The Early November, Footballhead
The Southgate House Revival - Sanctuary
Sun
August 16, 2026
7:00 pm
(Doors: 6:30 pm)
All Ages
After two decades, it would be all too easy for a band to just phone it in—capitalize on the fanbase they’ve built up in that time and just make a watered-down version of themselves. Not for The Early November, however. Ever since forming in New Jersey in 2001, the band, now consisting of frontman Ace Enders and founding drummer Jeff Kummer— have constantly been striving to find the best and most definitive version of themselves. With this self-titled record, the seventh studio album of their career, the duo have come as close as is possible to doing so. It’s an album that ties the past, present and future all together, and as such, it marks what Enders calls a “period or exclamation point in our sentence”. It’s not a new beginning, per se, but nevertheless something emphatic that signifies, in Enders’ words again, “a pivotal moment” for them both.
After two decades, it would be all too easy for a band to just phone it in—capitalize on the fanbase they’ve built up in that time and just make a watered-down version of themselves. Not for The Early November, however. Ever since forming in New Jersey in 2001, the band, now consisting of frontman Ace Enders and founding drummer Jeff Kummer— have constantly been striving to find the best and most definitive version of themselves. With this self-titled record, the seventh studio album of their career, the duo have come as close as is possible to doing so. It’s an album that ties the past, present and future all together, and as such, it marks what Enders calls a “period or exclamation point in our sentence”. It’s not a new beginning, per se, but nevertheless something emphatic that signifies, in Enders’ words again, “a pivotal moment” for them both.
There aren’t many bands that bridge the gap of melody and grit like Chicago’s Footballhead. With their debut album ‘Overthinking Everything’ released via Tiny Engines in March 2024 (hailed as one of the ‘Most Anticipated Albums of 2024’ by Stereogum), and the ‘Before I Die’ EP following in August of the same year, the band received radio spins globally from the acclaimed Triple J in Australia + rock stations across Europe and North/South America. The band hit the road in 2025 with national support tours for One Step Closer and Superbloom alongside shows opening for Hot Mulligan, Drain, The Used, Taking Back Sunday, Senses Fail and Sweet Pill among others. They have steadily made the case to be your favorite band’s favorite band. After making their mainstream festival debut at Riot Fest in Chicago in September 2025, the band plans to release LP2 in early 2026 and take their touring worldwide.”
