Evan Sherman is the best friend I have ever had in my entire life. I love him like a brother and he is included in most of my best memories. I was probably about four years old when he moved in next door and we bonded over a mutual respect for the endless possibilities of our combined collection of Ghostbusters toys. With time, our friendship evolved to support other interests.

For the next eleven years or so, we spent nearly every afternoon, every weekend and the infinite days of Summer together but in my reminiscences it seems it is usually Fall. The air smells cool and crisp with the wafting ashy memoirs of smoky fireplaces through distant chimneys in homes filled with families just like ours; the air was just cold enough to sting the skin around your nose yet just warm enough that you were able to feel safe and comfortable donning only a light jacket. As we ran back and forth between our yards enacting innumerable fantastic scenarios, our footsteps were accentuated by the crunch of the golden leaves. The entire world seemed to be preparing for a respite and our youthful energy cut through it with a starkly contrasting fervor. Our days went on forever as we matured conjunctively.

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After joining Grizzly Bear, touring with them, and then recording what would become their “break-through” album Yellow House, Daniel Rossen’s former band Department of Eagles seemed to be sliding by the wayside after a failed recording session that became known as the “January Sessions.” Little hope remained amongst the two members. That hope, according to Nicolaus, was the song “Balmy Night,” a song that was recorded at the end of the “January Sessions” and eventually showed up on their second release In Ear Park. “Balmy Night” stuck as a constant reminder that the ideas, talent, and resources were there for them to keep the dream of a fully realized DOE record alive. This delicately structured time in the band’s history is on display in the release of the accumulation of the material surrounding and filling the “January Sessions,” now titled Archive 2003-2006.

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My favorite thing about the underground music scene during the 1980s is the regional rosters which developed within independent labels. Many cities had a distinctive sound and scene which locals were proud and passionate about. Being a music fan during the mid to late 1990s did not have the same impact because the internet made the world a much smaller place and it became a lot easier to access independent music regardless of where it came from.

I grew up in New Jersey and, largely in reverence toward the earlier label-based scenes, have always felt an extra bit of passion for bands that come from the area. I still feel a tinge of excitement when I discover a great band and find out that they are from my home state and make no mistake about it: Titus Andronicus is a great band.

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During the days of my deviously energetic youth, I sought music that complimented my heightened emotions; I searched for music that propelled and alleviated everyday confusions and epiphanies. Along with various other forms of music, the genre of metal has always held a special place in my arsenal of music knowledge. Growing up in South Jersey, I was surrounded by a budding “metalcore” scene. Although most diehard fans of metal tend to dismiss this and other new forms of metal, metalcore introduced to me the vast expansiveness of all areas of metal, and for that I am thankful. If it wasn’t for bands like Converge, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Between the Buried and Me, I most likely wouldn’t be able to appreciate the other forms of metal that I love to this day.

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I have never gone to a music festival of any kind. I often see bands play live but the prospect of watching performance after performance while surrounded by sweaty, intoxicated people never seemed appealing. This being said, I have spent the last few years watching the live broadcast of the Pitchfork Music Festival from my home and somehow wishing I was there.

A few months ago, when the line-up was announced for the 2010 Pitchfork festival, I was impressed. It seemed really solid with stand-outs like Beach House and Panda Bear; then I got to the bottom of the list and noticed the word ‘Pavement’ and was immediately floored. Pavement has been one of my favorite bands for many years and I never thought I would get to see them live. I had gone to the Pixies reunion tour in 2003 and I knew that missing Pavement would be a huge disappointment so I immediately bought two tickets. On Wednesday of last week, I found myself hitting the road to make my way from South West Florida to Chicago.

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