Fall 2012 concerts: Jay-Z, Streisand, Madonna and more

1. The Vaccines (Monday at Bowery Ballroom and Tuesday at Music Hall of Williamsburg). The British buzz band's debut, "What Did You Expect from The Vaccines?," was great, and its follow-up, "The Vaccines Come of Age," is even better, meaning that the band's already impressive live show should pack that much more of a wallop.

2. Bon Iver (Sept. 19-22 at Radio City Music Hall). The indie-folk band graduated to the big time with its ambitious eponymous album and its Grammy win earlier this year. It's only fitting Bon Iver's concerts, once stirringly intimate affairs, get bigger, too.

3. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (Sept. 19, 21 and 22 at MetLife Stadium). The Boss brings his "Wrecking Ball" tour to the stadium that replaced the inspiration for the album's anthemlike, defiant title track. Having traveled the world already with the new E Street Band on this tour, he returns home to show how much stronger they have become.

4. Afghan Whigs (Sept. 22 at Pier 36 and Sept. 25 at Terminal 5). The '90s alt-rock heroes' unlikely reunion has turned into one of the year's most impressive tours, and we have the ambitious I'll Be Your Mirror Festival at Pier 36, curated by Whigs singer Greg Dulli, to thank for it. The band sounds as strong as ever, still mixing soul and blues with indie rock for great results, as their recent stunning cover of Frank Ocean's "Lovecrimes" showed.

5. "This Land Is Your Land: Woody Guthrie at 100 Concert" (Sept. 22 at Brooklyn College's Whitman Hall). Arlo Guthrie, Billy Bragg, Steve Earle, Judy Collins and more will celebrate the life and legacy of the great American folk singer.

6. Peter Gabriel (Sept. 23 at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater). To celebrate the 25th anniversary of his classic "So" album, Gabriel will play it in its entirety with many of the same musicians who worked on the original, which brought him his biggest radio hits like "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time."

7. Jay-Z (Sept. 29-Oct. 1 and Oct. 3-5 at Barclays Center). Who better to christen the Barclays Center arena, the future home of the Brooklyn Nets, than the Nets' part-owner Jay-Z, who grew up only a few miles from the site? Let's hope for a Brooklyn-centric set list from Hov for opening night.

8. "Global Festival" (Sept. 29 at Central Park). Neil Young, Foo Fighters and Black Keys will headline the concert to raise funds and awareness in the fight against global poverty. For a chance to win tickets to the free show, sign up at globalfestival.com.

9. "Love for Levon" (Oct. 3 at Izod Center). Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffin, Gregg Allman, Dierks Bentley, John Mayer and others will perform tributes to the late Levon Helm, who died of throat cancer earlier this year, to raise money to keep his Midnight Ramble concert series going.

10. Morrissey (Oct. 10 at Radio City Music Hall and Oct. 12-13 at Terminal 5). Whether Moz will deliver a new album or not remains a question, but considering how successful this current world tour has been for him performing Smiths classics and solo hits, it may not matter. So much for that talk of retirement!

11. Barbra Streisand (Oct. 11 and 13 at Barclays Center). Brooklyn's Funny Girl comes home for her first solo performance in her borough since she was 7 years old. This is part of the Barclays Center's opening festivities. It will be her first major concert since 2007, so it's anyone's guess what she will perform, which only adds to the anticipation for her return.

12. Long Island Music Hall of Fame Induction Gala (Oct. 18 at the Paramount). Taylor Dayne, Zebra, Barnaby Bye and The Lovin' Spoonful, among others, get inducted and (hopefully) perform. Hall of Famer Dee Snider is set to perform songs from his "Dee Does Broadway" album, while a special tribute to the late Ellie Greenwich is in the works.

13. New Order (Oct. 18 and 19 at Roseland Ballroom). The reunited (sort of) New Order finally makes its way back to America with a lineup that brings together singer Bernard Sumner with keyboardist Gillian Gilbert and drummer Stephen Morris for the first time since 2000. Yes, bassist Peter Hook is still not around, but the new-wave heroes say the welcome from fans has been so warm that they keep extending this reunion.

14. The Haunted Coliseum (Oct. 27 at Nassau Coliseum). Get ready for Long Island's biggest costume party. The show will feature EDM heavyweights Swedish House Mafia's Sebastian Ingrosso and pals Alesso and Otto Knows, as well as outdoor fireworks and all sorts of indoor special effects.

15. Madonna (Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden). Following her massive shows at the Super Bowl and at Yankee Stadium, her "MDNA" concert should seem practically intimate and come closer to what it was like when she was rehearsing the intricate show at Nassau Coliseum.

16. The Who (Nov. 14 at Barclays Center, Dec. 5 at Madison Square Garden and Dec. 6 at Prudential Center). The Who will play its 1973 rock opera "Quadrophenia" in its entirety, including the massive "Love Reign O'er Me," as well as selections from its career, which recently included the closing ceremonies of the London Olympics.

17. Taking Back Sunday (Nov. 21 at the Paramount and Nov. 23-24 at Terminal 5). The Rockville Centre-based band plans to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its breakthrough "Tell All Your Friends" album by playing it in its entirety on this tour, followed by a regular set of newer material.