The Menzingers vs. The Flatliners

As to why anyone would skip seeing the Menzingers at the Fest is beyond me. They are one of the best bands in punk rock today with very few bands able to compete. Chamberlain Waits easily made it on to several end of the year lists in 2010. On top of that, their show is one of the most energetic performances you will ever see. At Fest 9, I nearly died while in the pit during their set. While Batman may be awesome, he's not willing to do what needs to be done like the Punisher is; watching the Menzingers is like watching four Punishers demolish a stage in the most punk rock way ever. --Armando Olivas

Remember The Flatliners? They released the best punk record of 2010 in Cavalcade. They're Fest veterans at this point, but like most bands performing in Gainesville next month their show will probably be their best performance all year in terms of both sound and atmosphere. Their sonic evolution from middling ska-core stalwarts to burgeoning punk heroes has been extremely exciting, and has made the band far more interesting and plain better than the lot of their contemporaries. Plus, since they're playing at the same time as The Menzingers, it's entirely possible that getting into The Florida Theater of Gainesville for their set will be a piece of cake. Or is it a bowl of poutine? --Bryne Yancey

Against Me! vs. Bomb The Music Industry! vs. Red City Radio

This is quite possibly the hardest decision you will have to face at Fest, so to make sure you do not leave Gainesville wondering what could have been I’m here to persuade you in the direction that will leave you the most fulfilled. While my opponents will try to lead you astray I can assure you that Against Me! is the right decision. Sure, Bomb the Music Industry! and Red City Radio released two amazing records this year but Against Me! had an eventful year with groundbreaking changes to their career. They started their own record label (Total Treble Music) and have been performing jaw-dropping shows with their latest drummer, Jay Weinberg. Their energy has been through the roof and they have been revisiting more songs from their first three albums as opposed to their last two albums (which will leave many whiny beard punx pleased). Drunken sing-alongs with your friends are better than bruised shins from skanking or uncomfortable rashes from too many beards in one vicinity. Also, screw the rumors about possible Kid Dynamite or Latterman performances because Gainesville is the home of Boca Fiesta, the restaurant of former AM! drummer extraordinare Warren Oakes. Who's to say he won’t hop on stage for a song or two to relive one of the band's most beloved lineups? The odds of that happening are unknown but missing the chance to see it isn’t something to risk. Plus would you go to Philadelphia and miss a Paint it Black show? Of course you wouldn’t so why go to Gainesville for one of the biggest punk festivals of the year and miss Against Me!? It’s unheard of. --Brittany Strummer

Bomb the Music Industry! is THE act to catch this year. Not only have they just released the best album of their career in Vacation, but they've transferred their newfound musical growth into the live show. Whereas old BTMI! shows used to be 30 minute sloppy slam jams, now they've evolved into the whirling, rocking E-Street band of punk rock, with extended shows that traverse their entire career, guest spots from the likes of Kepi Ghoulie and the Hard Girls, and unexpected Weezer and Pavement covers. Plus, this might be the biggest show of the year for them, and the band is known to pull out all the stops and do special things at festival appearances, such as the balloon downfall at their Asian Man Records 15th anniversary show, or their show ending freak-out/scream-fest with the Hard Girls and Pteradon at the end of their last Northern California mini-tour. BTMI! is up against Against Me! and frankly, it's no contest. For AM!, the Fest is just another show, and their set list rarely changes, so you can catch AM! and their show any time, but the BTMI! show will be a unique, non-reoccurring event… who knows what might go down? Brittany suggested to me that AM! might do a cover of "Janie Jones," but you know who else does that? My 14 year old cousin's punx band. Likewise, BTMI! is also happening at the same time as Red City Radio's show, but really, with the beard-punk deluge that is The Fest, do you really need to see another gruff-voiced, sorta-fast tempo band singing about whisky and friendship? Plus, AM! will be the mecca of beard punk, so the show will be HELLA stinky, and the RCR show is in a really small venue, so the show will be MAD stinky, whereas BTMI! is only sorta-beard punk and is in a kinda large venue, and thus will only be moderately stinky, thus causing minimal offense to your nasal cavities. --John Gentile

