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Fastball
Years active	1996 - present
Genres	Alternative rock
Labels	MCA Music, Inc. Rykodisc
Members	Tony Scalzo Joey Shuffield Miles Zuniga
Website(s)	http://www.fastballtheband.com
	This template is superseded by {{Infobox musical artist}}, which should be used in all instances to replace this template. Further information: Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians/Infobox

Fastball is an American rock band that formed in Austin, Texas in the 1990s. The band originally called themselves "Magneto U.S.A" but changed their name after signing with Hollywood Records. Image File history File links Nuvola_apps_important. ... Shortcut: WP:WIN Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia and, as a means to that end, also an online community. ... Shortcut: WP:NPOV Wikipedia policy is that all articles should be written from a neutral point of view. ... Shortcut: WP:RULES Wikipedia is a collaborative project and its founders and contributors have a common goal: Wikipedia has some policies and guidelines that help us to work toward that common goal. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Alternative rock (also called alternative music or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Universal Music Group (UMG) is the largest major label in the record industry, with a 23% market share. ... Tony Scalzo (born May 6, 1964 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is an American rock musician and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the band Fastball. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Country United States State Texas Counties Travis County Government  - Mayor Will Wynn Area  - City  296. ... It has been suggested that Abbey Konowitch be merged into this article or section. ...

Fastball arrived on the rock scene during an era when the classic, straightforward melodic style of bands like the Beatles had become music history. But the group didn't let that stop them. They filled a niche that had no competition when they released their debut, Make Your Mama Proud. Critics often compared them to such artists as the Beatles, Cheap Trick, and Elvis Costello. Their next release in 1998, All The Pain Money Can Buy, reached platinum sales within six months of its release, and stayed on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart for a year. The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Declan Patrick MacManus (born August 25, 1954, in London), better known by his stage name, Elvis Costello, is an English musician, singer, and songwriter of Irish ancestry. ...

The group was nominated for two Grammy Awards -- Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "The Way," and Best Long Form Music Video for "The Way." They also received an MTV Video Music Award nomination as Best New Artist. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal has been awarded since 1980. ... The Way may mean: The Way International, a religious organization which describes itself as a biblical research, teaching, and fellowship ministry and which at least some sources consider to be a cult. ... The Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video has been awarded since 1984. ... The Way may mean: The Way International, a religious organization which describes itself as a biblical research, teaching, and fellowship ministry and which at least some sources consider to be a cult. ... The MTV Video Music Awards were established in 1984 by MTV to celebrate the top music videos of the year. ... The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best New Artist. ...

As of summer 2006, the band is in the planning stages for a new album tentatively slated for a 2007 release.

Bio

In 1994, Tony Scalzo, Joey Shuffield, and Miles Zuniga, formed Fastball in Austin, Texas. Shuffield and Zuniga first played together in a band called Big Car. After a stint with another group called Wild Seeds, Shuffield introduced Zuniga to Scalzo, who had played in a band called the Goods in Orange County, California. The trio decided to form their own band, and began playing around the Austin area. Tony Scalzo (born May 6, 1964 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is an American rock musician and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the band Fastball. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Country United States State Texas Counties Travis County Government  - Mayor Will Wynn Area  - City  296. ... Cities in Orange County Orange County is a county in Southern California, United States. ...

When they first started out, the band tried out several names, such as Star 69, Magneto, Magneto USA, and Starchy, before finally deciding to adopt the name Fastball. They share the name with the group's favorite pornographic film. "It's a typical porno movie," Zuniga told Rob Brunner in Entertainment Weekly, "but it's about baseball. It's like a really raunchy Bull Durham."

Fastball quickly built a strong following in the Austin area, and created a regional buzz. As a result, a local journalist spotted them, and suggested that Hollywood Records check them out. They did, and Fastball soon signed a record contract. Scalzo and Zuniga took turns singing and writing the songs, while Shuffield backed them up on drums. In 1996, Make Your Mama Proud arrived in stores. The album didn't sell very well, but it did win the "Best Pop Band" category at the Austin Music Awards. The following year, the members of Fastball were unsure of their future.

