The Why Store is an American rock band formed in the late 1980s in Muncie, Indiana when bassist Greg Gardner and guitarist Michael David Smith, both Ball State University students, met up with Indianapolis drummer (Graig) Omar Adams.
After being joined a couple of months later by lead singer Chris Shaffer, also a Ball State student, the band played a few gigs as Emerald City.
At this time, touring keyboard player Jeff Pedersen was made an official member of the group, and in 1995 The Why Store signed to MCA's subsidiary Way Cool Music for their first major–label effort, a self–titled LP, which was released in 1996.
The song "Lack of Water", the band's most successful single, received steady airplay on Alternative Radio and reached #1 for two weeks on the Billboard AAA charts.
Michael David Smith recorded with his new project with Gregory Gardner and Charlie Bushor, Lost in Lodi, releasing the CD "Elvador" in 2001.