The Starting Line
The Starting Line | |
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![]() The band performing at Vans Warped Tour in 2007 | |
Background information | |
Origin | Churchville, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 1999–2008, 2009–present[1] |
Labels |
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Members |
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Website | www |
The Starting Line is an American pop-punk band formed in Churchville, Pennsylvania in 1999. They are currently based in Philadelphia.
History
[edit]Early years (1999–2001)
[edit]The Starting Line was formed in 1999, originally performing under the name "Sunday Drive".
Sunday Drive was soon approached by We the People Records and asked to produce a recording session (the We the People Records Sessions). Set for a release in December 2000, the twelve songs were initially planned to become the band's debut full-length on We the People Records, but they ended up serving only as demos for tracks on future releases, as the band signed with Drive-Thru Records in April 2001.[2] They later found out that the name Sunday Drive was already taken by a Christian rock band, so they changed their band name to the Starting Line. The band has said there is no significance behind the name, it was the only name they all could agree upon.[3]
With Hopes of Starting Over EP (2001)
[edit]On Drive-Thru, they soon released their debut EP With Hopes of Starting Over... on July 17, 2001.[4]
Say It Like You Mean It (2002)
[edit]On July 16, 2002, almost exactly one year after the release of their EP, the full-length Say It Like You Mean It followed. The songs ranged from energetic and fast-paced to melancholy and calm, dealing with performing on stage ("Given the Chance"- "I can't wait to hit the stage/and say hello/To Jersey"), vacation ("Left Coast Envy"- "Vacation's everything we need/Can I sell this sunrise/In return for a sunset?") and getting even with Vasoli's ex-girlfriend ("Up & Go", "Hello Houston", "Cheek to Cheek", among others). The single "The Best of Me" and its two music videos, as well as the second single "Leaving", received heavy radio and TV airplay, securing the Starting Line a spot on the Warped Tour. A clip of "Up & Go" was played during an episode of the short-lived television series from Fox, John Doe. The episode aired December 13, 2002, and was entitled 'The Mourner.' "Up & Go" was also included in the full-length trailer for the movie She's The Man, which starred Amanda Bynes.[5] In 2003 the band appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, performing the song "The Best of Me".[6]
The Make Yourself at Home EP (2003)
[edit]The band released The Make Yourself at Home EP on November 25, 2003 as their final release through Drive-Thru Records.
Based on a True Story (2005)
[edit]Their major label debut, Based on a True Story, came out in May 2005. Lyrically, the band dissociated themselves from the post-relationship formula that was predominant on their previous records. The album is punctuated by several more aggressive songs, written to spite the band's record label. "Inspired by the $" featured lyrics that are directed at Geffen: "Someone/Get to the point/Get it across!/To the boys at the top of the ladder I'm climbing up/I have my doubts". Another section of the song refers to a meeting the band had with the label's executives, where the Starting Line was asked to write more radio-friendly songs in the vein of New Found Glory's Catalyst (2004) and recreate "Best of Me" ("Just stay the same way/Do it like you did it before/Remain the same shape."[7] The album was far more successful than the band's 2002 effort and sold 42,000 copies within its first week, as opposed to its predecessor's 11,000.[8] The release was followed by the semi-headlining Nintendo Fusion Tour with Fall Out Boy, kicking off in September 2005.[9] The band brought with them a new addition to their live performances, keyboardist Brian Schmutz. A friend of Vasoli's, the two had short lived side-project called Statue in 2004. A few dates into the tour, the Starting Line were, at their request, released from their record deal with Geffen.[10] Vasoli describes their time with Geffen: " It was kind of like having a sort of hot girlfriend that never talks to you. You say, "Oh yeah, I 'm dating this supermodel, but she's been in France for three years and doesn't really call me... but she promises that when she gets back we're REALLY gonna start to get serious. It was always an imaginary relationship."[11] In 2005 their song "The World" appeared on the video game Burnout Revenge and again on the television series American Idol in 2011.[6]
Direction (2007)
[edit]In early January 2006, the band signed with Virgin Records. The band released their third full-length album "Direction" on July 31, 2007, containing the single "Island" which was written about Vasoli's girlfriend of the last four years, Michelle. The album had songs like "What You Want", "21", "Birds" and "Direction". "Island" was the group's lone charting single, peaking at No. 21 on the Billboard Modern Rock charts.[12] The album peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard 200 chart, but fell off the chart four weeks later. The band completed the 2007 Warped Tour and began their nationwide tour with Paramore in October.[13]