When it comes down to choosing between Against Me!, Bomb the Music Industry!, and Red City Radio, RCR is the obvious choice! For one thing, there’s no dorky, unnecessary exclamation point in their name. We have to take a stand against this sort of behavior. On top of supporting a good cause, you get the thrill of seeing a young band, just off nearly a year of touring behind a great debut LP in The Dangers of Standing Still. The songs have been battle-hardened, so the set will be tight. And being a relatively young band, these guys are working to establish and build that ravenous fanbase. Their performance is going to have the energy cranked to 11; you will be drawn in and converted. RCR makes the kind of songs that are perfect for shouting along to with a beer in one hand, and your arm around your best friend. Which is exactly how you want to end a day at Fest, right? I can see you nodding your head in agreement. And most importantly, you’d want to hug Garrett way more than either Jeff or Tom. Game, set, match. --John Flynn

Hot Water Music vs. Circle Takes The Square vs. Red Collar

When organizers confirmed the first batch of bands to perform at the Fest, you knew they were intending to make this tenth celebration something very special. They led off the announcement with Hot Water Music. Though the seminal band has carried the banner for the gruff-vocaled punk rock style for which the event is known, they have not graced the stage together since a Fest 3 performance at Common Grounds (now known as Double Down Live). On the heels of their first new songs in nearly seven years and the seemingly more permanent "reunion," this homecoming is going to be the one set that you just cannot miss this year. I know Friday night has a lot of impressive choices including the likes of Red Collar, Circle Takes The Square and Banner Pilot, but I plan on spending my entire evening at The Florida Theater of Gainesville (a.k.a The Venue). The lead up to Hot Water Music includes some of their most influential contemporaries in Small Brown Bike, Samiam, Lifetime, and The Bouncing Souls. --Eric S. Mace

Unfortunately it's often very easy to forget that The Fest showcases a ton of different bands and genres from the underground rock world, bands that don't meddle in pop-punk, gruff punk or even gruff pop-punk. Circle Takes The Square, from just up the road in Savannah, GA, are set to release their first album in seven years (Decompositions Volume One) in November and if the previews are any indication, it's going to be an immense, genre-spanning collection of spastic hardcore heavy on originality. Chances are it'll translate into a straight-up bananas live show, one that'll likely be far more interesting and memorable than anything else in the same time slot. --Bryne Yancey

Let's be honest, if you have a Hot Water Music tattoo you've probably seen them play thirty times over. And if you don't, then clearly you're not a big enough fan of theirs so you should skip them (at least the first half of their set) and join me at Durty Nelly's rocking the fuck out to Red Collar. Their record Pilgrim received a 4 out of 5 stars in our review, and they're an honest band that rarely tour outside of their native North Carolina. I'm told from a close friend of the bands that their new material is even better than Pilgrim. Do me a favor and listen to "Used Guitars." Then imagine locking arms with your Fest brothers and sisters singing along. Pretty great, huh? Now imagine missing that to stand at the back of The Florida Theater Of Gainesville. Sucks, huh? --Justin Dickman

Bridge and Tunnel vs. Dead To Me

It should first be noted that this is one of those lucky instances where a conflict can be avoided if you plan well enough. Should you be able to get to Gainesville a day early, Bridge and Tunnel will be playing a slightly more intimate "pre-FEST" show Thursday night at 1982. If you can’t make it to the show on Thursday, please do yourself a favor and see B&T Saturday night. This is the perfect band to see in the FEST environment, surrounded by hundreds of your new best friends sweating and shouting along. B&T’s live shows are intense. You’ll be impressed not only by the technical proficiency and smart song-writing, but also by the sincerity that is so evident when they play. These folks dig deep. Veterans of the FEST know their sets are always amongst the year's best. The band recently released a masterpiece of a new record, Rebuilding Year. The opportunity to hear those songs played live is reason enough to wait in line at 8 Seconds. --Matt Finch

