JagBytes

Issue date: 11/28/07 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Katie Bradley Lead singer William Beckett (left) of The Academy Is... and guitarist Mike Carden on the "Sleeping With the Giants" tour.

On Nov. 21, scenesters in skinny-leg jeans invaded the Murat Egyptian for the "Sleeping With the Giants" Tour.

Featuring five bands--Sherwood, The Rocket Summer, Armor For Sleep, Cobra Starship, and headliner, The Academy Is…--the tour provided a great mix of bands and music.

Chicago natives The Academy Is… pumped up the crowd, sending them into a frenzy of crowd surfing, moshing, and throwing their hands and body in tune with the music.

Lead singer William Beckett drove fans wild as well, his sultry smooth voice purring the lyrics of the bands newest album, "Santi."

"I'm in love with him (Beckett)," said Kim Ford, a fan at the concert who also went to see the show in Cincinnati.

Long before The Academy Is… took the stage, however, four other bands rocked the room.

At least that was the plan.

Cobra Starship fan Sara Swinney patiently waited through performances by Sherwood, The Rocket Summer and Armor For Sleep.

Meanwhile, right outside of the Egyptian Room sat members of Cobra Starship--electric bass player Alex Suarez; keytar player Victoria Asher; drummer Nate Novarro; and guitarist Ryland Backinton--signing autographs, talking, and taking pictures with fans.

While Armor For Sleep rocked the crowd, a stir erupted in the back of the room. Cobra frontman Gabe Saporta had made his appearance and the line to meet him was long and growing. While waiting in line to meet Saporta, Swinney discovered from other fans that Cobra Starship had already performed.

"He's (Gabe) sick, so they performed at 6:30(p.m.)…He ran off stage to throw up during a performance," said Swinney.

Swinney was upset at missing Cobra Starship's performance, but happily posed for a picture with Saporta. Near the end of the night, Saporta made a quick appearance on stage, singing with William Beckett and The Academy Is….

Sitting in a tight pair of jeans and a plain t-shirt, 24-year-old drummer Andy Bishop Mrotek, known as "The Butcher," sat down with The Sagamore a couple of hours before his band The Academy Is… hit the stage.

The Sagamore: Do you have any pets?

Mrotek: I have really bad luck with pets, but I love animals. I have two cats, Baby and Little Girl.

S: What has changed the most since your band started?

M: I was 15 when I started touring. I've grown up a bit and my bandmates have become my family…I have found a more realistic view of the world.

S: Do you worry that as you gain fame you might lose touch with your fan base?

M: Yeah, it's hard to just go sit at the merch table. With success, you can't do the things you used to be able to do. But, I think with fans, we find new ways to keep up with them. I write blogs and have My Space.

S: What are your plans for after the concert tour?

M: We're going to take the month of December off. I'll be home and go see some [Chicago] Bulls games. After that, we will make a new record and go on tour again.

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