I originally saw The Academy Is... play a show back in 2005 and was surprised. I had expected William Beckett's voice to be whiney, but it wasn't, which made me feel relieved since I'd gone to the show expecting to feel irritated by the end!
I've always been a bit of a cynic when it comes to emo-pop-rock bands (I'm not sure that I would call them emo, but that's what I heard others at the show say). I don't know why, because I like listening to albums from bands like that but always feel like I'm going to hate them live.
When the show started, I noted that they looked like your typical emo kids, or, at least, they looked like the stereotype of an emo kid. The majority of the crowd had much the same style as the band: skinny jeans, chucks, tight band tee. Most of them were teenagers.
The music was a bit slower and softer than the other artists I associate with them (Cute Is What We Aim For and Fall Out Boy, for example). The lyrics were very straightforward, which was a bit refreshing.
I enjoyed the show, though I wouldn't say it was life-changing or very memorable. “Black Mamba” and “Checkmarks” were the high points of the show.
Julian Lage
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