It’s hard to believe that it has already been a decade since Fall Out Boy returned from hiatus with their triumphant fifth studio album, Save Rock and Roll. So much has changed since the quartet – comprised of vocalist/guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, drummer Andy Hurley, and guitarist Joe Trohman – reinvented themselves once more, and since then they have proven time and time again that not only are they not going anywhere, but that they just keep getting better. Now with eight full-length albums under their belts, following the release of their newest album, So Much (For) Stardust, the band is bigger and better than ever, and their current run of tour dates feels akin to a victory lap.
As a long-time fan who grew up listening to Fall Out Boy, but unfortunately hasn’t seen them in a few years, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre for the band’s So Much For (Tour) Dust Tour, but I knew it would be good. What transpired couldn’t be more different than the band’s comeback show at The Ogden Theatre back in June of 2013, yet somehow, it reminded fans that the band hasn’t forgotten their roots. After a wide range of opening acts (Daisy Grenade, Royal and the Serpent and Bring Me The Horizon) Fall Out Boy took the stage to the roar of 17,000 fans and the explosions of fireworks and pyrotechnics. Throughout their set, they brought fun, exciting production to songs both old and new, from a massive replica of the Doberman on the cover of So Much (For) Stardust taking over the stage to bubbles blowing across a sea of fans to Pete donning a flamethrower on the head of his bass, the show was not without its theatrics, but it never once felt gimmicky. Coming from a band who got their start playing in tiny clubs, it felt like a celebration.
And throughout the night, the band paid homage to their storied past, as well, with songs like “Uma Thurman” sitting easily alongside “A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me” and newer songs like “Heaven, Iowa” and “Fake Out” absolutely stealing the show. Not only did the band sound top-notch (aside from a few minor sound malfunctions here and there, which is to be expected at Fiddler’s), but they seemed to be having fun, too. Around the middle of the night, Patrick wowed the crowd with a stunning medley of covers on the piano, before launching into “Save Rock and Roll”, just a few songs before Pete disappeared behind a sheet and magically reappeared halfway through the crowd for “Dance, Dance.” Towards the end of the night, the band asked a Magic 8 Ball, hanging at the top of the stage, which song to play next, before launching into “Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner” for the first time in nearly a decade. From there, the energy only multiplied as they stampeded through their hits before closing in true Fall Out Boy style with “Saturday”.
By the time fans exited the venue in a cloud of confetti, they were certainly left satisfied after a nearly two-hour long, twenty-eight song setlist. Somehow, Fall Out Boy managed to make their performance feel both larger than life with their spectacular production while still exuding the energy of the band that you once saw play a 1,200 cap room with nothing but their instruments and a few lights.
VIEW A FULL PHOTO GALLERY HERE.