Hiatus and reunion (2008-2011)
[edit]In March 2008 the band announced in an e-mail and on Absolutepunk.net they would be going on a break in order for Ken and Brian to explore Person L, Matt and Tom to experiment with the group The Seventy Six, and Mike to spend time with his two daughters and also play with The Traded Series. Matt Watts is currently a band manager for Red Light Management, managing the bands Fake Problems, Like Lions, New Atlantic, and Hit The Lights. The band stated, "They will continue The Starting Line if and when the time is right."[14]
The band played the Australian Soundwave Festival in February 2011. Matt Watts explained that they "didn't want to pass up this opportunity to hang out, have fun, and play with some really great bands," but again stated, "this doesn't mean that TSL are back together, and that we don't plan on doing a US tour any time in the near future."[15]
The Starting Line reunited once again for a Christmas show in 2013 at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. On July 11, 2014, it was announced on the band's official website that they would be playing another holiday show on December 26, 2014, at the Trocadero in Philadelphia.[16] According to an article on propertyofzack.com, Kenny Vasoli confirmed on stage that the band would be releasing new material in 2015. Said article also features a very low quality video of a new song.[17]
Anyways EP (2015)
[edit]On December 14, 2015, the band announced a new EP titled Anyways. The title track was released as the lead single on December 18, 2015. Anyways marked the band's first studio release in 9 years. The title track appeared in a 2016 episode, series 7, episode 21 of the television series The Vampire Diaries.[18]
New music and beyond (2023)
[edit]The band was referenced in Taylor Swift's song "The Black Dog" from her 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department. Their reference in the song prompted Instagram and Facebook posts thanking Taylor for the "name check".[19] In the posts, the band referenced #4OTW, indicating their fourth album is in the works.[20]
Touring
[edit]On March 1, 2019, the band announced that they were going to celebrate the 20th anniversary as a band by joining the Vans Warped Tour for their 25th anniversary in San Francisco and Atlantic City.[21] They later announced 10 other tour dates in Boston, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Chicago Riot Fest, Denver, Dallas, New York, and their hometown of Philadelphia.[22]
In November 2023, it was announced that the band would be playing the When We Were Young in October 2024 in Las Vegas. They will be playing Say It Like You Mean It in its entirety.[23]
Holiday shows
[edit]The band has hosted an annual holiday show for many years. In some years they've hosted multiple shows, with one show in Philadelphia and another in New Jersey or New York City.
Year | Location(s) | Venue |
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2009 | Philadelphia | TLA |
2010 | Sayreville, NJ | Starland Ballroom |
2012 | Philadelphia | Electric Factory |
2013 | Sayreville, NJ | Starland Ballroom |
2014 | Philadelphia | The Trocadero |
2015 | Sayreville, NJ | Starland Ballroom |
2016 | Philadelphia | Union Transfer |
2017 | New York City | Irving Plaza |
2018 | Philadelphia | Franklin Music Hall |
2019 | Philadelphia & New York City | Franklin Music Hall & Webster Music Hall |
2020 | Live at Studio 4 | Virtual due to COVID-19 |
2021 | Sayreville, NJ & Philadelphia | Starland Ballroom & Franklin Music Hall |
2022 | New York City | Palladium Times Square |
2023 | Philadelphia | Underground Arts |
Members
[edit]- Mike Golla – lead guitar, backing vocals (1999–present)
- Tom Gryskiewicz – drums, percussion (1999–present)
- Kenny Vasoli – lead vocals, bass guitar (1999–present)
- Matt Watts – rhythm guitar (1999–present)
- Brian Schmutz – keyboards, backing vocals (2007–present; touring 2005–2007)
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US [24] |
US Heat. [24] | |||
Say It Like You Mean It |
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109 | 1 |
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Based on a True Story |
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18 | — |
|
Direction |
|
30 | — | |
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Live albums
[edit]Title | Details |
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Somebody's Gonna Miss Us |
|
Based on a True Story Live at Studio 4 |
|
Direction Live at Studio 4 |
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The Best of Live at Studio 4 |
|
Compilation albums
[edit]Title | Details |
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The Early Years |
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DVDs
[edit]Title | Details |
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The Make Yourself at Home: Acoustic DVD |
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Bastards of Young Documentary DVD[27] |
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Somebody's Gonna Miss Us DVD[28] |
