Matt Fazzi debuts as Taking Back Sunday guitarist

BY GLENN GAMBOA | glenn.gamboa@newsday.com

May 7, 2008

Taking Back Sunday introduced its new guitarist-singer Matt Fazzi, formerly of the band Facing New York, to its hometown crowd at a "secret" show Monday night at the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale.

"We told him if you guys didn't like him he was out of the band," joked singer Adam Lazzara onstage, as Fazzi received a huge ovation from the capacity crowd that even included the band Metro Station, featuring Trace Cyrus, Miley's brother, who played the club last night.

Fazzi replaces guitarist-singer Fred Mascherino, who left the band late last year to head his own band The Color Fred. "It's a trip because it automatically puts me in a place where I've been trying to go by myself for a long time -- playing music for a living, as my livelihood," Fazzi said after making his public debut. "I'm just trying to soak it all up and have a good time."

The Rockville Centre-based band picked Fazzi in February, after a series of auditions with several indie rockers. "When [Taking Back Sunday guitarist Ed Reyes] texted me, I hadn't even realized that Fred had left the band," Fazzi said. "I went and we just vibed really well and played a lot of songs."

Reyes said when Mascherino left, Fazzi was the first person he thought of to bring in. "He was in this amazing band called Facing New York, which was one of my favorite bands that nobody knew about," Reyes said. "He's such a talented guy and he became one of my best friends over the years ... We've always talked about starting another band and jamming together. I called him up and said, 'Fazz, you wanna try?' and he said, 'Give me a week.'"

Fazzi, who turns 23 on Saturday, will certainly get a trial by fire. His first official show in the band is Friday night's show at Madison Square Garden, with high-profile festivals following later this summer. Immediately after joining the band, they began work on the follow-up to the album "Louder Now," which hit No. 2 in 2006.