Go see Dead To Me. These self-proclaimed "small time criminals of the music industry" persevere through the darkness that surrounds the fine line between punk roots and world-wide success to ultimately light up whatever space they are playing as they pour their hearts and souls into their live show. Dead To Me's new record Moscow Penny Ante comes out just days before the Fest--be among the first people in the world to hear some of the new tunes, along with seasoned favorites like "X" and "Special Professional." While many bands struggle to convert the energy of their records into a powerful and pleasing live show, Dead To Me exceed in their pursuit of connecting with the audience and offer a show that sounds great. The overwhelming point to be made here is that no matter who else is playing in the same festival/city/time slot as Dead To Me, you are not likely to see a more passionate, entertaining, sonically pleasing set. --thetallkid

Smoke or Fire vs. Iron Chic

Smoke or Fire rarely fail to impress live, even when vocalist Joe McMahon blows out his voice from being far too into the performance. While their sound may be pretty familiar, their brand of anthemic, socially conscious punk is pretty economical in its approach, which generally means it translates perfectly in a live setting--the hooks are stronger, the riffs are louder, and the message is far more prevalent when several hundred audience members are screaming along with it. Less is truly more in this instance, and given that Dead to Me's tour schedule is rigorous and Smoke or Fire's is not, chances to catch them onstage at the top of their game will be few and far between. --Bryne Yancey

Do you like sweat, beards and beer (SBB)? If you’re at The Fest, there’s like a 65% chance that you 100% do. That’s where Iron Chic comes in. Sure, they have (SBB) in spades but they have more than that. This is where you go when you’re sick of listening to 200 other bands ape the sound of a superior who put out their best material while the impersonating band was in middle school. This is aging punk, about being an aging punk, for aging punks. And that’s a good thing! Iron Chic doesn't want to sell you the same bill of goods you've purchased a million times, they want to give you their vision on that stuff other bands just rehash. Sure, it’s about singing along, clapping and fist pumping but it’s also about being a little older, a little wiser and a little less image focused than that kid outside on the tall bike, who can’t seem to own a shirt with sleeves or jeans with the bottom half of the leg. --Rich Verducci

The Measure [SA] vs. Teenage Bottlerocket

The Measure [SA] was one of the finest Hub City Hardcore bands. They were also pretty big fans of The Fest and made annual pilgrimages, so you best believe they’re going to go all-out for their 7:50 p.m. farewell show at 8 Seconds Sun., Oct. 30. The group wrote some mighty catchy punk tunes over the years ("Letters From the Earth," "Hello Bastards"), and they covered great songs too (Bob Dylan’s "It Ain’t Me Babe," Soltero’s "The Moment That You Said Yes"). You just know they’re going to bring "the hits" one last time. Meanwhile, their competitors, Teenage Bottlerocket, will play another round of Ramones idol worship. I don’t mean any disrespect, but The Measure is disappearing forever. You could miss TBR and still see a hundred bands that sound just like them. PUNKROCKNEVERSTOP. --Joe Pelone

Let's be honest folks, if you weren't a fan of The Measure [SA] before now, October 30th would be a pretty silly place to start. Picture yourself in that crowd surrounded by distraught fans screaming every last lyric in your ears as if it was their last chance (which it will be). When the Measure launches into their final song the unwashed throng that is their audience will surely cry out in sorrow, and only in that collective moment of punk rock grief will you truly know the smell of tear-soaked-beards.

Where can you find refuge from said smell? Teenage Bottlerocket. They came from the shadows, they're bigger than Kiss, and their Ramones-worship is a far cry from the punk house of horror that will be the Measure [SA]'s finale. --Adam White