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Extended plays
[edit]Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
---|---|---|
US Heat. [24] | ||
With Hopes of Starting Over... |
|
— |
The Make Yourself at Home EP |
|
10 |
Anyways |
|
— |
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Singles
[edit]Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Modern [24] |
UK [29] | ||||
"Three's a Charm" | 2002 | — | — | With Hopes of Starting Over... | |
"The Best of Me" | 2003 | — | 79 | Say It Like You Mean It | |
"Leaving" | — | — | |||
"Bedroom Talk" | 2005 | — | — | Based on a True Story | |
"Island (Float Away)" | 2007 | 21 | — | Direction | |
"Something Left to Give" | 2008 | — | — | ||
"Somebody's Gonna Miss Us" | 2009 | — | — | ||
"Anyways" | 2016 | — | — | Anyways | |
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Additional tracks
[edit]Year | Title | Album |
---|---|---|
2002 | "I'm Real" (Jennifer Lopez cover) | Punk Goes Pop |
2003 | "Playing Favorites" | Punk Goes Acoustic |
2004 | "Lasting Impressions" full band version | Unreleased |
2005 | "Nights and Weekends" | Based on a True Story Japanese Version |
"Classic Jazz" | Originally planned for Based on a True Story | |
"The Rain Cloud and I" | Unreleased B-side; originally planned for Based on a True Story | |
2006 | "Big Time Sensuality" (Björk cover)[31] | Punk Goes '90s |
2007 | "Pictures" | Direction Japanese version |
"Time to Run" | Unreleased B-side |
References
[edit]- ^ "The Starting Line frontman breaks silence on new music: "It's still punk rock" - News - Alternative Press". Alternative Press. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ "The Starting Line biography". StartingLineRock.com. Archived from the original on 2001-10-23. Retrieved 2006-11-28. (Internet Archive mirror)
- ^ "Interview by NMattise". Internet Archive.
- ^ "The Starting Line - with Hopes of Starting over Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ^ "She's the Man (2006) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers". YouTube.
- ^ a b "The Starting Line | Actor, Soundtrack". IMDb.
- ^ "Starting Line, The - 03.12.06". AbsolutePunk.net. Retrieved 2006-08-14.
- ^ "DMB Defeats NIN, Weezer As Album Chart Champ". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2005-05-25. Retrieved 2005-10-08.
- ^ "Fall Out Boy to Lead Nintendo Fusion Tour". Billboard.
- ^ "Good Riddance". AbsolutePunk.net. Retrieved 2005-12-22.
- ^ "Interview: Kenny Vasoli of The Starting Line". Internet Archive.
- ^ Loftus, Johnny (2003-10-02). "The Starting Line". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-08-20.
- ^ "Tours: Paramore / The Starting Line / The Almost / Set Your Goals". 13 September 2007.
- ^ "The Starting Line Press Conference". AbsolutePunk.net. Retrieved 2011-08-20.
- ^ "TSL to play Soundwave Festival in Australia". Blogs.myspace.com. 2010-08-05. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2011-08-20.
- ^ "Announcing Our Holiday Show - 12/26 at the Trocadero in Philadelphia!". The Starting Line. 2014-07-26. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
- ^ "The Starting Line To Release New Material In 2015". PropertyOfZack. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ "The Starting Line | Actor, Soundtrack". IMDb.
- ^ Schaffner, Lauryn SchaffnerLauryn (2024-04-22). "Pop Punk Band Sees Surge After Namecheck in New Taylor Swift Song, Shares Statement". Loudwire. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ Bloch, Emily. "Bucks County's The Starting Line thanks Taylor Swift for shout-out in 'The Tortured Poets Department'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "To celebrate our 20th year as a band". The Startling Line Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
- ^ "Tour Dates". The Startling Line. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
- ^ http://www.whenwewereyoungfestival.com/.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ a b c d "The Starting Line". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-03-26.
- ^ Billboard Staff (2005-05-18). "Dave Matthews Band 'Stand Up' At No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-03-26.
- ^ Billboard Staff (2006-01-17). "Billboard Bits: Lenny Kravitz, Starting Line, Sparks". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-03-26.
- ^ "Bastards of Young". IMDb.
- ^ https://www.walmart.com/ip/Somebody-s-Gonna-Miss-Us-W-Dvd/34640788.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ "Starting Line | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
- ^ "The Starting Line - The Best Of Me". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ "The Starting Line, Mae, Emery, Cartel, Copeland on Punk Goes '90s". Alternative Press. March 21, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
External links
[edit]- Musical groups established in 1999
- Musical groups disestablished in 2008
- Musical groups reestablished in 2009
- Musical groups disestablished in 2012
- Musical groups reestablished in 2015
- Musical groups from Philadelphia
- Pop punk groups from Pennsylvania
- Drive-Thru Records artists
- Geffen Records artists
- Virgin Records artists
- 1999 establishments in Pennsylvania
- American punk rock groups
- Alternative rock groups from Pennsylvania