Fastball plays Infinity Hall Hartford on Jan. 23

The Austin trio, same three members since the start, brings songs from its ninth album, Sonic Ranch, to a 500-capacity room in January.

Some bands spend decades replacing members. Fastball never did. The same three people who started it are still the band, and on a Saturday in late January they'll be on stage in Hartford.

Fastball plays Infinity Hall Hartford on Saturday, January 23, 2027, at 7pm. The date was announced on October 28. Tickets are through Infinity Hall, and the room holds 500.

Fastball is an Austin band: Miles Zuniga, Tony Scalzo and drummer Joey Shuffield. Wikipedia notes the lineup has not changed since they started out under an earlier name, Magneto U.S.A. Zuniga and Scalzo split the songwriting and lead vocals almost evenly, which is part of why a Fastball record moves between moods the way it does.

The latest of those records is Sonic Ranch, the band's ninth studio album, released in 2024 on Sunset Blvd Records. It takes its name from the Texas studio where it was recorded, and it was produced by David Garza, a longtime friend of the band, with John Fields. The Big Takeover reviewed it, and Magnet devoted an episode of its podcast to the story behind it. The lead single was "Rather Be Me Than You," which V13 reviewed when it came out. The Austin Chronicle called the album possibly the band's most cohesive and musically mature to date.

Same three members, ninth album, and a 500-capacity room in Hartford.

There may be more on the way. In June, frontman Tony Scalzo told Des Moines' CityView the band has new material coming, and the same piece described a renaissance for the band, with nostalgia fueling renewed interest. Apple Music lists a new song released in April.

Interviews with the band, like this one with Miles Zuniga in Buddy Magazine and another at Asheville Stages, are worth a read before the show if you want the backstory in their own words.

Why Infinity Hall? A 500-capacity room is an intimate way to see a band with this much history. You'll be close enough to watch Zuniga and Scalzo trade songs, and a 7pm Saturday start leaves the rest of the evening open.

Tickets are on sale now through Infinity Hall's own site. January in Hartford can use a reason to leave the house, and a night with a band that has stuck together this long is a good one.

Go for the songs you know. Stay for the ones from Sonic Ranch.

Sources: JamBase: Fastball at Infinity Hall Hartford (jambase.com); Infinity Hall (infinityhall.com); Wikipedia: Fastball (band) (wikipedia.com); The Big Takeover: Fastball – Sonic Ranch (bigtakeover.com); Magnet: The real story behind Fastball's Sonic Ranch (magnetmagazine.com); V13: Fastball – Rather Be Me Than You song review (v13.net); Des Moines CityView: Fastball (dmcityview.com); Apple Music: Fastball (music.apple.com); Buddy Magazine: Interview with Miles Zuniga of Austin's Fastball (buddymagazine.com); Asheville Stages: Interview with Miles Zuniga (ashevillestages.com)