Selling out their first national headlining tour, entitled “Truck stops and State Lines”, Beckett and his band mates are sweeping the nation and building their fan base one mosh pit at a time.
Touring with another success story, Panic! At the Disco, The Academy Is… conquered truck stops and state lines in hometown Chicago with two packed House of Blues shows March 25th and 26th and a final sold out performance the following night with fellow Chicago-based band, the Plain White T’s.
Beckett, along with guitarists Mike Carden and Tom Conrad, bassist Adam Siska and drummer Andy “The Butcher” Mrotek grew up in the suburbs with members of the popular Fall Out Boy, whom they are sometimes compared to musically. Coining Chicago “the best f’ing city in the world”, there was no better place to end the “Truck stops and State Lines” tour than at home.
Though Beckett’s voice and lyrics are deemed charismatic and melodic, the punk rock dynamic of the band draws young emo-wannabes. Kids who are more than happy to spend their weekly allowance for a ticket gaining them access into the mosh pit madness of an Academy Is… show. However, with lyrics becoming increasingly more “grown up” and a new acoustic EP, “From the Carpet” (available exclusively in the iTunes music store), The Academy Is… works hard to prove that they’re not just another Fall Out Boy.
Breaking out favorites from “Almost Here”, Beckett and his boys had the House of Blues jumping enough to literally shake the floor boards. Even though the majority of their crowd was nearly a decade away from being able to legally do so, the full-fledged punk rock version of “Pour Yourself Another Drink”, drew screams and of course, more moshing. Showing off his instrumental talent, Beckett broke out a tambourine for “Classifieds” and basked in the spotlight with his guitar for “The Fever”. The newest single “Slow Down” confirmed that the band’s radio popularity has done some good as every fan in the venue knew and sang along to every lyrics.
Steering clear of the mosh pit and frequenting the bar were friends and family of the band, who grew teary-eyed through “Down and Out”, which Beckett wrote and dedicated to his mother. Illustrating that you don’t have to be a teenager to have fun at a concert, one family friend exclaimed over her drink, “Look at him [Beckett]! So hot! I like my men with red underwear.”
Clearly wardrobe plays a part in any band’s success and keeping with the emo-stereotype of ungroomed hair, ripped shirts and tight jeans seemed to be the style among these players. Oh and red underwear too, apparently.
Sticking around after the show to sign CDs and take pictures, The Academy Is… proved their dedication to their fans; a key component for a hit band in the works. With “Almost Here” still being yanked off the shelves and “From the Carpet” a new sensation on iTunes, The Academy Is… apparently is just getting started.
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