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In June, The Academy Is ..... opened for headlining Fall Out Boy at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. On that sweat-soaked summer day, the young members of The Academy Is ..... saw what it was like to open on a first-rate, pyrotechnic-shooting summer amphitheater tour. Summer has come and gone, but The Academy Is ..... is still on the road with the hopes of building on its incredible buzz. That includes a date at The White Rabbit on Tuesday, Oct. 2, along with openers Sherwood, The Rocket Summer and Armor For Sleep. In a recent conversation with 210SA, The Academy Is ..... guitarist Mike Carden talked about what he learned from touring with Fall Out Boy, illegal music downloading and his worst job ever.
 

So what did you learn on the Fall Out Boy tour?
It was just fun to see the whole thing. I guess one thing I figured out really fast is that being on stage with pyro is nothing to mess with. Messing with the stage, I learned really fast that you can't just walk as you please. Pyro is exactly what it sounds like. It's very dangerous. It was fun, a good tour with an eclectic bill. I actually got along with Paul Wall really well, and that was kind of surprising.

How much did it allow you to showcase your music?
Well, the music business is turning, so you can't turn your finger on CD sales, and you don't see that direct effect (from touring). But we've started seeing this weird program about file sharing, telling us how much of your songs are being downloaded. For bands like us, (downloading) is just as important (as CD sales). You start seeing the movement of your band. Even if it's illegal, you see that. Being a rock band in this day and age, it's nice to see that. However you get the music — trading, iPod, CD, iTunes or heaven forbid you go buy a real record — it's all part of you.

What do you think of illegal downloading?
I don't mind ..... We understand our fan base, and with MySpace and all these technologies where people listen to music, people are going to get the music. We were just in Europe doing festivals, and live music hasn't skipped a beat ..... It's hard to make money through the old school business of selling records, but it keeps you alive and on the road, and we're more interested in that.

You and lead singer William Becket came up in rival bands. Was there any animosity when The Academy Is ..... first formed?
No, because it was all just friendly competition, just playing stuff in church basements and VFW halls ..... We've been in a band together for five years, and we definitely have our moments, but it's all part of the fun of being in rock-and-roll.

You guys are known for your nonstop touring. What did you do the last time you weren't on the road?
It was interesting, because I woke up in a room in Chicago, and I was like, “Where is everyone?” I was so used to the grind, and I was like, “Wow, I don't have anything to do today.” It's nice to have time off, and I just relax, play a little guitar, listen to a lot of music and catch up with friends from back home.

What's the best part of touring — playing on stage or what goes on backstage?
Of course the live show. Without sounding too hippied out, there's something about the energy of playing songs and seeing people reacting to it. You feel it. You hear the crowd, and you know what's about to happen. It's an awesome feeling. We tour, tour, tour, and all of that stuff keeps us going ..... The other insane part is seeing the world with good people. New cultures are pretty awesome, and we've been blessed at a young age. If you had talked to me five years ago and said I'd be playing a big festival in Japan, I'd be like, “I don't know about that.”

This issue of 210SA deals with jobs. What is the worst job you ever had?
I worked in retail, folding clothes. I don't want to say the place because it's been all right to the band, but I had a mall retail job.

What about your best job?
In high school, I life guarded and taught little kids to swim. Anyone who wants to be a lifeguard, go for it. But retail is not on the list of things I'd like to be doing.

CLINT HALE | 210SA