Howard’s Club H will host the CD release party for Koufax tomorrow night. Originating in Bowling Green, this once small-town band is anything but that now.
‘The competition is cutthroat in the larger cities, so it would have been hard for us to stand out,’ said Rob Suchan, the lead vocalist and guitarist for the band. ‘In being from a smaller city, we tapped into an underground, so we were more comfortable. We weren’t trying to conquer anything.’
Suchan is joined by band members Ben Force on guitar and backup vocals, Jared Rosenberg on piano and keyboard, Rob Pope on bass guitar and brother Ryan Pope on drums.
The five have been playing together since the fall of 1999.
The name Koufax came from the famous Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax, Suchan said.
‘A friend from New York suggested we call the band Koufax and we liked the sound of it,’ he said.
Since then, the band has traveled around the world, hitting venues like Berlin and Paris.
‘The traveling is great but it’s also good to make friends,’ Suchan said. ‘That way, once the music stops, we still have the friends we made.’
Koufax has played a variety of venues. Some of their favorites are the Knitting Factory in Hollywood or the 930 Club, Suchan said.
‘But it was fun to play in Europe, too. Places like Prog, Paris or German are always cool,’ he said. ‘We’re going to be touring Europe again pretty soon here, so we’re excited.’
The band has released an EP and three full-length CDs their latest is titled, ‘Hard Times are in Fashion.’
‘This CD is the most collaborative we’ve done,’ Suchan said. ‘It’s a little more social commentary than the others. I get the ideas for songs from personal experience and things that are going on around me.
Howard’s owner Jim Gavarone said of Koufax, ‘I think they’re great. They are always well-received by the crowd and are good about signing autographs and talking to the fans.
‘They’ve been playing here forever so we got in on the secret early. I wish they’d play here more often.’
The rising indie rock band will play in their hometown at Howard’s tomorrow night. The show begins at 8 p.m. with a $5 cover.
