The Load-Out: Aug. 9, 2011 (Interview With The Starting Line)

“I can’t wait to hit the stage, and say hello to Jersey.” Well, it’s time to say hello again.

Over three and a half years ago, they were saying goodbye at an unforgettable Bamboozle appearance. Throughout the past few years, the band has graced crowds in Philadelphia and New Jersey with holiday concert appearances, but now they’re back out on the road for four dates with All Time Low. “All my dreams have come true,” is what Kenny jokingly says about their stint with them. However, you could totally see that The Starting Line is truly happy to be playing these shows. Kenny says, “these are fucking massive shows, and it’s an honor to be on them.” Matt Watts adds, “the ATL guys are the nicest guys in the world, we go way back with them.” It’s definitely great to see a band like The Starting Line hitting it off with bands that grew up listening to them. One thing is for sure though; they’re not letting them off easy. Kenny jokes, “we still give them noogies and wedgies.” I’m sure the guys in All Time Low wouldn’t mind a wedgie from Kenny. Just saying.

Rewind back to three years ago and the five of them are standing on one of the Bamboozle’s main stages with a parking lot full of thousands of people. It would be their last show for nearly a year and a half. I was curious as to what was running through their heads that afternoon when the past eight years of their lives was coming to an end. Matt Watts explains,” I think at that point we were just exhausted by touring, and it was kind of like a light at the end of the tunnel. We knew it wasn’t over over, but it was nice to cap everything off with that and take a break.” Kenny adds, “It was probably more emotional after the show, when we were giving hugs.” Emotional is probably an understatement. After spending the past eight years giving everything you had to make your childhood dreams come true, and to know it’s going away for a little definitely has to hurt. However, leaving the stage in the way they did was truly a celebration of their career.

Early fans of The Starting Line will remember a venue called Birch Hill. This was the venue where bands such as The Starting Line, Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, and more played before they reached the masses. The memories of shows there are indescribable as it was great to see the bands go from there to playing the main stage at huge festivals, like The Bamboozle. The band went into flashback mode and reminisced about the early days. Matt Watts recollects, “I felt like there was a lot of community back then. All these bands had come up together; like us Taking Back Sunday, Brand New. It was really awesome seeing everyone grow. The scene was building and it was a really exciting time.” Kenny adds, “Yeah, we had played VFW halls with all those bands to like a couple hundred people, and it was part of this wave where everyone was hopping on the same train. It was cool to be able to still do it with the same guys we came up with. “

It has been noted and revealed in the past few months that The Starting Line was getting together and writing/rehearsing. I was curious as to how often and to what extent they were getting together. “We kind of have to schedule to write stuff or else people will just get into their everyday lives. For a while there we were getting together once a week, so we have a bunch of odds and ends that we need to just put the final touches on,” said Kenny. One thing’s for sure, a lot of people would love to hear those “odds and ends.”

Looking back on their last full-length, Direction, there are songs like, “Somebody’s Gonna Miss Us” that may lead some people to believe that there was a foreshadow of a hiatus coming for them. “That song was more hypothetical, like if nobody wants this, then what are we doing it for?” Then, Kenny goes into more detail about Direction. “It’s kind of like a typical sob story for bands and not getting the right push for their record, that they didn’t work hard enough, but you could also argue that that’s just what wasn’t happening at the time.” Tom adds, “our fans have it, we may have not made a ton of new ones, but the ones that care have it.” Kenny adds, “It was a solidifying record for the band. I mean if we put out a piece of shit, then I don’t think people would still be coming to see us.”

Kenny brought up something interesting; after three years of little or no noise coming from them, and people are still coming to see them. In an age where people’s attention spans are minimal and there is a new band coming out everyday, wouldn’t people have forgotten about The Starting Line? The answer is clearly no. “It’s really nice to still have this in our lives. To be able to play sold-out shows is kind of unbelievable,” Kenny states. Matt adds, “I think it makes us appreciate everything that has happened to us in our career. Getting to play a few shows a year really makes us appreciate our fans and we have the best time doing it. It’s definitely inspiring.” Kenny gives an ode to the younger bands, “It’s nice that the younger bands like Mayday Parade and All Time Low tip their hat to us and make us feel like we still belong.”

We started talking about exactly what’s going on right now with this “scene” and Kenny stated, “I definitely understand why these kids connect with these bands and what’s going on here.” Not that The Starting Line are old by any standards, but Kenny does notice one main difference between The Starting Line and All Time Low. “There’s maybe an energy we don’t have anymore,” Matt, Tom, and Kenny all share a laugh with that comment. While laughing he says, “I wish I could still do that, but it’s just not who I am anymore.” Don’t let them fool you though; they still put on one hell of a performance. They’re not doing laps around the stage, but The Starting Line puts on a show you will not forget.

The night before, the band played one of their favorite venues in the country, the Electric Factory, in Philadelphia. Afterwards, their night took an interesting twist. Lets just leave it at they saw a street brawl, transvestites, and ate cheesesteaks. We will let you fill in the rest. While laughing, Kenny says it best, “we’re going to unwind after this,” Matt chimes in, “Yeah, we need to rest.”

When asked about the future, The Starting Line is not making any promises. They are doing everything on their own terms and when they want to do it, which makes it the most natural. “It’s really playing it by ear. I don’t want to make promises we can’t keep up with. Just don’t forget about us and we’ll keep peppering our career with things.” I ask Kenny, “Holiday show this winter?” “Possibly,” he responds. That’s what is great about The Starting Line; they are in the pilot seat and controlling every move they make. Whether the holiday show happens or not, people are still going to continue to listen to their records.

There are a lot of us out there that have our “Green Clover” Starting Line t-shirt from the early 2000s. When The Starting Line was coming up, it was a very exciting time for music, especially in New Jersey. We all remember our first Skate & Surf, Warped Tour, and Bamboozle. For some of us vintage fans, we remember the Birch Hill nightclub and the memories made there will always be with us. It’s very exciting seeing a news post about The Starting Line, and one thing is for sure, every time they announce a show, the “Green Clover” fans will make it out. While on this short stint with All Time Low, you can guarantee that they are making new fans, as if it were not for them, bands like All Time Low may not be around. So keep listening to Say It Like You Mean It, Based on a True Story, and Direction and don’t forget about The Starting Line, because before you know it, I’m sure they’ll pop up on your newsfeed.