Fall 2010 Concert Forecast

On Tuesday, a great deal of change was initiated in both my world and the world as everyone else sees it. While I began my segue into teaching America's youth for the rest of my life, the Autumnal equinox was upon us, and Fall had officially started. Over the years, the fall has stood for the beginning of school, football season, and the early Christmas for little kids, Halloween. Now, however, it means the start of Fantasy Football season, the MLB playoffs, and this year, the beginning of the best series of concerts there has been in the Philly/New Jersey area in years. No big paragraph needed here, let's get to the shows you'll find me at this fall. I'll see you there.

Valencia @ School of Rock East, South Hackensack New Jersey, October 1st
With support from Automatic Loveletter and Jersey darlings Jet Lag Jemini, Valencia will mosey into New Jersey with what is likely to be their stellar follow-up to the incredible We All Need a Reason to Believe, just days away from release. And while new gems from Dancing With a Ghost are sure to show up, it's pretty much set in stone that favorites like "The Space Between" and "Safe to Say" will line a setlist that will help to prove Valencia's underrated earnesty and determination to their craft, which is the best pop-punk we've seen since The Starting Line.

Four Year Strong @ Starlight Ballroom, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, October 3rd
Touring with hardcore legends Comeback Kid and promising newcomers The Wonder Years, Four Year Strong's "Tonight We Feel Alive! Tour" is shaping up to be a colossal night full of moshing, with Four Year Strong asserting themselves as one of the best live bands out there. The bearded Bostonians will be out in full force, as they will be making up for a show in Philadelphia earlier in the year that was cancelled due to a fire alarm going off in the venue. Their set should make up for lost time, while spinning the wonderfully-crafted Enemy of the World's standout tracks (and there are quite a few of them) to thank the fans who were shafted in the previous show.

You, Me, and Everyone We Know @ Maxwell's Bar, Hoboken NJ, October 12th
I will plug this band until they're on every iPod in the world. The blend of pop-rock they put out is honest, endearing, and catchy as you can imagine. Now, with debut full-length Some Things Don't Wash Out due out at the end of the month, You, Me, and Everyone We Know are embarking on a headlining tour to take their hard-earned shot at the spotlight to the masses. The New Jersey crowd will be raucous for the band, as the band has stated on numerous occasions that New Jersey is the place they enjoy playing the most. The night is sure to be a light-hearted affair, but has the potential to be one of the shows you'll remember going to for a very long time.

Circa Survive @ The Stone Pony, Asbury Park NJ, October 16th
Coming off a tour supporting prog-emo juggernauts Coheed and Cambria to showcase their stellar new album Blue Sky Noise, Circa Survive are finally bringing the Noise to New Jersey with a headlining tour, and what better venue than the intimate Stone Pony to display the intricate, beautiful sounds of one of the year's best albums. This is one of those tours where the support doesn't make too big a difference for me, but I'm excited to see Dredg, who could come out of nowhere and win the crowd over. Nevertheless, the show promises to provide a great time for Circa fans new and old, and not a better time will be had this year (at least by me).

A Day to Remember/Underoath @ Asbury Convention Hall, Asbury Park NJ, November 5th
Rounding out an incredible Fall concert schedule for me is the tour that has quite possibly my two most anticipated albums for the remainder of the year. Underoath will be mere days away from the release of Disambiguation, their first release without Aaron Gillespie, while A Day To Remember will release What Separates Me from You on the 16th of November. It's shocking to me that Underoath would take a spot supporting A Day to Remember rather than taking out a few of their Solid State labelmates, but the fan will ultimately benefit from this, as they get to witness a metalcore legend opening for pop-punk/hardcore legends in the making. Bring your moshing shoes, kids; it's going to be a wild night in Asbury.