It’s always nice when you walk in on a set not knowing who the band is, and they hook you right away with their incredible talent. Such was the case on Saturday night at the Replay when I walked in on Up The Academy.
 

Up The Academy

 
Up The Academy is one of those bands where absolutely every member is captivating. There’s never a shortage of energy, and every single note is played with vigor to the fullest extent.
 
As seen in the video below, the bass player would occasionally ham it up by going into the crowd (and they were happy to receive him). When they finished one of their songs, I heard a couple of people exclaim “Wow!” The band replied with “Thank you loud music lovers!” Oh no, wonderfully manic garage rockers. The pleasure was all ours.
 

 

Mouthbreathers

 
Mouthbreathers is also a band that likes it fast and hard, and on Saturday night they delivered. They played to an enthusiastic crowd that was just begging to cut a rug to their awesome rock.
 
The band has really been coming out of their shell more with each performance, and by now they’re moving about the stage to rock out. Their songs are also getting tighter.
 
This has become one of my favorite local bands, and with good reason. They consistently deliver furious, pounding songs with every set, and even when the screaming vocals are hard to hear, it’s still a show I’ll never regret seeing.
 
Welcome back, KU students. This is what your music scene looks like.