony underneath. And so often it had that kind of interesting fourths-y sound,” said Underhill. “Even if people have their own flavor of arranging within it, it's still that kind of sound palette… and that really gives the band a strong identity.”
All the band members contribute to the music. “Richard does the most writing, but everyone in the band writes,” said Wynston. “We do all original material.”
Still wild after all these years
For their return to Winnipeg, fans can expect a full spectrum of music — new and old. “Definitely we'll want to be showcasing some tunes from the new album… and some of the classics, Cheese and Bread, Spadina Bus,” said Underhill.
As for the stage antics? “There's nothing better for me than going out in the crowd,” Underhill said. “Having Stitch do some crazy dances or whatever… it really engages the crowd.”
Catch The Shuffle Demons live at Old Market Square on Wednesday, June 18 at 9:30 p.m. as part of the 2025 TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival. With their wild costumes, legendary saxophone harmonies, and infectious energy, it's sure to be an unforgettable night of music, mayhem and groove-filled fun in the heart of downtown Winnipeg.