Welcome to Albion, young first-year. You have no doubt discovered the joys of going out, getting drunk and passing out on upperclassmen’s futons, and are wondering how you could ever want to do anything else at this wonderful school of ours. Sadly, after a few weekends, the upperclassmen will tire of cleaning up after you. You might have to find less self-destructive methods of entertaining yourself. Luckily, The Pleiad is here to inform you of some wholesome opportunities for a good night out in the form of our fall concert preview. Read on.
AUGUST
I know August isn’t fall, but neither is half of September, and you’ve never said “I sure am excited to go back to school in the summer,” have you?
Big Sean
Aug. 31, DTE Energy Music Theatre, Tickets ($27-83 after fees)
Well, this will actually be substantially less wholesome than anything going on at Albion, what with the amount of a$$ being thrown around. Since this son of Detroit won’t be on the Michigan date of Kid Cudi’s fall tour, this might be your only chance to show out for the rest of 2013.
SEPTEMBER
Now we’re getting to the good stuff.
Funny or Die Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Festival (Dave Chapelle, Flight of the Conchords)
Sep 1, DTE Energy Music Theatre, Tickets ($40-100 after fees)
It’s 2013, and you can pay money to go see Dave Chapelle speak words live, so you should. Also, Flight of the Conchords and Demetri Martin will be performing, so the hip kids can get excited and tell their friends how they watched both artists when they first got on TV and then lost interest as they became mainstream. Sounds like a good time to me.
Mad Decent Block Party (Major Lazer, Danny Brown, Dillon Francis, Baauer)
Sep. 6, Elektricity, Tickets ($35 after fees, $90 four-pack)
Since Mad Decent is the record label run by Diplo, you know anything with their name on it will be patently ridiculous, and this tour looks to be all that and more. DJs like Dillon Francis and Baauer would make for a fun enough time already, but throwing Detroit MC Danny Brown in the mix will definitely start a fire. OG dubstep DJ Skream is also performing, which will be a treat for experienced ravers.
The Flatliners
Sep. 11, Flint Local 432– Sep. 12th, The Intersection Tickets (Flint $10) Tickets (Intersection $10)
The Flatliners are the best up-and-coming punk band right now, and you need to see them before you die. They released their first album when they were 15 and it sounds better than most punk bands’ best albums. Also, the Flint Local 432 is run by an Albion alum, Danny Moilanen (what year? -LR), and he’s the coolest kid around.
Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco
Sep. 14, The Palace of Auburn Hills, Tickets ($46-50 after fees)
I saw this same show in 2010 with Blink-182. I thought the whole pop-emo thing was wearing thin then, but I guess our generation’s thing is not growing up and moving on to real music. So here we are with Fall Out Boy headlining arenas again. The fourteen-year-old scene girl in all of us just updated her MySpace status to a smiley face.
Kid Cudi: The Cud Life Tour with Tyler, the Creator and Logic
Sep. 21, DTE Energy Music Theatre, Tickets ($27-90 after fees)
I’m not the biggest fan of the Kid named Cudi’s music, but he blew me away the last time he took the stage at DTE the summer of 2011. With a new album under his belt and killer support lined up, this show will definitely be one to remember. I can also think of at least two Pleiad staffers who will be here exclusively for Tyler. I hope he can crowd surf all the way to the back of the DTE lawn.
–ALSO IN SEPTEMBER–
Zeds Dead
Sep. 21, Clutch Cargo’s. Tickets ($36.55 after fees)
Cold War Kids
Sep. 28, St. Andrew’s Hall, Tickets ($32 after fees)
OCTOBER
As it gets colder, you’ll be dreading the long, late-night walks back to your room, so rather, enjoy long, late-night drives back home from these bangers.
Bassnectar
Oct. 5, The Deltaplex, Tickets ($32.50 after fees)
As far as bangers go, look no further. If you missed getting bass in your face at this summer’s Orion Music+More festival, you owe it to yourself to catch this show. However, if you’d rather not feel 140 decibels of bass rattling your ribcage, I hear they’re starting up the Albion College shuffleboard team.
Nine Inch Nails and Explosions in the Sky
Oct. 7, The Palace of Auburn Hills. Tickets ($82-113 after fees)
To experience the sheer sonic weight of Explosions in the Sky’s music in a venue the size of Palace is one thing. To see them perform before being pummeled by Nine Inch Nails’ beautifully grinding industrial rock is something else entirely. It’s been twenty-three years and a movie about Facebook since Pretty Hate Machine taught kids to be angsty on a whole new level. However, you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to hear them fill up the Palace. It’ll be worth the cash.
Lamb of God and Killswitch Engage
Oct. 29, The Fillmore. Tickets ($39.50-49.50 after fees)
The mighty Lamb of God are returning. The earth trembles, plants wither and animals burrow for shelter in the wake of their ferocious metal onslaught, and this night at the Fillmore will be a night to remember for metal-heads of all ages. Killswitch Engage, recently reunited with original vocalist Jesse Leach, will also be another old-school treat. If you grew up with metal in the 2000s, don’t miss this.
–ALSO IN OCTOBER–
Drake
Oct. 12, The Palace of Auburn Hills. Tickets ($83-114 after fees)
NOVEMBER
You’ve survived midterms, so treat yourself to a nice night out.
The Devil Wears Prada
Nov. 2, Royal Oak Music Theatre. Tickets ($23 after fees)
As hard as it might be to swallow the fact that there is a band named The Devil Wears Prada in 2013, they are still here and heavier than ever. The tour for their new album “8:18” kicks off in Royal Oak, and TDWP has matured in ways that their former eyeliner-and-emo schtick would never have hinted at. This is not a show to miss.
Pretty Lights
Nov. 7, Masonic Temple, Tickets ($46 after fees)
Take one look at this. You should feel immediately compelled to join in the combination of laser light shows and beautifully composed electronic music that is Pretty Lights. I can promise there will be bass so heavy it actually increases the weight of gravity you feel.
City and Colour
Nov. 8 and Nov. 9, The Fillmore. Tickets-Nov. 8th ($35-58 after fees) Tickets-Nov. 9th ($35-58 after fees)
Dallas Green is the only musician I can think of whose voice is so beautiful that it absolves him of his personal wrongdoings. He broke up my favorite band so that he could make more money with his acoustic side project and I will still pay him money to see him play.
Built to Spill
Nov. 12, Saint Andrews’ Hall. Tickets ($29 after fees)
Indie rock has diverged so far from the heavy guitar jams and nebulous vocals of its nineties heyday that it’s almost unrecognizable. Nobody embodies these traits like Built to Spill. This show will be a good antidote for Foster the People.
–ALSO IN NOVEMBER–
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Nov. 2, The Palace of Auburn Hills, Tickets ($53-60 after fees)
Going to concerts with your new friends at Albion is one of the best experiences you can have as a first-year. Exploring new music and new relationships all while discovering who you are is what college is about. Hopefully, this concert preview will guide you towards some incredible times. Now get out there and hit the dance floor.
All ticket prices as of 8/30/13. Photo Credit: Blake Snaveley
Leave a Reply