As long as I've been excited for Sunday's Fall Out Boy show, I would have thought that waiting another 3 hours, through four opening acts and all the intervening tear down/set up, would be agonizing. Fortunately, the four bands were incredible.
So as to avoid a super-lengthy review, I shan't go into much detail on each band. The audience was not terribly into Hey Monday, although they gave an energetic and fun 20-minute performance consisting entirely of songs I'd heard on their MySpace. The other bands attracted a much more rousing crowd reaction (except when Pete came out to sing/scream on one of Hey Monday's songs). The folks in the stands remained firmly planted in their seats for Hey Monday, but many of them rose and danced for the other acts.
Metro Station, All Time Low and Cobra Starship each performed 30-35 minutes. The synth-poppy Metro Station was most memorable for frontman Trace's wild guitar slinging and jumps from atop the pink drum kit. All Time Low entertained the crowd not only with their pop-punk tunes but also with witty banter, all delivered in front of equipment boxes on which the words "Giant Douche" were emblazoned. Jack (ATL's guitarist) also made his way to the back of the crowd, where concert-goers snapped pictures of themselves with him while he played.
As each successive opening act performed, their respective crews peeled off another layer of equipment from the stage. By the time Cobra Starship came on, there was enough room for columns of flashing light - the first real "effects" we enjoyed over the course of the show.
While Fall Out Boy's crew arranged the stage for our long-anticipated headliner, a couple kids in the next section entertained the nearby crowd with some raunchy booty dancing in the aisle. The way the audience went wild, you would have thought the band had come out.
Screens in several sections framed the drum riser on the right, left, and bottom, and images were projected on them during several songs on FOB's set list. After the lights dimmed, the screens displayed riot footage interspersed with images of the boys running from backstage, wearing suits. A line of red police car lights spun on stage as sirens blared.
When the boys finally came out wearing those suits (Patrick also sported a goofy blond wig and Pete, a cosmetic "black eye"), they were accompanied by four big guys in SWAT gear, two of whom held drums which they beat to help Andy out with the percussive intro of "Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes."
Pete explained after the opening tune that their show was intended to provide a commentary on the power and wealth of corporate America. Political rants dominated his banter through most of the show, but particularly between songs for the first quarter of the set while the guys remained in their suits. (Actually, Andy shed his blazer pretty quickly. It was weird to see him wearing clothes at all; he typically drums only in shorts.) The dominant message, aside from corporate greed, was about the misdirection of American attention on frivolity such as celebrity news rather than things that really matter (such as conditions in Sri Lanka and the Congo).
Pete actually was uncharacteristically mellow and serious throughout the show, although he did lighten up a bit after the costume change, which came after the fourth song of the set. During the costume change, the screens alternately displayed a half-naked Pete changing and having make-up applied and the other three band members already in their new duds, snacking and checking their watches.
The boys re-emerged in dark pants/shirts and the cool bomber jackets they debuted when they performed on Leno (Andy and Joe both shed theirs after the fifth song). Patrick had on his signature hat and, surprisingly, his glasses. Although Pete didn't do a whole lot of his typical acrobatics, Joe's hair flipping and crazy spins provided plenty of frenetic activity. Joe visited our side of the stage several times, and Patrick (who remains in the center most of the time) even came over for a couple (very short) visits.
Between-song banter after the costume change included a birthday tribute to FOB videographer Justin. Patrick led a "Happy Birthday" singalong, and a cake was hurled in the general vicinity of Justin's face (though most of it ended up on the stage). As crew attempted to clean it up with towels, Pete suggested that a Shamwow would accomplish the task much easier.
Toward the end of the set, Pete had us do "the wave." Another bit of memorable banter occurred when Pete introduced "She's My Winona" with a "Fuck you" at Johnny Depp (who dated Winona Ryder long ago).
Members of the opening bands re-appeared on stage for several of the songs on FOB's set. Hey Monday's Cassadee came out to sing the final chorus of "Sugar, We're Going Down," and Mike took Pete's bass for him at the end of Saturday so Pete could get into the crowd and scream the lyrics. Gabe from Cobra Starship came out to sing on "What a Catch, Donnie." One of the guys (I don't remember who) came out to scream with Pete at the end of "I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy...", and Alex from All Time Low came out to sing at the end of "Grand Theft Autumn."
Having kept an eye on the set lists for the earlier shows of the tour, I expected most of the songs I heard. However, there were a couple surprises.
"Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes" is my favorite song on Take This to Your Grave. It is in fact the song that really hit me in the gut and told me that FOB was something special and a band to which I could truly relate. I had not seen it on the set lists for the first several shows of this tour (I hadn't looked at any for the past week or so, when they started playing it), so I didn't at all expect to hear it. When Patrick started singing it, I put both hands on my head as if to hold myself down and prevent myself from shooting to the moon. I then smacked Jason on the shoulder (fairly hard, apparently) and squealed, "I can't believe they're playing this!" I rocked out harder to that song than any other on the set list.
"Tiffany Blews" also was a pleasant surprise, being my favorite song on Folie a Deux (for this week anyway). Although I've outgrown my silly girl crush on Patrick...well, let's just say I may have needed to change my panties after watching/hearing him sing this one live.
Our seats provided an excellent view of all the festivities. My prior seats at FOB shows have been so far away that the guys looked like little dolls, but we were so close this time that I could see facial expressions, sweat beading, spit flying... It was worth every penny a million times over.
From Hey Monday's entrance to Fall Out Boy's exit, the entire show lasted 4 1/2 hours. By the time it ended, my voice was absolutely gone, my hair a sweaty mess, my entire body sore from dancing. Jason probably wanted to staple my mouth shut as much as I babbled about how amazing it was (though I couldn't quite form complete sentences). The euphoria lasted well into the next day. I even wondered a little if it was all a dream, but I have my autographed posters and the pics on Jason's DSi as proof (because I couldn't have my camera in the meet & greet, I left it in the hotel room).
Setlist:
Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes
Thriller
A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me
Sugar, We're Going Down
[Costume change]
This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race
I Don't Care
Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet
I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy, and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me
Grand Theft Autumn
What a Catch, Donnie
[Happy Birthday to Justin]
(Coffee's for Closers)
She's My Winona
Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes
Beat It (Michael Jackson cover)
America's Suitehearts
Encore:
Thnks fr th Mmrs
Tiffany Blews
Dance, Dance
Saturday
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