The members of Fastball still had side jobs as late as January of 1998. Tony Scalzo worked the graveyard shift at The Bagel Manufactory in Austin. Little did he know at the time that he, Shuffield, and Zuniga would be on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O'Brien just four months later. Fastball's second album, All The Pain Money Can Buy, was released on Hollywood Records. Within just six months, it had sold more than a million copies. May 26, 2006 opening monologue of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is the full name of NBCs The Tonight Show hosted by Jay Leno, debuting on May 25, 1992. ... Late Night with Conan OBrien is an American late night talk show on NBC that is also syndicated worldwide. ... All the Pain Money Can Buy was the second album by American pop-rock band Fastball released on March 10, 1998 on Hollywood Records. ...

The single "The Way" stayed on top of Billboard's Modern Rock chart for seven weeks, and was a top five hit on Billboard's Top 40 chart. Scalzo was inspired to write the song in 1997, after reading a news article about an elderly couple who had disappeared in Texas. The couple was on their way to a family reunion when they disappeared. Scalzo imagined that they began reminiscing and decided to take off on their own romantic trip; however, the true story didn't have such a happy ending. The real-life couple had veered off the road in their RV and were found dead at the bottom of a canyon. The Way is a 1998 single by Fastball from their album All the Pain Money Can Buy. ...

Fastball followed up "The Way" with a second single called "Out of My Head," which quickly joined its chart-topping predecessor. "Out of My Head" reached the top ten on Billboard's Top 40 chart and was a top ten hit on the Adult Top 40 chart for 29 weeks. The band followed up their album release with a tour that also featured Marcy Playground and Everclear. After that, they landed a spot on the H.O.R.D.E. tour.

In 1999, Fastball received two Grammy Award nominations as a result of All the Pain Money Can Buy. One was for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, and the other was Best Long Form Video for They Wanted the Highway. They also received an MTV Award nomination for Best New Artist.

Riding high on their success, the group headed back into the studio to record their third album, The Harsh Light of Day. Produced by Julian Raymond and Fastball, the album was released in September of 2000. The Harsh Light of Day was the third album by pop-rock band Fastball, released in 2000 on Hollywood Records. ...

The release included "You're an Ocean," which featured the piano stylings of Billy Preston (who previously collaborated with The Beatles). Singer-guitarist Brian Setzer also contributed to the album with Latin guitar on "Love Is Expensive and Free." "Instead of tailoring the music for short attention spans, we tried to make an album that holds up well to extensive listening... kind of cinematic, where you notice new themes entering the frame each time you see the film," Zuniga said in the band's record company bio.

Although The Harsh Light of Day didn't reach the same sales or hit status that Fastball had received with All The Pain Money Can Buy, the trio didn't lose steam and chalked it up to lacking a musical category to fit into. "You can't write down what we do in a sentence," Zuniga told Mac Randall at Launch.com. "Marketing us is a problem. But in a way, that's our saving grace also, because you can't find an easy angle to summarize us and exploit us. We might sell more records if you could, but at the same time, it forces people that really want to be interested in us to pay a little more attention to what we're doing."

In October of 2000, Fastball began touring in support of The Harsh Light of Day in Amsterdam. Despite the slowed success, the members of the group didn't regret any of their creative decisions, and their aim remained true. "It makes me feel proud that we're one of these song-oriented guitar bands," Scalzo told Richard Skanse in Rolling Stone. "I think there's a couple of bands that are still putting out real good quality guitar rock songs, and I think we're one of them."

In June of 2004, Fastball released their fourth album, Keep Your Wig On, on a new record label, Rykodisc. Keep Your Wig On was home to singles "Airstream," "Drifting Away," and "Lou-ee, Lou-ee," with the last being released as a single in Europe only.

