Hey there J-14ers!
I don't know what it is about The Academy Is…'s William "Bill" Beckett — but there's something so magnetic about the way he performs that I can't take my eyes off of him. Maybe it's the the way his long lanky legs march up and down the stage, maybe it's the too-cute grins that seep out from the corner of his mouth, or maybe it's the way he sings his heart out with all his soul. Whatever it is, Bill is the definition of a rockstar.
The irony is… when the band first hit the stage in New York City last Wednesday night as the headliners of the Alternative Press Fall Ball tour (with Mayday Parade, The Secret Handshake, You Me At Six, and Set Your Goals), we didn't recognize him at first. It was the first time I'd seen him perform with his new haircut (I know, so old news) and he looked so different in his spiffy tuxedo t-shirt and suspenders that we thought he was Zac Efron! Even the way his locks framed his face were so Zac-ish (in a good way!).
But once he started singing the TAI classics like "About A Girl" (prob my all-time fave song of theirs!), there was no doubt that it was 110% pure Bill Beckett. The band also performed tracks off their new EP, Lost in Pacific Time — The AP/EP, out now.
Unfortunately the tour wraps up Sunday in Pittsburgh at the Altar Bar — but at the rate these guys are going, there's no doubt they'll be rockin' well into 2010.
In the meantime, check out one of my guilty pleasures, Bill's blog at thewilliambeckettblog.com
What do you guys think of The Academy Is… (and are we totally crazy for thinking for a minute that he was Zac Efron?! 😉 ).
Can't wait to hear from you!
Rachel Chang
J-14 Editor
Photos: Courtesy of Taylor Gahm (1), Courtesy of Rachel Chang (4)
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