The Unusual Suspects

So how did The Suspects move from "I feel cheated on" to "Hey, let's play a reunion show?" Pretty easily, actually. Saxophonist Andy Hocker called, said he was going to be in town and suggested they play a reunion. Grady says 72 hours and a dozen phone calls and e-mails later, the show was in place. According to Grady, reunions had been talked about in the past, but were canceled because of scheduling conflicts. Most, if not all, of the members have full-time jobs and families. A few have moved out of town -- Hocker, keyboardist Joe Cote and DePujadas -- and getting them all here on the same night hasn't been easy. In fact, El Orbits' David Beebe will be stepping in for DePujadas, who couldn't make it down from his new home in Philadelphia.

What's most important to Grady is being able to play again. "It was a depressing thing, but you know, you come home and you gotta chase kids around and argue with the wife and you figure out pretty quick that it's not that big a deal," says Grady. Escalante agrees, saying he's just looking forward to playing with old friends and hopes this can all be forgotten when the band regroups at the Continental Club.

The hope is that Grady and the other former members of The Suspects will learn to stop worrying and love the ska.

The Suspects perform Friday, January 19, at Continental Club, 3700 Main, 713-529-9899.