Warming Up the Crowd – “Man, What The Fuck Houston?”

Stump, Wentz, and company hit the stage with crazed aggression, blasting through “Thriller” while jumping on the monitors, spinning guitars, and sprinting from one side of the stage to the other. At the end of the song, Wentz welcomed the crowd – “Man, what the fuck Houston?” Indeed, the band was happy to be in town. For the next song, “I Slept With Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Student Song Written About Me,” the band doubled down. Wentz dug down deep for an impassioned backing vocal as the band members continued to alternate stage positions. By the third song, “A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More ‘Touch Me’,” the energy was definitely rubbing off on the crowd. With every hand in the house in the air, the crowd was finished warming up and the show started to hit its stride.

Great Pacing – Fast Action & Killer Emotion

Fall Out Boy doesn’t slow down. Throughout the evening, as soon as one song ended, another one began. Despite the fast action, they still made sure that everyone in attendance had a good time. In fact, at the end of the third song, Stump and Wentz took to the microphone to ask everyone to “take a step back for the people up front.” According to Wentz, fans in front were getting crushed and they wanted everyone to enjoy the show. From there, the action didn’t slow down again.

Prior to “Alone Together,” Wentz told the crowd, “punk rock is always on your side.” With that, the band started the song as the large video screen in the background displayed images of the crowds from various shows around the globe. From mohawks to leather and tattoos, the background images perfectly complemented the tone and tenor of the track, allowing those in attendance to really feel the essence of the song.

During “Sugar, We’re Going Down,” the band was especially animated. For the chorus, as Stump sang the words “cock it and pull it,” fans could see drummer Andy Hurley motioning his drum stick like he was loading a weapon.

Although the crowd started out a bit timid at first, they really got the hang of it as the set progressed. Even Wentz took notice of the evolving dynamic. Just after “Sugar, We’re Going Down,” Wentz exclaimed “that’s more like it Houston!” With that, he introduced the next track, “Young Volcanoes.” Said Wentz, “It’s strange to be a dude from 14 to 34.” Of course, that covered just about every guy in attendance, so Wentz followed up “This is for all the dudes.”

Whether they were trying pumping up the crowd with witty banter, or just busting their asses to command the stage, Fall Out Boy really set out for an evening of fast action and killer emotion.

“You May Have Heard This One Before”

Certainly, Fall Out Boy has many popular tracks. Whether fans had every album, or simply enjoyed the band for the popular tracks, they likely left the show satisfied. At one point during the show, Wentz said “You may have heard this one before.” Indeed, Wentz could have said that before half of the twenty song setlist. A testament to the band’s songwriting, Fall Out Boy has an extensive catalog of familiar tracks.

For instance, “Dance, Dance” started off with an extended version of the unique opening drum pattern. Despite not yet playing a single note of music, the entire crowd erupted and began to sing the words to the song. In a smart move, the band kept the energy high with the ultra popular “I Don’t Care.”

Whether they were playing a popular single, or one of the more obscure tracks, something about every Fall Out Boy song sounds familiar. However, with the success the band has experienced, chances are you’ve heard at least a few of the songs before.

Crowd Surfing – Ask & You Shall Receive

In one of the funnier moments of the evening, Wentz said “you seem a little subdued tonight, I’ve only seen like two crowd surfers.” In the spirit of creating chaos, Wentz offered free t-shirts to every crowd surfer for the rest of the evening. What they got were dozens of boys and girls climbing over the sea of humanity and gliding toward the stage on the hands of the fans in attendance. At one point, during “Dance, Dance,” there were sixteen crowd surfers up at one time. Certainly, once Wentz asked for crowd surfers, he got them.

A Fun & Entertaining Night

It doesn’t take much to fall in the love with the youthful vibrance and enthusiasm of Fall Out Boy. Whether you’re a lifelong fan, or simply a casual observer, you’ll find no shortage of entertainment at a Fall Out Boy show. Although a bit straightforward, Fall Out Boy does a great job marrying video screen images, banter, and live instrumentation to create a solid event. Catch them on tour now!

Setlist:

(1) Thriller
(2) I Slept With Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me
(3) A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More “Touch Me”
(4) Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes
(5) The Phoenix
(6) This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race
(7) Tell That Mick He Just Made My List of Things to Do Today
(8) Alone Together
(9) What a Catch, Donnie
(10) Death Valley
(11) Hum Hallelujah
(12) Grand Theft Autumn / Where Is Your Baby
(13) Sugar, We’re Goin Down
(14) Young Volcanoes
(15) Dance, Dance
(16) I Don’t Care
(17) My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light ‘Em Up)

Encore:

(18) Save Rock and Roll
(19) Thnks fr the Mmrs
(20) Saturday

Contact Robert at robert@starsandsatellites.com