Welcome back, William Beckett

A few months ago, I wrote a post mourning the end of one of my high school favorite bands, The Academy Is... I didn't know it at the time, but I only had to wait a few months for lead singer William Beckett to put out his solo EP, Walk The Talk.

Now, to be totally honest, I wasn't that excited when I first heard about this.  A huge part of my attachment to TAI came from nostalgia and memories of hanging with my best friends during summer break. So a new solo album did not really seem like a huge deal, but I've always respected William Beckett as a musician and he was always so nice to my friends and I when we talked to him at shows back in the day. So out of loyalty, I purchased the EP (it was less than $4 on iTunes, so really, there is no excuse!) And it turns out that I actually really like all four tracks. "Compromising Me," and "Girl You Shoulda Been A Drummer" make me want to open all the windows on a sunny day and dance ridiculously around the room. If you were a fan of The Academy Is..., then Walk The Talk is definitely worth a listen.

So it looks like William Beckett will be accompanying me while I make some new summer memories this year. Reunited and it feels so right.

My farewell to The Academy Is...

The writers weren’t kidding about how all good things must end.

When I read this yesterday, I felt like a little piece of me died. That might sound melodramatic, but this band has been with me through high school art classes and study halls, through multiple Warped Tours, through late nights in my college dorm, through long car rides. I've waited in line during both sweltering and freezing temperatures to see them. Hell, I even named my first iPod Sisky Business, in honor of the band's ridiculously silly bassist. In more recent years, I probably haven't appreciated the band as much as they deserved, but the music will always remind me of some truly wonderful times.

From my first TAI show

I put on Almost Here, and I'm instantly 16 again, sitting in my friend Ashley's living room while she makes me watch the "Checkmarks" video over and over and over (and OVER! and OVER!) just to see the split second shot of singer William Beckett in the bathtub.  Then, I switch to Santi, and I'm back in my college dorm room, rockin' out with my friends Ali and Kailani. And finally, the band's last album, Fast Times At Barrington High, and I'm at the last Warped Tour I ever went to (before the line-up became all the worst Myspace bands ever). Listening to TAI is as close to a time machine as I'm going to get. These songs will forever be souvenirs of my adolescence.

My first Warped Tour with TAI

While I'm extremely saddened by the end of TAI, I'm even more grateful to have had these experiences in the first place. There will always be a very special place in my heart for The Academy Is, and all the band members can count on my support in whatever endeavors the future holds for them.

The writers weren't kidding but the good things will live in our hearts.

The Academy Is & Gym Class Heroes 7/25/09