These is stuff we
took a while back
took a while back
| Unusual Suspects are a central Connecticut based classic rock cover band. The band was formed in late winter /early spring of 2006 by lead guitarist Bill Kopf. Bill's idea was to have a fun type of party band doing classic stuff we all grew up listening to. Bill contacted his long time band mate and friend, Bassist Carl Fazzio Carl was all for it so the next step was to find a rhythm guitar player and a lead vocalist. Bill put out a few ads online including the one that I, your friendly web page creator/updater, answered on Craig's list. The ad that I answered was for a rhythm guitarist with background vocals. I came aboard last spring 2006 & me Bill and Carl clicked right away. We proceeded to practice, swap songs and learn new stuff for a couple of months in Bills garage. All the while they had me doing the vocals as we hadn't gotten a lead singer yet. After a while we just decided to keep me on singing since I could remember most of the words. And we figured it would be one less guy in the band. (Plus lead singers are such assholes anyway.) We were almost there now. Carl, the wise one, who had been in a lot of bands and had been up this road before felt we were ready to go play in front of people. Our first gig was an acoustic set at Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford. Bill's friend Dennis from Top Of The Key, who was playing there that day, let us do a few songs between his sets. We were on our way! While that was fun, we knew there was still something missing. We didn't want to be an acoustic act. We needed a drummer . Our next gig was a 4th of July party at my house in front of family friends. A friend of mine, Paul, who I've known forever said his son Jonathan, a drummer, would be willing to sit in with us. Well that gig was an absolute blast and we knew we needed the drums to fill out our sound. Jonathan was great but he's a young kid and not interested in playing with a bunch of old farts. Thus began our search for a drummer. We've been through a couple of personnel changes in that department. We started out with Dick I forget his last name, on drums. He was around for only a few gigs. Mike Leone was with us the better part of a year. Then came Andy Parker for the better part of a year. Our current drummer is Gene Zwicharowski From Stratford. Along with sax player Tom Archer that constitutes the current band lineup. We also tried to bring female vocals into the band in the person of Sonja Guglielmo. That lasted about half a year until she moved on. Different folks have sat in with us at various times. Joe Chuba on drums. Frank C. On drums. Danny Cox Drums & harp. Sax player Brian Caron & keyboard player Jimmy Stopa of Whitewater Jam Band. Strider from Seabreeze Bobby Glick from #9 Band. Ed Davis of Presidential Targets. Braden & Nancy From WsQ. My dad has even sat in with us!! Probably others too I can't remember at this time. & we can't play The Beatles "Slow Down" without John Anderson of "Majesty" on drums if he's in the house. Through it all the core of the band that spent 4 months learning songs & getting tight in the garage Me, Bill, & Carl have stuck together through the ups & downs. The setlist has expanded to about 100 songs sound has changed a bit from the spacey Pink Floyd Stuff we were doing at the beginning to the livelier stuff that the crowd wants to hear & responds to. We'll continue & try to stay in the moment & have fun because who Knows what the future holds...... Dan Pastore 5.13.08 |