October Fall

A spawn of the fertile Chicago pop-punk scene of the 2000s, the piano-laced quintet October Fall came together in the summer of 2003. Kindred spirits Pat D'Andrea (vocals/guitar) and Clark Harrison (guitar) were the group's initial members, jamming together under the name Silver Lining. Before long the duo had adopted the October Fall moniker and added the rest of the band's roster: drummer Nick Scalise, pianist Owen Toomey, and bassist Greg Shanahan. As gigs around town began drawing more and more people, the group inevitably turned the head of Chicago native Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy) and was soon signed to his label, Decaydance (an imprint of Fueled by Ramen). First touring around as openers for Ashlee Simpson, October Fall began recording their full-length debut in the summer of 2005. That winter was spent on dates with the Click Five before A Season in Hell — titled such as homage to the movie Eddie and the Cruisers, which was a childhood favorite of D'Andrea — was released in February 2006. Back on the road with bands like the Veronicas and Fall Out Boy, the guys continued to tour through the spring, though Toomey had left the band by early summer.