Fastball (band)

Fastball
Fastball live in Chicago in November 2008. From left to right: Miles Zuniga, Joey Shuffield, Tony Scalzo and an unidentified touring musician.
Background information
Origin	Austin, Texas, United States
Genres	Alternative rock, pop rock
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Megaforce, Jupiter, Rykodisc, Hollywood
Website	www.fastballtheband.com
Members	Tony Scalzo (b. 1964) Miles Zuniga (b. 1965) Joey Shuffield (b. 1969)

Fastball is an American rock band that formed in Austin, Texas in 1995. The band originally called themselves "Magneto U.S.A." but changed their name after signing with Hollywood Records.

In 1998, their album All the Pain Money Can Buy reached platinum sales within six months of its release, and stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for a year. In addition, the group has been 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 their promotional video "The Way". They also received five The Austin Chronicle awards: 1998's Album of the Year, Best Video, Best Single/EP, Band of the Year, and 1995's Best Pop Band.

In 1995, Tony Scalzo, Miles Zuniga, and Joey Shuffield formed Fastball in Austin, Texas. Zuniga and Shuffield 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.

When they first started out, the band tried out several names, such as Star 69, Magneto, Magneto USA, Ed Clark's Business Bible and Starchy, before finally deciding to adopt the name Fastball.

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 recording 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 (they tied with another local Austin band, The Wannabes) for the "Best Pop Band" category at the Austin Music Awards. The following year, the members of Fastball were unsure of their future.