The Why Store

The Why Store – Formed in Muncie in the late 1980s, the Why Store originally performed under the name Emerald City and, in 1992, became the Why Store, a name taken from a haberdashery in Muncie. The original members were bassist Greg Gardner, guitarist Michael David Smith (both Ball State students), drummer Craig Adams (Indianapolis musician), and singer Chris Shaffer (Ball State student and the last member to join). While the band enjoyed great success locally throughout the run of its first two albums, Way Cool Music, a subsidiary of MCA Records, signed the band in 1996. The result was a self-titled album, which included the song “Lack of Water.” Although “Lack of Water” got steady airplay on alternative radio and the group appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien in 1997, their two subsequent albums failed to push their career much further. Then, they disbanded in 2000 with each member moving ahead to other projects. In 2005, the group gave several reunion shows, and, in 2007, front man Chris Shaffer brought back the band’s name with another group of musicians. The current lead guitarist is David Steele, who has also played with Iced Earth. The Why Store plays often at the Slippery Noodle as well as other venues in Indianapolis.