The Academy Is...,The Electric Factory, Philadelphia  - written by Lynn
On Thursday, November 1st, the Sleeping With Giants Tour, featuring
Cobra Starship, Sherwood, The Rocket Summer, Armor for Sleep and
The Academy Is..., paid a visit to this music-loving town, and the Electric
Factory was once more alive with the sounds of snakes on a plane and
giants sleeping. The venue - which holds about thirty-two hundred people -
was just about packed to capacity as fans were treated to a substantial
evening of music, Meet-and-Greet sessions and a special fan club-only
signing with The Academy Is... after the show was over.  

The opener, Cobra Starship (who had been added to the tour only a week
or so before I was to see the show), I didn't get to see, as disappointing as
that was, because of a screw-up with start times posted by the venue,
which didn't seem to think it was necessary to alert its ticket holders that
since another band had been added to the bill, they'd be starting the show a
half an hour early. If there's one thing that annoys me about concert venues, it's when they can't keep their websites up to date, or when
their employees are clueless, because I plan a very tight schedule for myself
so... yes. No Cobra for me. Although the fans that did see them, who I
asked about it, said they were great.  

I did get there in time, however, to see one of the stage lights spark and
catch on fire up in the rigging just as Sherwood was about to take the
stage, so that was a bit of unexpected "excitement."Thankfully for everyone
involved, and everyone there to see the show, that the problem was
immediately remedied, a repair was made, the lights were tested, and the
show went on... a half an hour late. Go figure. Just my luck. Unfortunately,
too, I found Sherwood's set to be alright, but for the most part they were
just... boring. Their songs didn't reach out to me and their stage presence
was lacking in my opinion. Not a <i>bad</i> band per se, but I just didn't
see anything there that made me want to go right over to the merch booth
and buy their CD. Sorry, guys.

After Sherwood, The Rocket Summer played, and while this is pop music to the extreme, and something that I normally would not look
into, I have to say that Bryce Avary is one talented young guy. He has a great voice, he plays his instruments well, and he had more
stage presence than probably everyone the entire night combined did, so as an entertainer and a performer, kudos to The Rocket
Summer. If you like a more poppy sound, something really upbeat, happy and pleasant, I'd definitely suggest checking them out. Definite
feel-good music that'll have you singing and tapping in no time. Incidentally, too, the audience went crazy for this band, so it's obvious
The Rocket Summer had their approval! After the band's set, Bryce was available for a Meet-and-Greet session in the lobby, which
pleased a lot of female fans in particular as they talked with him and got pictures with him.  






























with him, and then later by Gabe Saporta, lead singer for Cobra Starship.

Then, after a rousing applause from the fans, Beckett and the band returned to the stage for a two-song encore, playing 40 Steps, and
then offering a very fitting ending to their show - as they do on their album by the same name - they played Almost Here, an inspirational
and fulfilling song that surely left concert-goers satisfied and feeling good.
After the show, The Academy Is... held a private Meet-and-Greet for their fan club members, offering to sign an item for each person,
although no pictures were allowed.

The Academy Is... has just wrapped up the 3-month-long Sleeping With
Giants tour in time for the holiday season, and we wish them a good rest.
For more information about the band, and any upcoming tour dates or
other events, please check out their MySpace or Official Band site below.


Special thanks to Joe Schneider for his assistance with this review.
BAND: The
Academy Is...
VENUE: The
Electric Factory,
Philadelphia
DATE:
November 1,
2007
Armor for Sleep, now this is a band that I do like, and have liked for some
time, though this was my first time seeing them. I think this was a good
slot for them, supporting The Academy Is... and a good chance for more
people to discover them and their "sound."

They're one of those bands that's gaining popularity and definitely does
have a recognizable, unique sound, and I thought their performance was
very good. Having just recently released a new CD, Smile for Them,
Armor for Sleep was very well received as they played through some of
their older songs, as well as the newer ones, including the first single off
the CD, Williamsburg. Armor for Sleep also held a Meet-and-Greet,
signing CDs and other items and taking pictures with fans as a nice thank
you for their support.

By the time The Academy Is... took the stage on what had been an already
excellent night of music, the crowd was really pumped and anxiously
anticipating the band. When lead singer William Beckett and the band -
bassist Adam Siska, guitarists Micheal Chislett and Mike Carden and
drummer Andy Mrotek - took the stage, opening with the song Same
Blood, then moving right into Attention! however, the place really went
wild. Playing well-loved songs off both of their albums, including their
most recent release, Santi, the band played an impressive, long set that
included favorites such as The Phrase That Pays, Sleeping With Giants,
Black Mamba, and We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands. During the
melancholy Down and Out, Beckett led the audience in a little bit of
sing-a-long, then continued on with other that included Classifieds,
Skeptics and True Believers and completing their set with Checkmarks.
During the last couple of songs of the set, too, singer Beckett was joined
first on stage by Ben Jorgenson, lead singer for Armor for Sleep, to sing