Seventeen years after their last performance in Austin, The Academy Is… brought the pop punk heat back to the capital city in a joint celebration of their new record Almost There and the 20th anniversary of their hugely popular label debut Almost Here.
The band played a 22-song set spanning their discography and covering all the hits. They also had the live debut of new track “100mph” which the crowd loved.
It was obvious the attendees were thirsty for The Academy Is… and the band, from singer William Beckett to guitarist Mike Carden, bassist Adam Siska, and drummer Andy Mrotek, were eager to please. Beckett has always been made for the stage, and a nearly 20-year hiatus could not dampen his energy, showmanship, and obvious love for the music.
(Note: In 2007, Alex Davies from the BBC described Beckett as a mix of Adam Lazzara and Prince, which is probably the most spot-on comparison to be made.)
Although the new record came out less than a month ago, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of people in attendance who seemed to know every word. Even if some members of the audience were only there for the bangers, everyone showed great love for the new music as well.
Beckett did say near the end of the show that they would be back “sooner than [we] think,” so I’m crossing my fingers for ACL. Or at the very least, another headlining tour. Can we pencil you in for this summer, TAI?
Officially Stefny 
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