The Academic Wrap Up ‘Sitting Pretty Tour’ At Bowery Ballroom
Samantha Colleran, May 2023
While I was home for my Thanksgiving break, I bought two tickets to see The Academic (Craig Fitzgerald, Stephen Murtagh, Matt Murtagh, Dean Gavin), a band I have been a fan of for years and never had the chance to catch on tour. The show was set to be in April, but right before what was supposed to be the start of their North American tour, The Academic faced some issues with Visas. After the small mishap and the first few shows scheduled for later dates, The Academic finally made it to NYC for what became the final show of their 2023 Sitting Pretty Tour. A high energy set with incredible fan interaction (both on and off stage) made this show one of my personal favorites and one that I won’t forget for a long time.
To start, I need to say thank you to my mom who spent the entire day in the city with me on Mother’s Day. She was my first concert buddy and although I’ve started bringing friends to concerts over the years, she’s always been a champion of my passion for live music and having her along for the ride as a Mother’s Day date was so special. She also thoroughly enjoys The Academic’s music, which made her the perfect person to bring along for the adventure!
Prior to getting to the venue, I ended up bumping into two of the members of The Academic while grabbing a pre show drink with my mom. I got to speak with Matt (guitar/keys) and Stephen (bassist) for a couple of minutes to wish them luck on their performance and of course mentioned VIBING ON VINYL. Not only were they kind enough to stop and chat, they actually remembered me from an º1824 press conference I attended earlier this year. That set the tone for the night and solidified the fact this would be an unforgettable show.
Bowery Ballroom is an intimate venue; there’s no barricade, so I was able to be right up by the stage. The opener for the night was a band called Summerdrive, who took the stage for a half hour to warm the crowd up for The Academic. Consisting of members Jake Steam, Matt Montgomery, and Tim Coakley, as well as support from Claire Deane on bass, the band wowed audience members with a passion filled performance. “Sunkissed Dreamland” kicked the performance off, and other tracks from the band’s discography followed; standout tracks include “You Don’t Have To Be Alone”, “Stay All Night”, and set closer “Look Back In Love”.
If you think The Academic sound amazing on record, you’ll be blown away by their ability to play live. They command the stage and make it feel like a stadium despite the fact the venue is so small. You feel the bass and the drums pulsing through your veins, the guitar rings in your ears, and Craig’s voice adds a bit of extra grit that studio recordings can’t quite capture. It’s a testament to their ability to truly perform and captivate an audience, from the first beat of “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” you’re sucked into their world, and it’s a world you won’t want to find your way out of.
Many of the songs off of Sitting Pretty, the band’s most recent release, made the setlist. Singles “Pushing Up Daisies”, “My Very Best”, “Homesick”, and “Don’t Take It Personally” were woven intricately through the setlist and felt more impactful in a live setting. “My Very Best” is a personal favorite of mine, so getting to see it performed live made me fight back tears. Other Sitting Pretty tracks include “Let Go Of My Heart”, “Buying Smokes”, and “What’s Wrong With Me”, the latter of which was really fun to sing along to with fellow audience members.
Personal favorite moments from the show for me were some of the band’s older songs, most of which solidified my reasoning for being a fan and continuing to support their work through the years. “Different” still reigns as my top song by The Academic, finally seeing it live after loving it for over six years was a true concert bucket list moment. “Northern Boy” will always strike a chord with longtime fans of The Academic, and being in a crowd singing along to such a special song felt surreal. The Acting My Age EP contains some of the songs that made the 2020 COVID summer bearable for me, “Anything Could Happen” and “Acting My Age” were strong moments that rounded out the setlist perfectly. The final two songs of the night, “Girlfriends” and “Bear Claws”, are fan favorites that ended the set on a high note, the crowd giving the band their all as we belted our hearts out for the final show of the Sitting Pretty Tour.
You may notice that there are more photos than usual in this post. I had the pleasure of being granted a photo pass through º1824, which allowed me to bring a camera to photograph the entire show. It was my first time photographing a show, and my first time being a photographer in general, so I had some nerves about taking photos. However, it proved to be a manageable task, especially with such lovely subjects. Craig took the time to pose for people with cameras and goof around with the crowd right off the bat, which made me feel so much better about the whole process. It was such a fun experience and I hope to do it again some time in the future!
I know this show will be one I talk about to everyone I interact with in the coming weeks. Everything about it was special; the small venue, the immense talent of these four Mullingar boys, and getting to meet two of them and the pride I felt when they recognized my blog. As someone who has been experiencing a lot of imposter syndrome lately, it brought me so much joy to be recognized by a band I’ve loved for so many years; it gave me a heck of a lot more motivation to keep doing what I’m doing right now.
If you’re intrigued by The Academic and want to give them a listen, feel free to check out my playlist of essentials as well as my 2023 concert playlist which features the setlist for both Summerdrive and The Academic. Be sure to follow The Academic on Instagram to stay up to date on their future endeavors, one of which includes an opening slot on Louis Tomlinson’s 2023 Faith In The Future North American Tour!