Story Of The Year

Story of the Year formed in St. Louis, Missouri, though the band's true origins stretch back further than its famous name. The band was formed in St. Louis, Missouri in 1995 under the name 67 North, originally playing nu metal, before changing its name to Big Blue Monkey in 1998. The original lineup included guitarist Ryan Phillips, drummer Dan Marsala, vocalist John Taylor, and bassist Perry West. In 2000, significant lineup changes occurred as vocalist John Taylor and bassist Perry West departed, with drummer Dan Marsala transitioning to lead vocals and Josh Wills joining as the new drummer. The band changed its name to Story of the Year in 2002 after releasing a self-titled EP on the indie label Criterion Records, initially claiming a name conflict with an existing blues group, though they later admitted on their podcast that they simply disliked the previous name. The band's breakthrough arrived with its major label debut. The lineup of vocalist Dan Marsala, bassist Adam Russell, drummer Joshua Willis, and guitarists Ryan Phillips and Phillip Sneed entered the studio with producer John Feldmann, emerging in spring 2003 with the debut album Page Avenue. Page Avenue was one of the first albums of its kind to sell a million copies and cemented Story of the Year's place in the post-hardcore genre. Featuring iconic tracks like "Until The Day I Die," "Anthem Of Our Dying Day," and "Sidewalks," the album peaked at No. 1 and No. 51 on the Billboard U.S. Heatseekers albums and Billboard 200 charts, respectively. The album was certified gold in April 2004 and then platinum in March 2021, making it one of the first post-hardcore albums to reach either milestone. The singles found real radio success as well, with "Until The Day I Die" peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and No. 35 on the Active Rock chart, while "Anthem Of Our Dying Day" reached No. 10 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart. The band's momentum carried it through an eventful mid-2000s touring stretch. The band toured with Linkin Park on the Meteora World Tour in 2004 along with P.O.D. and Hoobastank, and also played the Vans Warped Tour, appearing in the Warped Tour documentary Wake Up Screaming, as well as KROQ's Weenie Roast that same year. After the Page Avenue tour ended in late 2004, Story of the Year returned to the studio with producer Steve Evetts in 2005 to record its second studio album, In the Wake of Determination, released on October 11, 2005, which sounded much heavier than the previous record. That album debuted at number 19 on the Billboard 200 , and the band followed with The Black Swan in 2008 on Epitaph Records, and The Constant in 2010 . The band took a short hiatus to focus on side projects, returning in 2013 for a reunion tour and release of a re-recorded version of Page Avenue titled 10 Years and Counting. The band's later chapters brought further lineup shifts and a genuine creative rebound. Their fifth album, the '80s-inspired Wolves, arrived in late 2017; guitarist Phillip Sneed left the fold the following year, and Russell returned to the group shortly thereafter, and 2022 saw the group ink a deal with SharpTone Records ahead of the release of its sixth full-length effort, Tear Me to Pieces, which arrived in 2023. The band has remained an active touring act internationally, being regular visitors to Australia, having toured there in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2018, 2023, and again in 2024, marking their ninth Australian tour. Decades on, Story of the Year is remembered as an American hard rock group that helped lay the groundwork for the emo-punk and melodic post-hardcore scene of the 2000s, having emerged in 2003 with the platinum-selling Page Avenue and built a loyal fan base through roaring guitars, huge singalong choruses, and a message of perseverance. Story of the Year holds a special place in this archive as one of the bands Wayne Dennon captured early in his concert photography career. He photographed the group twice between 2004 and 2006, at the height of their Page Avenue and In the Wake of Determination era, with the two shows spanning two different cities across two states. Those nights are preserved here in 39 photographs, a small but treasured piece of Wayne's collection that fans continue to revisit, with this band's images drawing over 30,000 views from archive visitors over the years, a testament to how deeply Story of the Year's music from that period still resonates with the people who were there.