Vasoli has lately been focusing on his side project, known as Person L. Tom has been recording with his new band, Cheap Seats, with Matt as their manager. Mike also has a side project, called The Traded Series. The origins of the group that would become The Starting Line go back to 1999, via an AOL instant message from Churchville, Pennsylvania guitarist Matt Watts to vocalist/bassist Kenny Vasoli. It asked if the then fourteen-year-old Vasoli, who was at that time in a band called Smash Adams, was interested in "Jamming and shit", as the message title read.
Only a few weeks later, Vasoli found himself rehearsing with his future bandmates Watts, guitarist Mike Golla and drummer Tom Gryskewicz. Soon, the band started touring under the name Sunday Drive, selling out home-made merchandise and a self-recorded demo cassette that the guys titled 'Four Songs'. Their first official release was a three-way split with The Jimmy Tuesday Band and The Commercials contributing three songs each, the work released on KickStart Audio in 2000.
Sunday Drive was soon approached by We the People Records and asked to produce a recording session (the infamous 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 With Hopes of Starting Over 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. On Drive-Thru, they soon released their debut EP With Hopes of Starting Over. Yet, as the name Sunday Drive was already taken by a Christian rock band, they went on as The Starting Line.
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"), feeling homesick ("Left Coast Envy") and getting even with Vasoli's ex-girlfriend Karina ("Up & Go", "Hello Houston", among others). The hit 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.
Due to their desire to put out new material, the band decided to release an all-unplugged EP, recorded in three sessions over the following year. The first three songs (recorded in The Prize Fight's Bob Jones' bedroom in August 2002), the second session (recorded in Vasoli's basement in March 2003) and the last track (recorded on the band's touring bus in April 2003) became The Make Yourself at Home EP, released on November 25, 2003. The CD and the DVD version issued simultaneously, featuring an acoustic set performed live at Skate & Surf 2003 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, would be their last releases put out solely on Drive-Thru Records, as The Starting Line was signed by Geffen Records soon afterwards.
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. On this album, a lot of the songs (e.g. "Inspired By the $", "Autography" and "The B-List") were explicitly inspired by the band's disdain for their record label Geffen and its executives. 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. The release was followed by the semi-headlining Nintendo Fusion Tour with Fall Out Boy, kicking off in September 2005. A few dates into the tour, The Starting Line were — at their request — released from their record deal with Geffen, and became free agents. In early January 2006, their signing with Virgin Records was announced.
On March 5, 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 explore The Seventy Six, and Mike to spend time with his two daughters and explore The Traded Series. The band had been playing with the idea of coming back in 2011, but in a chat with absolutepunk.net, Kenny Vasoli said, ""it's looking good, may even be earlier. I hung with Matt and Tom the other day, we all are still in love with one another.
On November 10, 2009, The Starting Line released their first-ever live concert CD, film and documentary DVD titled "Somebody's Gonna Miss Us" via Image Entertainment on a 2-disc set. Through intimate and honest interviews with the band, friends and family fans will get a glimpse into the inner workings of the group and a career that spanned nearly a decade, five releases, and thousands of shows.
On December 29, 2009, The Starting Line had a reunion concert at the Theater of Living Arts. Starting Line guitarist Matt Watts stated on the website AbsolutePunk that "this doesn't mean that TSL are back together....It simply means that we're taking a break from our break, and wanted to play a fun show in Philadelphia and continue to focus on our lives outside of TSL"
The Starting Line added a second holiday show on December 30, 2009 in Philadelphia at the Trocadero Theater. This was added due to the fact that the first holiday show scheduled for December 29, 2009 sold out in a little over an hour and the band would like to give their local fans a better chance to see them. Towards the end of their set, Kenny Vasoli announced the band's reunion. However, the group has only toured intermittently since then.
Main Website: http://www.startinglinerock.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thestartingline
Almost There Going Nowhere
The Starting Line Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Say it like you mean it
He spoke with his song of hearts
As my eyes hold back
Hoping for the end
One too many condescending battles for a friend
Say another word
Keep talking down to me
Your not only losing me
Your losing what's in store
I'll try to stay awake
When I go
When I get home
I'll try to stay awake
Over the phone
So I can tell the truth
Tell the truth
Something keeps on getting in the way
Between you and I on summer holiday yeah
Just wait one minute more
'Cause my heart is halfway torn and your already gone
And your already gone
I'll try to stay awake (so I can tell you)
When I go
When I get home
I'll try to stay awake (so I can tell you)
Over the phone
So I can tell the truth
Say another word
Face first on the floor
Keep talking down to me
Losing what was almost meant to be
I'll try to stay awake (so I can tell you)
When I go
When I get home
I'll try to stay awake (so I can tell you)
Over the phone
So I can tell the truth
The lyrics of The Starting Line's Almost There Going Nowhere convey a sense of frustration and disappointment with a relationship that is not living up to its potential. The song suggests that the singer has been repeatedly let down by someone they care about and is now trying to stay awake and alert, in order to tell that person the truth. The truth, in this case, may be difficult to articulate, but the singer is determined to be honest about how they feel, even if it means facing difficult truths.
The song opens with the lines, "It's time to say a word, say it like you mean it." This is a call to action, a plea for the other person to speak honestly and openly. But as the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer is feeling belittled and talked down to. They are tired of being treated poorly and are ready to move on from a relationship that has failed to live up to its promise.
The chorus of the song reinforces the idea that the singer is struggling to communicate with the other person. They are trying to stay awake and alert, but they feel like something keeps getting in the way. They are torn between their desire to be honest and their fear of hurting the other person's feelings.
Overall, Almost There Going Nowhere is a powerful statement about the difficulty of communicating within a relationship, and the pain that can come from feeling unheard and unappreciated.
Line by Line Meaning
Its time to say a word
The singer needs to express themselves and communicate a message.
Say it like you mean it
The singer wants the message to be delivered with sincerity and honesty.
He spoke with his song of hearts
The singer conveyed their emotions through their music.
As my eyes hold back
The listener is trying to suppress their emotions.
Hoping for the end
The listener is looking for a resolution to their situation.
One too many condescending battles for a friend
The listener has been through many arguments with a friend who talks down to them.
Say another word
The listener wants the communicator to keep talking and reveal more information.
And I'll sit on the floor
The listener will be attentive and engrossed in the communication.
Keep talking down to me
The communicator is being condescending and treating the listener unfairly.
Your not only losing me
The communicator's behavior is causing the listener to lose interest.
Your losing what's in store
The communicator is missing out on potential opportunities by behaving poorly.
I'll try to stay awake
The listener will be alert and attentive during the conversation.
When I go
When the listener leaves the present location.
When I get home
When the listener returns to their residence.
Over the phone
Communication will take place over a telephone connection.
So I can tell the truth
The listener wants to provide an honest representation of their feelings.
Something keeps on getting in the way
There are obstacles preventing communication from being successful.
Between you and I on summer holiday yeah
The singer and the communicator are on vacation together, but still struggling to communicate.
Just wait one minute more
The listener needs a moment to collect their thoughts and speak truthfully.
'Cause my heart is halfway torn and your already gone
The listener is struggling with their emotions and the communicator has already left.
Face first on the floor
The listener is collapsing in defeat and frustration.
Losing what was almost meant to be
The artist and the communicator are losing out on a potential fruitful relationship due to a lack of communication.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GOLLA, GRYSKIEWICZ, VASOLI, WATTS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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on Given the Chance
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