Stage

The three teenagers who formed Stage had reached the age of 15 when they committed themselves to music as a career. Ryan Stahr on vocals and guitar, Petr Anselmo on bass, and Greg Meyer on guitar began by experimenting with Screaming Trees and Soundgarden material for a 1993 high-school talent show, at which point they realized their chemistry could not be dismissed. Performances at CBGB's followed quickly, arriving at the same moment as the independent release of their debut album Historical Underdosing. Momentum accelerated when the band landed an opening slot for Bon Jovi before 15,000 spectators at New York's Jones Beach Amphitheater. Childhood friend Justin Parker, already a longtime Stage supporter, joined on drums in time for another milestone: supporting Kiss in Prague. Early acclaim did not derail their focus, though mainstream recognition would take considerably longer to arrive.

A contract with Maverick materialized in 2000, yet initial recording sessions for a full-length debut proved unproductive. The group connected with producer Gregg Wattenberg, known for work with Five for Fighting and Dishwalla, in 2001, and the project gained traction. The resulting sessions yielded the heavy rock album Stage, engineered by Brian Scheuble whose credits include U2, Fiona Apple, and Sheryl Crow, and mixed by Tim Palmer, previously associated with Mother Love Bone, Catherine Wheel, and Tin Machine. Originally scheduled for fall 2002, the record reached stores the following spring after Warner Bros. stepped in to issue it.