Rock and Roll. That’s what the kids are calling it and they’re calling themselves Whomheads. They are the affectionate fans of the Indianapolis-based band The Why Store. These aforementioned Whomheads will be infiltrating Ames and People’s Bar and Grill with their favorite question shop on Saturday.

Lead singer Chris Shaffer is a unique man. To get inside his head, or more appropriately Inside The Why Store, or to watch him sing, would bring fascination to any Whomhead. Looking at the lead singer of the Why Store, you would think, “freaky Deadhead.” Talking to the Ball State graduate, that thought is immediately erased from your cranium.

“I went to a [Grateful] Dead show last night. It’s getting kind of sad; there was a riot,” Shaffer said. “It’s not like it was five years ago; those guys are getting old.”

Aside from enjoying the occasional concert, The Why Store camp is buzzing with excitement. With the release of their third CD, The Why Store, the band is looking for bigger and better opportunities.

“We just finished it up; it’s going to production,” Shaffer said. “There’s a lot of neat things going on.”

One of those “things” is searching for national distribution. “Two weekends ago, this fellow came on the road with us; he’s with Polygram Records now, but he’s leaving to join Ignition records,” Shaffer said. “It’s freaky, if this dude’s really real, he’s the one to work with. For the most part we’re being real patient; we’re in no hurry to get picked up.”

Shaffer and company’s patience comes at a time when most bands are signing with labels that don’t have the patience or the publicity needed to market new bands. “You would think they would help the grass roots bands,” Shaffer said. “[The record companies] don’t care about the fan lists.”

Fan lists are a way of life for The Why Store, with in excess of 5,500 Whomheads on their mailing list. “The word of mouth has made us what we are, it’s amazing,” Shaffer added.

The help of co-producer Mike Wanchic, who has produced for John Cougar Mellencamp, gave The Why Store the professionalism and maturity they were looking for when they started recording this CD.

“His knowledge helped us out greatly,” Shaffer said. “It was neat. He was like the fifth member of the band; it went so smooth.”

Shaffer had such a good time recording this CD, even singing under a full moon for the effect. “It was so cool, so unreal.

“This album shows more maturity and is more song-oriented,” Shaffer continued. “We’ve always been searching for that live vibe, but we went for a more studio vibe. This is definitely the best project we’ve done to date.

“If all goes the way we see it, this will be going national for us. I’m knocking on wood. When it does, it’ll be for the right reasons.”

The recording and wheeling ‘n dealing involved with The Why Store hasn’t put a damper on the band’s incessant touring. “We’ve been playing quite a bit; we try to go out and spread the word,” Shaffer said. “We’ll go anywhere that will take us. We like to play underage shows, but bars are great too.

“We were really looking forward to that People’s Choice Concert before it got postponed.”

Whomheads, have no fear, for The Why Store will be here, and they will bring their 70s retro-funk-disco sound with them. “[The disco sound] will always be there; I used to rollerskate to it,” Shaffer said. “We’ve got that happy groove and a darker side, like The Doors.”

Shaffer, along with Michael Smith on lead guitar, Greg Gardner on bass and Charlie Bushor on drums, are so pleased with the third CD, they are excited to record again.

“I can’t wait for the fourth one,” Shaffer said. “If the material’s there, if it’s ready to rock, we’re putting it out.”

So look for their third effort, The Why Store, in late summer or early fall, but if you’ve got a hankering for a hunk of store-bought goods, then head to your nearest Why Store and start sacking your frozen rock goods.

The Why Store will be rocking at People’s Bar and Grill Saturday night with special guest Birds at the End of the Road. The show starts at 9:30 p.m., costs $5 at the door and an ID is required.