Silverstein is a 5-piece post-hardcore band from Burlington, Ontario, Canada; formed in 2000. The band name was taken from the famous children's author Shel Silverstein. After several lineup changes, the band acquired Billy Hamilton, a local fan who learned of the band's need for a bassist on the Internet message board "The 905 Board" (an Ontario area outreach board which used to be for local musicians). In Christmas of 2001, he joined the band after Shane Told helped him learn the music for the songs. Following a rehearsal on Boxing Day (December 26) in 2001, he officially debuted with Silverstein. The next spring, original guitarist Richard McWalter left the band to move to Victoria, British Columbia to study engineering. He was then replaced by Neil Boshart, childhood friend of Shane Told. The new lineup recorded a second EP, When the Shadows Beam, in preparation for their first tour in Eastern Canada. The band then signed to Victory Records in October of 2002 with a complete lineup as Hamilton attempted to complete his secondary education one semester early. The January after, the band recorded their full-length debut CD When Broken Is Easily Fixed, released on the Victory Records label. In 2005 the band performed on the Never Sleep Again tour with bands such as Aiden, Hawthorne Heights and Bayside—a tour during which Bayside's drummer John "Beatz" Holohan would be killed. In January-February 2006, they toured with fellow Canadians Simple Plan in Europe. They then toured Canada with the Taste of Chaos Tour, and also toured Europe, Japan, and Australia. The band toured on the 2006 Vans Warped Tour, in support of their current studio album Discovering the Waterfront and an EP compilation 18 Candles: The Early Years. The Early years compiles the band's first two self-financed EPs with some acoustic and live material as well as single remix of the Discovering The Waterfront hit Smile In Your Sleep. Discovering the Waterfront was re-released in September 2006 with an extra song, the band's cover of Lifetime's Rodeo Clown and a DVD.
