There's nothing more healing than seeing the bands you loved when you were younger in concert. While I was never head over heels for Fall Out Boy, much of their discography is reminiscent of the good 'ol days when everyone listened to their songs on the radio. I knew my friends and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see them live since their concert was the day after Waterparks.
For anyone who enjoys early 2000s emo music, this was the concert to be at. The lineup was one for the books! We missed the first opener, Daisy Grenade, but we were there in time for both The Maine and Jimmy Eat World. I'm not big into The Maine, but I know they were pretty foundational for some emo lovers. They were great, and the singer even came down into the crowd and sang with some fans which was a very sweet moment.
Jimmy Eat World was fantastic as always. I've seen them once before this concert, and both times their energy was incredible. They're a very consistent band, and you can count on them to sound good live. Their song "Bleed American" is one of my favorites of all time too, so hearing that again was so much fun! And of course, "The Middle" is quite nostalgic for me because it was another song I heard on the radio all the time as a kid. Their set lasted about fifty minutes which was longer than expected, but I was quite pleased with their performance.
Fall Out Boy marked their entrance with their cover of Billy Joel's song, "We Didn't Start The Fire", playing over the speakers. Shortly after that, they opened the show with "Love From The Other Side", which is a track from their most recent album "So Much (For) Stardust." I'm not super familiar with their newer stuff, but I do think it was a great song to choose for an opener. There were tons of fireworks and just fire in general which I hadn't expected, but certainly made everything more epic.
I was pleasantly surprised that they played quite a few of their bigger hits early in the set. "Sugar, We're Goin Down" was their third song, and "Uma Thurman" was their fourth. Again, those were songs I remember hearing when I was younger and are very nostalgic. Patrick Stump, the lead singer, has a magnificent voice, which is something that didn't hit me until seeing them live. He was absolutely incredible. I was especially impressed with his performance of "Young and Menace" (Which by this was the first time they'd performed it since 2018. No biggie!) That song is one I also have a deep history with, I remember downloading it to my MP3 player sometime in 2017 and blasting it in my headphones while waiting for my dad to be finished in Home Depot. It's those random memories that make hearing a song live so much more special. Anyway, I was thoroughly impressed with Stump's performance. It was just him on stage with a piano and it ended up being one of my favorites of the whole night.
"This Ain't A Scene, It's an Arms Race" is one of those songs that already makes me want to put on my dancing shoes, but the song itself in combination with the fireworks, screaming fans, and Stump's rockin' dance moves made it an even more exquisite moment to be a part of. During this song, they brought out a giant inflated dog head that was on the cover of their most recent album. It was funny, but I also appreciated how playful it made everything. There was also a man in some kind of Easter bunny outfit and a life-size snail. It's those little things that make it fun! The attention to detail in every part of the stage setup and the visuals were excellent.
During another Fall Out Boy classic, "Dance, Dance", bassist Pete Wentz somehow made his way to the sound booth and performed his parts from across the venue. It was pretty crazy! He was on some sort of lifted platform, and I'm sure it was a cool surprise for the people seated around the sound booth. Again, they were excellent at putting small details into the show that make a difference in the experience of the fans.
Their last four songs were the best part of the show, though. "My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)" was the first of their closing songs, and this one was especially fun because Wentz had a flamethrower attached to the end of his bass. It certainly fits the song! "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" was up next, and let me tell you, similar to "Young And Menace", this was one of those songs that I once had such a hyper fixation on that it felt unreal to hear it live. It used to be my go-to for full-volume blasting in the car, so I had to just absorb it for a second when it was played. To be honest, I think that's one of my favorite songs of all time.
"Centuries" was another nostalgic one, of course! They stepped up the stage theatrics even more for this one, once again with the fire cannons with tons of lasers and an awesome light show. And last, they closed with "Saturday". I appreciate that this was their choice to close the show with because it's definitely a favorite among the older Fall Out Boy fans. It felt like them saying thank you to all the people that have been with them since their first album (which I haven't been but I still love that song. I wasn't even born when it was released). Just a wonderful way to end the night.
One other honorable mention about the show: The camera work was awesome. Whoever was overseeing the footage did an excellent job, switching between members at the appropriate times with mainly close-up shots of them. that was very helpful because my friends and I were in the nosebleeds, so it was nice to be able to actually see their faces. The logistics of everything that went into the show were on point. Overall, I was extremely impressed. Between the band itself and the stage theatrics, I left the show more than satisfied with my experience even though I was so far away. I hope to see them again someday!
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