27 Albums That Shaped the First 27 Years of My Life, #2: Day at the Fair - The Rocking Chair Years

As I quickly approach my 27th birthday (an age, coincidentally, that many musicians met their own mortality), I have been thinking about the role that music has played in my life. I have not played an instrument for nearly sixteen years and have never been in a band, but I would still consider myself an audiophile. The 26000 songs on my hard drive would agree with me as well.

Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.

#2: Day at the Fair – The Rocking Chair Years
Release Date: May 5, 2005
When I first heard the album: November 2006, September 2008

Why I loved it then: There used to be this show on MTV called Two-A-Days. I’m not entirely sure why I took a liking to it considering my disdain for both MTV and reality television, but I did. At the close of each episode, they would play a song by a little known band named Day at the Fair. The song was titled “Everything I’ve Ever Wanted”. From the very first time I heard the song, it became my favorite song in the world. The lyrics, vocals, and instrumentation are perfect. If there was one song in the world written with Jakob Duehr in mind, that would be the song. One of my favorite traditions is to listen to that song on my birthday as the clock passes from 10:30 AM to 10:31 (the minute that I was born).

Oddly enough, for nearly two years, “Everything I’ve Ever Wanted” was the only song I heard off the album. I would look for more from the band, but their album wasn’t sold in stores around here and the site which I used to download music did not have much of their library available. I was finally able to find the rest of the album in September 2008. It connected with me in a way that no other album had ever done up to that point. The emotion heard and felt in the lyrics and vocals were unlike anything I had ever felt while listening to music. While I drove to my first month of student teaching, this was my soundtrack. I was discovering who I was as a teacher and as a person, and this album guided me through that search. Day at the Fair seemed to be able to understand the place I was at that point in my life. For the long early morning rides that I would think about how my life had taken me to that point, I had these words from the title track: “And I still love the things I lost that brought me here…” Those words could not have been more true, and as I grew during that period, my love for the album grew as well.

Why I still love it now: This album came out nearly a decade ago, but it is as relatable as it was back then. Actually, the album has grown with me as I’ve grown. These guys know how to make great songs. It’s why I’m so excited that after nine years, they’re FINALLY making another album. If their first track since reuniting (“The Brightening”) is any indication, we’re in for something great. If there's one thing Day at the Fair does better than almost anyone, it's finishing a song. These guys know how to make a finish soar (see Coda and Monday Morning). This album has plenty of that, and for that reason, you never want a song to actually end.

I probably should make one thing clear. Chris Barker is not a flawless vocalist. He is no Stephen Christian or Ryan Key, but in his case, that's what makes him so good. The openness and vulnerability in the vocals allow the listener to connect even more deeply with the music. Part of what makes Day at the Fair so special is that they seem like regular people living regular lives who understand the very things that we have to encounter on a daily basis. The emotion in Chris’ voice when he sings makes you feel like he gets it and gets people in general. I would absolutely love to get the chance to meet these guys someday to thank them for this album, not only for how amazing it is, but for it helped me grow as a teacher and as a man (if they ever make it to Chicago).

Lingering Lyric: “Now I’m given the chance that I want/ I will do it and I’ll do it well/ And for those who have stood by my side/ You are the story I tell”
Top Tracks: The Rocking Chair Years, Coda, And My Name’s Dignan, So What, This Is Why We Don’t Have Nice Things, Remembering Britt, Everything I’ve Ever Wanted, Monday Morning

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26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings
14. Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
13. New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay
12. The Graduate - Anhedonia
11. Hawk Nelson - Letter to the President
10. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
9. A Day to Remember - Common Courtesy
8. Anberlin - New Surrender
7. New Found Glory - Coming Home
6. FM Static - What Are You Waiting For?
5. Yellowcard - Paper Walls
4. Relient K - Mmhmm
3. Rise Against - Appeal to Reason