Molly Lau
Forming in 2001 in Wilmette, Illinois, Fall Out Boy has since become a staple in the pop-punk and emo culture of the early 2000s. Consisting of lead singer Patrick Stump, bass player Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman and drummer Andy Hurley, the band has experienced significant success, propelled by their 2005 song “Sugar, We’re Goin Down.” But, following the release of their most recent album, “So Much (for) Stardust” Fall Out Boy embarked on their appropriately named “So much (for) Tourdust” tour.
When I saw Fall Out Boy perform in Grand Rapids, MI on March 26, it was nothing less than heavenly. When I arrived at the arena, to my surprise there was easy and accessible parking nearby and I wouldn’t have to walk multiple blocks like I had expected to do. Everything was organized amazingly which allowed security lines to move quickly and there were plenty of employees around to help point you in the right direction to find your seats. One of the openers for Fall Out Boy was Jimmy Eat World which is another band I absolutely love. They put on an amazing performance and played songs I grew up hearing such as “Sweetness” and “The Middle” which added a sense of nostalgia that made the performance even better.
I’ve seen Fall Out Boy a total of three times, each show topped the last and this one did not disappoint. I love it when bands play a mixture of their hits and their lesser-known songs at concerts because it shows that they acknowledge the songs that gained them their success while also playing songs that longtime fans would recognize. Each Fall Out Boy show I’ve been to has had perfect setlists, they listen to the fans and play a wide variety of songs from all of their albums and at this particular show, I was lucky enough to hear the tour debut of one of my absolute favorite songs, “The Take Over, The Breaks Over,” and I was so grateful I got the opportunity to hear the thoughtfully written lyrics and great melody performed live. but that’s not the only surprise from that night. Fall Out Boy will play a surprise song at each show that is different for every city on the tour, in Grand Rapids they played “Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)” which is one of their more recent songs but still has the charm that their older songs do. And for the final surprise of the night, I got to hear them perform a piano version of “I’ve Got All This Ringing In My Ears But None On My Fingers” which was a song that got me through a lot when I was struggling with my mental health so getting to hear it live was definitely my favorite part.
Another good element of the concert was the merch, as I mentioned earlier, everything was organized very well which meant that the merch booth lines were never too long. The merch designs were also absolutely amazing. Although the prices were a little bit more expensive, such as a hoodie being $75 and t-shirts being about $45, it was good quality so the higher price was worth it. Overall, this concert was amazing in every way, if you are looking for a show with great vibes and even greater music, I would definitely recommend Fall Out Boy. This concert was absolutely unforgettable and therefore it earned 5/5 stars.