Members

• Tony Scalzo (b. May 6, 1964, Honolulu, Hawaii) - bass guitar, keyboards and vocals
• Miles Zuniga (b. September 10, 1966, Laredo, Texas) - lead guitar and vocals
• Joey Shuffield (b. December 28, 1961) - drums and percussion

is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... See also: 1963 in music, other events of 1964, 1965 in music, 1960s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 1 - Top of the Pops premieres on BBC television. ... Honolulu as seen from the International Space Station Honolulu is the largest city and the capital of the U.S. state of Hawai‘i. ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  Ranked 43rd  - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 km²)  - Width n/a miles (n/a km)  - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km)  - % water 41. ... The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a string instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping, or using a pick. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... See also: 1965 in music, other events of 1966, 1967 in music, 1960s in music and the list of years in music Hot 100 No. ... Laredo redirects here. ... Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Lead guitar refers to a role within a band, that provides melody or melodic material, as opposed to the rhythm of the rhythm guitar, bass, and drums. ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... See also: 1960 in music, other events of 1961, 1962 in music, 1960s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 15 - Motown Records signs The Supremes January 20 - Francis Poulencs Gloria is premiered in Boston February 12 - The Miracles Shop Around becomes Motowns first... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ...

Discography

Albums

• 1996 Make Your Mama Proud
• 1998 All the Pain Money Can Buy (#29 US)
• 2000 The Harsh Light of Day (#97 US)
• 2002 Painting The Corners: The Best of Fastball
• 2003 Live From Jupiter Records
• 2004 Keep Your Wig On

Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... All the Pain Money Can Buy was the second album by American pop-rock band Fastball released on March 10, 1998 on Hollywood Records. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Harsh Light of Day was the third album by pop-rock band Fastball, released in 2000 on Hollywood Records. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Singles

• "Are You Ready For The Fallout?"
• "The Way" (#1 Modern Rock, #2 Adult Top 40, #4 Top 40 Mainstream, #21 UK)
• "Fire Escape" (#86 Billboard Hot 100, #13 Modern Rock, #19 Adult Top 40, #29 Top 40 Mainstream)
• "Out Of My Head" (#20 Billboard Hot 100, #3 Adult Top 40, #8 Top 40 Mainstream)
• "You're An Ocean" (#16 Adult Top 40, #29 Top 40 Mainstream)
• "Airstream"
• "Lou-ee Lou-ee" (Europe only)
• "Drifting Away"

The Way is a 1998 single by Fastball from their album All the Pain Money Can Buy. ...

Soundtrack appearances

• 1997, An American Werewolf in Paris, "Human Torch"
• 1998, Brink!, "Sooner Or Later"
• 1998, The Waterboy, "Sooner Or Later"
• 1999, Varsity Blues, "Are You Ready For The Fallout?"
• 1999, Johnny Tsunami, "The Way" and "Fire Escape"
• 2000, Loser, "Out of My Head"
• 2001, Motocrossed, "You're an Ocean."
• 2001, Summer Catch, "Every Time She Walks."
• 2006, Failure to Launch, "This Guy's in Love with You"

1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An American Werewolf in Paris was a 1997 horror film about werewolves. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Brink! is a 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie set in the backdrop of competitive inline skating. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... The Waterboy is a movie starring Adam Sandler, released in 1998. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... Varsity Blues is a 1999 film that follows a small-town high school football team and their focused coach, Jon Voight, through a tumultuous season. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... Johnny Tsunami is a Disney Channel Original Movie released in 1999. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Loser is a 2000 romantic comedy film starring Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari and Greg Kinnear. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motocrossed is a Disney Channel Original Movie. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Promotional movie poster for Summer Catch Summer Catch is a 2001 romance comedy starring Freddie Prinze Jr. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Failure to Launch (2006) is an American romantic comedy film. ...

See also

• Music of Austin

Stevie Ray Vaughan statue on Austins Town Lake. ...

External links

• Official Fastball Website
• Official Fastball Myspace