It’s hard to believe that fans could have any more energy for another show after a full day at Riot Fest, but the line for The Academy Is…’ aftershow stretched down the block from Concord Music Hall on Saturday night. They were joined by pop punk newcomers The Paradox to keep the Riot Fest spirit going late into the night.
After an explosive entrance into the scene just last year, The Paradox has quickly made a strong name for themselves- and all roads have led to Riot Fest. The quartet made their late set feel like a sunny afternoon with their high-intensity songs and perfect comedic timing between tracks. They even let the drummer talk- something they jokingly said never happens- all while ripping through songs from their debut EP. The audience reciprocated all of that energy, cheering on this new band making such a positive impression on the scene.
Three years ago nearly to the day, The Academy Is… reunited at Concord Music Hall to play Almost Here in full and Saturday’s set was déjà vu with a twist. The mood in the room was electric as the band took the stage, bathed in deep blue light and exuding a sense of anticipation we haven’t felt from them in a very long time. Singer William Beckett got the fans’ “Attention”, kicking off what seemed like another full album set- but TAI is nothing if not full of surprises.
Rather than continue on with Almost Here, the band threw in “About a Girl” before shocking the crowd with a brand new song called “Miracle”. The audience stood open-mouthed at the new track- and that disbelief gave way to unbridled joy when the band announced their first new album in over 10 years is on its way. The rest of the night moved in slow motion with this news to carry everyone into the early hours of Sunday and there was still more music to be played.
Amidst the first album songs, the band sprinkled in “Neighbors” and “Seed” to show Santi some well-deserved love before adding in another new song called “2005” to really douse the venue in nostalgia. The main set closed with “Down and Out” and “Almost Here” before TAI finally released the waning crowd with a heartfelt performance of “After the Last Midtown Show”. Every time The Academy Is… reunites at their hometown festival, magic is in the air and Saturday’s aftershow may have been the most special to date. Now that we know that more music is on the horizon, fans left the venue glowing with excitement and anticipation for what’s to come from this iconic Chicago band.
