The Academy Is… | Danforth Music Hall | Toronto, ON
April 11, 2026
Photographed by Jess Lee
Written by Chris Simpson
April 11 marked the long-awaited return of The Academy Is… in Toronto. This Chicago-based rock band, hailed as royalty within the scene subculture, has been rocking out since their MySpace era in 2003. At a time when rock music was shifting to a more emotional and theatrical place, The Academy Is… was center stage. Over 20 years later, the band is still going strong with their fourth album, Almost There, currently available on all major streaming platforms.
Entering the Danforth Music Hall, I could see both old and new fans of The Academy Is… brought together. The show came at a wonderful time as the weather in Toronto was just starting to warm up. Everyone around seemed very excited about the band’s second tour stop, and the community made this Saturday a truly special night.
The opening band, noveltysongs, walked onto the stage and singer Tyler Common casually took to the mic and thanked everyone in attendance for supporting the show. After a brief pause, Duane Hewins (drums) pumped up the energy with an intro to the set. The other instruments slowly trickled in until cutting out for the first verse. You could feel Common’s passion resonate through every word.
The first track of the night had everything from energetic chugging sections to mesmerizing backing vocals from Nick Anderson (guitar). The band did not let up their energy. After playing their song “Cardinal Sin”, Common let the audience know that they had received a parking ticket earlier. The crowd booed the parking ticket in unison. Afterward, fans were asked what their favourite movie was. Moments like these really allowed for a beautiful connection between the band, the music and everyone in attendance. To close out the show, Common told the crowd that The Academy Is… was the first band he had ever seen live back in 2008. He said they inspired him to start a band, then told the crowd they could do the same. Noveltysongs has really come full circle and is now inspiring fans to do exactly what The Academy Is had done for them.
Before The Academy is… walked out, orange lights filled the stage as what sounded like a broadcast radio introduced the band and their new record. The cinematic feeling of this show cannot be understated. The song “The Boys Are Back In Town” by Thin Lizzy played as the band shuffled in. This track was a very fitting choice considering the band’s hiatus from Toronto. The boys truly were back in town and everyone was pumped. The crowd took turns with William Beckett singing the opening song, “Attention.” Everyone was jumping, the band was hyped up and Beckett’s signature megaphone made its first appearance of the night. There are few front men in the world who can pull off as much movement and theatrics as effortlessly as Beckett.
He’d check in with the crowd between songs, asking if anyone had been to their first stop in Buffalo and who had seen them before. Amazingly, much of the audience seemed to be enjoying this legendary band for the first time in their lives. Mike Carden (rhythm guitar) and touring member Ian Crawford’s (lead guitar) playing was on point as always and hit especially hard during breakdowns and their solos. The eruption from the crowd after the first song felt cathartic and earned.
Their set gave fans both nostalgia and fresh songs from their new album. You could sense the stylized connection between their debut album, Almost Here, and their current project, Almost There. After introducing Andy Mrotek (drums) as “the one and only Butcher” and Adam Siska (bass) as “Sisky Business,” the band continued on their lively set. The audience could feel the excitement in the opening note of every song, as fans knew what was coming and ate up every second of it.
Before playing “Almost Here,” the last song off their debut album, Beckett acknowledged that if fans were keeping score, they would know that there is only one song from this project left. He said we all know how this works, referring to the upcoming encore and told everyone in the building to go crazy — even acknowledging those watching from the balcony. The tension was strong while the audience awaited the band’s return. Soft piano brought them back to the stage and they kicked into high gear, playing “L Train” off their new album, Almost There.
Next, they gave fans of their second record, Santi, a lot of love with “LAX To O’Hare” and “We’ve Got A Big Mess On Our Hands.” The crowd clearly appreciated these additions to the set, getting back on their feet, jumping and dancing. The final song of the night was “After The Last Midtown Show” from their third album: Fast Times At Barrington High. This bittersweet song was everything a fan of The Academy Is… could’ve asked for to close out the set. Overall, Saturday night in Toronto was something truly special for both new and old fans of this iconic indie rock staple.
One can only hope that their next show in Toronto is sooner rather than later.
Keep up with The Academy Is…:
Website / Spotify / Apple Music / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / X
The Academy Is… Setlist:
Attention
Season
Slow Down
The Phrase That Pays
Black Mamba
About a Girl
Miracle
Sleeping With Giants (Lifetime)
Skeptics and True Believers
Classifieds
Neighbors
Seed
2005
Rumored Nights
Checkmarks
Down and Out
Almost Here
Encore:
Floating Through Time (interlude)
L Train
LAX to O’Hare
We’ve Got a Big Mess on Our Hands
After the Last Midtown Show
