When I first saw the pre-tour video for Fall Out Boy with Wiz Khalifa… I wasn’t exactly opposed to the show but I wasn’t jumping out of my seat, either. I’m sure the boys of Fall Out Boy are capable of making a decent decision of who to tour with but Khalifa? The only thing I know from that guy is his hit “Black and Yellow.” (Which I just make fun of and sing as a joke.)
As for Fall Out Boy, I’ve loved them since middle school. I fell in love after hearing “Dance, Dance,” and “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs” which were my jams for probably two years straight. Pete Wentz is beautiful and Patrick Stump’s voice is unbelievably sensual. God, thinking about itGIVES ME CHILLS. Anyway, I’ve never had the opportunity to see the boys, so of course I bought tickets to see them this past Friday, June 26. I’ve heard some speculations that FOB weren’t good live performers but I can’t really wrap my head around that because again, Stump’s voice is literally flawless. They’re the epitome of alternative and their new album, “American Beauty/American Psycho” has a new sound that makes me want to dance all over the place. So, I made my way to the XFINITY Theatre in Hartford, CT. I had lawn seats, which I wouldn’t normally do, (since I like to be that crazy fangirl who’s front and center and waits in line for 10 hours prior to the show) but I still expected a breathtaking performance. Hip-Hop artist Hoodie Allen opened the show, followed shortly after by Khalifa. At first, I was unimpressed by Khalifa. He was annoying, his songs are pretty dirty, and he’s not much to look at. He sang his hits “We Dem Boyz,” “Black and Yellow,” and “You and Your Friends.” All he talked about was weed, drinking, and sex. It was very easy to point out who in the audience was there for him-I honestly felt like I was stuck in a frat party for an hour. I actually enjoyed the ending of his set though, as he performed “See You Again.” The whole crowd was singing along and had their lighters/cell phones in the air. The atmosphere was exciting and brought everyone together. But, to my surprise, after his last song, I watched dozens of people leave the venue. I’m sorry, but if you leave after the opening act, you’re seriously an idiot. Especially if the headlining act is FOB. Finally, the boys of FOB came out swinging, (ha) and started with “Sugar We’re Going Down.” After the first song, I completely lost my voice and couldn’t breathe from excitement. Pete Wentz introduced themselves, and said how great of a day it was because same-sex marriage was legalized. My inner middle school fangirl came out and I couldn’t handle it. They continued with a couple songs from their new album, including “Irresistible,” “Novocaine,” and “Uma Thurman.”
The thing I absolutely loved about this show was how diverse their set was. Unlike typical artists, they didn’t play mainly all of the songs from their new album. FOB planned their set to impress both old and new fans. All old school FOB fans rocked out to “Dance, Dance,” “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs,” and “This ‘Aint a Scene, It’s an Arms Race.” My favorite performance, off of the album “Folie à Deux,” was “I Don’t Care.” Everyone around me was dancing around with no care in the world, mosh pits were starting, and it was one of those moments I’ll never forget. Other hits included “Centuries,” “Alone Together,” “The Phoenix,” and “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark,” off of “Save Rock and Roll.” This album is probably one of my favorites, and I’m so glad they performed six songs from it. Standing so far back was somewhat depressing, until I saw the backstage crew setting up chairs on a mini stage on the lawn. My friends and I quickly ran over, and a crowd began to form behind us. In minutes, the boys came to sit on this small stage, and all of a sudden, Wentz was just ten feet away from me. They performed “Immortals” and “Young Volcanoes” acoustically and Stump’s voice melted everyone.
I was so shocked that they performed on this mini stage because out of all the times I’ve been to the XFINITY, I’ve never seen that happen. FOB really wanted to make sure everyone in the audience had a great time, including the people on the lawn. As for the over-all show experience, the lights and music meshed together well, and the crowd was very chill. Everyone around me jammed out and let loose, without caring who was watching. Their last song, “Saturday,” brought everyone back to 2006, and old fans completely lost it. Wentz shouted out, “Thank you Connecticut-we’ll see you again soon!” and left. A majority of the crowd looked around, waiting for an encore, but it never came. I was kind-of upset because there wasn’t a big finale or anything to remember. Despite the lack of confetti-screaming ending I had hoped for, I still left the show smiling. It’s crazy to think how far FOB has come, and how incredible their sound remains after all these years. I’ve officially been to 48 concerts over 19 years, and I’d have to say that this was one of my favorites. FOB puts on a great show, and I highly suggest seeing them if you have any sort of good music taste-you will not be disappointed.
