The Academy Is... School Irving Plaza

It Happened Last Night

By Spin Staff on February 21, 2007 3:00 AM Comment

Perhaps so excited to take the stage for the first time in six months, the Academy Is... had virtually every member of the sold-out crowd -- which was primarily comprised of under-21s and the parents they dragged with them -- transfixed in a cyclical motion of singing, fist-pumping, and pogo-ing. Charismatic frontman William Beckett danced like a dervish, leaping about the stage, slapping his skinny-jeaned thighs, scaling the drummer's platform and brandishing the mic stand like a drum major during "Black Mamba." Showgoers squealed with glee over songs like "Slow Down," "Attention," and new tracks "LAX to O'Hare" and "We've Got a Big Mess On Our Hands," both off our upcoming album Santi, due in April.

Much to the delight of the weary-looking moms waiting in the lobby, the show wrapped before midnight, a reasonable hour on a school night. "New York City!" bellowed Beckett to his reverent young fans. "Did you miss us as much as we missed you?" Judging by the band's reception, yes, yes it did. TRICIA SUMMERS / PHOTOS BY TERA BARNUM

>> Listen to the Academy Is... on Napster

We asked: The Academy Is... frontman William Beckett's former signature was wearing a bandanna tied around his left leg during shows. What's your signature accessory?

Name: Elizabeth Quiles
Age: 19
Hometown: Hawthorne, NJ
Occupation: Student
"Shoes that don't match my outfit."

Name: Rich Marley
Age: 22
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Mortgage broker
"My best friend, Shawn Hamilton."

Name: Jennifer Park
Age: 29
Hometown: East Greenwich, RI
Occupation: Hairdresser
"I always have my gold handbag."

Name: Wayne Cama
Age: 22
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Janitor
"The doll that's in my shirt right now."

Name: Christopher Vitola
Age: 23
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Marketing director's assistant
"I never match. And I usually wear clothes with my father's name, Vernon, on them."