All Time Low und The Academy Is...

These guys always bring a ton of energy and hilarity to every show. An example would be all the bras from past shows that get thrown on stage hanging from a microphone stand. Or the sign on the back of the Jack's guitar that says Me + Your Mom.

While they aren't over the top with the dance moves and physical antics, they have great crowd-pleasing anthems that all the fans know and sing loudly along with, which they they encourage. Hearing thousands of people shouting the chorus of "Dear Maria, Count Me In" into each others faces is a remarkable experience.

It can be said that good drummer makes a decent band great, but these guys also bring catchy hooks with a quirky sense of humor. Watching Rian ride the crash make them a consistent favorite for anyone who favors percussion.

As a popular band it is hard to see them at smaller venues these days (El Corazon in Seattle was ludicrously good!) but you can still catch them playing the occasional House of Blues and of course they are regulars with the Warped Tour. Like all the best pop-punk, there is no reason to see them anywhere that has seats. You need to get up in the mix and get all sweaty and smiling shouting along with each hit.

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.