Fall Out Boy Brings It Home At Wrigley Field

On Wednesday evening I rushed from work to see hometown heroes, Fall Out Boy, kick off their So Much (For) Stardust tour with a sold-out show at one of the most iconic venues in Chicago, Wrigley Field.

The band formed in 2001 in Wilmette, IL, a suburb of Chicago. Fall Out Boy was founded by Pete Wentz (bassist/songwriter), Joe Trohman (lead guitar), with Patrick Stump (guitar/vocals/songwriter), and Andy Hurley (drummer) joining shortly after. Since their formation, Fall Out Boy has released 8 studio albums and become one of the most notable pop-punk acts to find mainstream success with four Billboard Number 1 Albums and songs like “Centuries” having over 1 billion streams on Spotify.

This success was visible. On entering the venue, the crowds were bustling with people spanning generations from young Gen Z-ers to older Gen X-ers. The stadium was sold out and as the last opening act finished you could feel the anticipation of everyone waiting for the band to begin.

Fall Out Boy came in hot playing their lead single, “Love From The Other Side”, from their new album So Much (For) Stardust, accompanied by a display of pyrotechnics. With no hesitation, the band continued the set playing hits, “The Phoenix,” “Sugar We’re Goin’ Down, and “Uma Thurman.” The whole crowd was electrified, singing along without missing a beat (including myself).

The first “hello” the crowd received from the band was after this mad dash through some of their most popular songs explaining how amazing it was to be playing at this venue; someplace they idolized growing up in the area.

As the show continued I began to notice the creative set design, later credited by Patrick Stump as Pete Wentz’s brainchild. A frame bordered the stage with one-half appearing to mimic an Alice in Wonderland scene with a giant teapot and devilish cat hanging from the side. The other side of the frame was outlined in dangling lights almost mirroring bedroom fairy lights. The two sides of the frame met at the top with a rotating image that would go between the sun, moon, and seasons to replicate a sort of dreamscape between escapism and reality.

While the tour was in support of their new album, it was not the star of the show, rather they opted for a greatest hits set list including super fan favorites like “Chicago Is So Two Years Ago,” “Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes,” and a live debut of “G.I.N.A.S.F.S.”

However, they did not just focus on satisfying those who deem themselves “elder emos.” Halfway through the set, the band slowed it down to play acoustic-driven, “Fake Out” from the latest album. Fans of the band had created a fan project to create a colored light pattern with their phones across the stadium making Wrigley glow on a cloudless night.

Stump then sat down at the piano and played a snippet of “Don’t Stop Believin’” before diving into “Mania” hit “Last of the Real Ones.” The crowd was ready for the energy shift and people were jumping and cheering along as the stage lights turned a bright purple to reflect the album art the song was from.

Still at the piano, the band played the anthemic “Save Rock and Roll.” The end of the song is acapella and almost chant-like. A call to the rock music community and their fans - a “we will stick together and preserve this moment” - mantra. It was a powerful experience to see such a large group of people throwing up hearts, fists, and rock and roll signs in the air, brought together to celebrate music and the community it can bring.

After this moment the band played “Dance, Dance” and “Hold Me Like a Grudge” along with “G.I.N.A.S.F.S,” which got the audience moving, grooving, and back in action.

After this three-song stretch, a magic eight ball appeared on the set and Wentz began to ask whether they should wrap up the show or keep playing more songs. The audience replied with a resounding no to the former question and so did the magical ball. Instead of leaving the stage, the band stayed put to play as many songs as possible.

The pseudo-encore included 4 songs from 4 of their albums. Leading off with “My Songs Know What You Did in The Dark,” the 2013 hit was still as hot as it was 10 years ago, especially with the flamethrower attached to Wentz’s bass. The anthemic “Centuries” was the penultimate song of the night followed by one of their first hits “Saturday,” accompanied by Wentz climbing into the audience and a fireworks show.

Stump’s vocals across their albums are still some of my favorites in music bringing soul and power to the songs along with Wentz’s genius lyricism. It was truly a spectacular finish to a 26-song-long, era-crossing setlist. All I can say is “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs” (they played this in the encore too!).