Biography
River City High came together in early 1999 after Fun Size and Inquisition disbanded. Operating from Richmond, VA, the group featured singer and bassist James Menefee alongside guitarists Mark Avery and Bob Anderson plus drummer Jay McMillan, all united by a taste for classic rock & roll infused with ’90s hardcore energy. That blend surfaced first on the EP Richmond Motel, issued by Big Wheel Records in February 2000. Doghouse Records soon took notice, prompting the two labels to share the band; their second EP, Forgets Their Manners, followed later that summer. The quartet logged more than 200 shows annually through 2003, during which the full-length album Won't Turn Down surfaced in fall 2001. Persistent effort drew the attention of MCA Records and produced a contract for a major-label debut. The band spent the subsequent year writing and tracking material, yet MCA’s 2003 closure—largely through absorption into Geffen—left them without a release and ended their deal. McMillan and Anderson departed in November of that year; Gregg Brooks took over on drums while Chip Cosby joined on guitar. Doghouse supported the mid-2004 release of the EP Extended Play. That same year River City High prevailed in the MTV2 Dew Circuit Breakout contest, outpacing Mock Orange and the Kite-Eating Tree to claim the $50,000 prize, which funded their next recording. They signed with Takeover Records in fall 2006, and Not Enough Saturday Nights appeared shortly afterward.
Albums
