Koufax

by Ron DePasqualeFusing elements of '70s rock, '80s new wave, and '90s emo pop, with some Pets Sounds-era Beach Boys thrown in, the distinct sound of Koufax won over underground stars the Get Up Kids. With the disintegration of several Detroit and Northwestern Ohio bands, the band was formed by singer/guitarist Robert Suchan, who liked the sound of famous Dodger pitcher Sandy Koufax's name. The band relied heavily on the sound of piano and synthesizer, from not just keyboardist Sean Grogan, but drummer Dave Shettler and Andrew Cameron as well. After debuting on Doghouse Records with a self-titled EP in 1999, the Get Up Kids brokered a deal with its own label, Heroes and Villains, via parent Vagrant Records. For Koufax's full-length debut, It Had to Do With Love (2000), and subsequent touring, the band added a second keyboardist, Jared Rosenberg. Two years later, the band was a solid four-piece with Shettler, Force, Suchan and Rosenberg. Together, they issued Koufax's second studio full-length Social Life in October 2002. With a new label, Doghouse, and two new members on board, Robert Pope on bass guitar and Ryan Pope on drums, the band returned in summer of 2005 with their third long-player, Hard Times Are in Fashion.