Westmeath quartet The Academic provided an energetic indie-rock set to a bulging Electric Arena this Saturday late-afternoon. 

The aptly named stage was frizzing with excitement in the build-up.

When the sound engineer is greeted to impassioned cheers as he test-bashes the drummer’s toms, you know you’ve got the right crowd. 

Appearing to a rapturous reception, the indie rockers got the show rolling with ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends’. 

Frontman Craig Fitzgerald was clearly up for it this evening- and the crowd matched him, reflecting back his verses and choruses.

The band rattled through their catalogue of warm-weather bangers, a fitting soundtrack to what turned out to be a scorching Indian-Summer afternoon. 

The Academic at Electric Picnic 2023. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

Hits from their 2018 debut record Tales From The Backseat featured, as did the nostalgic Strokes-hued single ‘Mixtape 2003’.

This reviewer felt personally included in the act when Fitzgerald dedicated the first track from 2023 Sitting Pretty, ‘Pushing Up Daisies’ to those suffering from a hangover- not that this employee would ever really operate under the influence. 

When ‘Don’t Take It Personally’ was similarly dedicated to those “looking to get lucky this weekend”, one started to wonder if that curly-haired Mullingarian was personally targeting certain critics in attendance. 

Sordid joking aside, The Academic’s performance at the Electric Arena cemented themselves as one of the best acts the country has to offer. 

All four musicians appeared masters of their crafts, especially guitarist Matthew Murtagh, who provided his fair share of face melting shreds.

A memorable hour of dancing and voice-straining, the gig was closed with the fan-favourite ‘Bear Claws’. Any semblance of post-party hangover anxieties had now faded into non-existence. 

Natural and animated, tight and professional, it was no surprise to see the Electric Arena bursting to the seams.

While it’s fair to say that most of the band’s followers are of a younger persuasion, The Academic’s feel-good indie bops had plenty of older audience members twisting and shaking their stuff at the tent’s perimeters.

They must be doing something right.