Welcome to The Chris Shaffer Archive, a site preserving the legacy of one of the biggest Indianapolis bands of the 1990's, The Why Store, and its frontman.
The Why Store was formed by students at Ball State University in the late eighties. Once bassist Greg Gardner and guitarist Michael David Smith joined up with Chris Shaffer on vocals & acoustic guitar and drummer Charlie Bushor, The Why Store was officially open for business. Later, Jeff Pedersen joined on keyboards and the lineup's chemistry made the music greater than the sum of its parts.
Years of constant touring and prolific songwriting paid off, as the band became a musical force to behold each time they took the stage. Instead of preparing a fixed setlist to play each night, frontman Shaffer would spontaneously pick songs from his ever-growing arsenal of 100+ original tunes during shows. At a time when cover bands prevailed in midwestern nightclubs, The Why Store's three-hour concerts of original music promised its audience a unique experience every single night. With this tireless, do-it-yourself work ethic, the band built up a loyal fanbase who called themselves "Whomheads".
Following two successful independent releases, the band was signed by MCA subsidiary Way Cool Music in 1996. Their self-titled major label debut became a Top 20 album that year and went on to sell over 200,000 copies, largely on the strength of its three singles. "Lack of Water" became a #1 hit on adult alternative radio, "Father" saw regular rotation on MTV2 and VH1, and the band performed "Surround Me" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
Over the years, The Why Store toured the country with the likes of John Mellencamp (whose long-time guitarist, Mike Wanchic, produced two of the band's albums), The Samples and Ziggy Marley. The band also became regulars on nationally-syndicated morning radio program The Bob And Tom Show.
After six albums, The Why Store disbanded in 2000. The original lineup did reunite to play a few shows in 2002 and again in 2005. Following the breakup, Michael David Smith formed Lost In Lodi and released an album; Greg Gardner played with cover band Zanna Doo; Charlie Bushor has played in several bands including Carl Storie and Kenny Brack and the Subwoofers. Meanwhile, Chris Shaffer continues to play the songs of The Why Store and write more music. He independently released two albums with former wife Heather in Shaffer Street, and another two solo albums as Chris Shaffer. In 2007, Shaffer resurrected The Why Store name for his solo band and its ever-evolving lineup. And to this day, he still does not make up a setlist for his shows.
For more background information and interviews, visit the Press page. To hear some live music, check out the Downloads page.
