The very first time I listened to the Traverse City radio station, Rock 105, morning DJ Cartman announced that he would be playing a slowed down version of a Fall Out Boy song and if you were the first caller to correctly guess which one it was, you’d win tickets to see them play with Jimmy Eat World in Grand Rapids. I was about 98% sure that the song playing was “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” and lo and behold I was correct. I won the tickets and so began the six month wait until show day.
It was my first time at the Van Andel Arena and for being such a huge venue I was amazed by how smooth the entry was. My husband and I weren’t in the fast-moving line for very long and it didn’t take us much time at all to locate our seats. We weren’t near the stage but that was fine. The view was clear enough for me and I knew based on all the online buzz that the performance was going to feature all kinds of wild lighting. Since I have to avoid strobes, being far enough away was better for me.
Games We Play
The first opening act was Los Angeles-based Emmyn Calleiro’s band, Games We Play. They’re a fun, young, pop-punk trio with a ton of energy and their short-but-sweet set included a song I’ve recently grown to love called “Get a Job”. Calleiro explained how he met Fall Out Boy bassist, Pete Wentz, at a party and was soon signed to his label. That album, Life’s Going Great, includes fun jams such as “Naked” and “Girl Shaped Crater.” Calleiro even invited his younger brother on stage to play bass during a song. This band knows how to get a crowd pumped and I felt they were a perfect opener for this show. This was also the band’s last stop on the So Much For (2our) Dust tour and they went out with a slew of bangers.
Hot Mulligan
The next band was Lansing’s own, Hot Mulligan, who have been on the pop-punk/emo scene since 2014. Their latest album, Why Would I Watch, caters to my hardcore tastes and seeing them play was a treat. Frontman Nathan Sanville’s vocals tore up the venue and I was happy to hear “*Equip Sunglasses*” and “John ‘The Rock’ Cena, Can You Smell What the Undertaker” during their set. The “midwest emo/math rock” trend of songs with particularly long song titles such as “It’s a Family Movie She Hates Her Dad” wasn’t lost on me. I appreciate pretension just as much as the next poet and the genius behind emo’s best lyrics relies heavily on this. Touring bassist Jonah Kramer became a full time member of the band this past year and the foursome has never sounded better in my opinion.
Jimmy Eat World
The last time I saw Jimmy Eat World play was around 20 years ago. (I was close enough to touch Jim Adkins’ shoe.) I wasn’t prepared for the emotional onslaught I received when the band took the stage or when “Praise Chorus” started. They’re still just as amazing now and how they captivate an audience is undeniable. They curated this setlist for me (I’m convinced) playing the more well-known radio hits plus some Clarity-esque fan-favorites for the diehards. Putting “For Me This Is Heaven” and “Hear You Me” in the same set felt like a knife wound to my elder emo heart and the flashlights lighting up around the arena were an even deeper sentimental cut. “Bleed American”, “Sweetness”, “Lucky Denver Mint”, and “The Middle” to end it were the harder highlights. Adkins and the rest of the band gives every performance their all and Zach Lind absolutely kills it on drums. I was in Heaven. I didn’t want them to leave the stage.
Fall Out Boy
I half expected to hear “Ladies and gentlemen, get readddyyyy for the main event!” considering the pyrotechnics during Fall Out Boy’s set. Bear with me here because I am in no way saying anything against Fall Out Boy. I happen to love them as a band. I just don’t require all the hoopla to enjoy a show. It was cool if you’re into that kind of thing. (Full disclosure, my having epilepsy has nothing to do with this either. I managed to stay safe and seizure-free because I’m very aware of how lights at shows work and by paying attention and knowing the music I’m almost always right on cue to hide my eyes because I just know what those lights are going to do during certain parts of songs.) It was just way too over-the-top for me. The band’s modernly updated version of the Billy Joel classic “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (from tape) opened the act and they totally lied to us. They started a literal fire on the stage opening with “Love From the Other Side” and these flames and fireworks were only the beginning.
The set designs and the fun tricks (Pete Wentz’s disappearing act as an example) were very theatrical and the onstage puppets and props were reminiscent of Fall Out Boy’s album covers which I thought was a neat touch. Where else are you going to see a giant Doberman head on stage or a random guy in a scraggly bunny suit? Patrick Stump has some of the most impressive vocals (in my opinion) on the rock scene and you can tell he’s been “singing 'til his lungs give out” all tour because I felt the poor guy deserved a break. One of my favorite moments was when Stump took to the ivory keys in a small set to play some Fall Out Boy hits solo on piano. This ended with a cover of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” and that got my mind reeling.
I’m a huge fan of Fall Out Boy’s latest album So Much (For) Stardust. When I first heard it last year I thought to myself. “This is Arena Emo.” It wasn’t like I hadn’t heard this before on previous albums. Songs like “Centuries” and “My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light ‘Em Up)” are perfect examples of the sound I’m describing. These ones are “epic” in their composition and lyrically you can imagine yourself kicking down doors or flying through the air on a magic dragon when you hear them. Arena Rock began in the 1970s and although I’d hardly describe Fall Out Boy as being “metal” or “glam” they’re proudly keeping this scene alive and especially on this tour. The big hair is absent, but the flaming guitars are still there. Add some heart-wrenching jams straight from the emotionally tortured soul blaring to fishnet clad, hair dyed black fans of young and old and you have "Arena Emo". I'm in. All the way.
“Dance, Dance”, “Sugar, We’re Going Down”, “The Phoenix”, “Heaven, Iowa”, “Thnks Fr th Mmrs”, “Hold Me Like a Grudge”, “Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes”, "Uma Thurman"... they were nailing every song and the crowd was on their feet loving every minute of it. There’s a cool moment in the show where a Magic 8 Ball decides the next song in the set. I had a feeling they’d play one from Mania and I was right. I was glad it was “Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)” because I love that one. They even covered Blur’s “Song 2” which was super fun. They played around 30 songs total and there was never a dull moment considering all the flare and fauna. I absolutely adored when the song “Fake Out” played to a sea of pink tinted flashlights all around the arena. I know the pink paper seashells handed out at shows are part of a fan project for this tour in support of FOB and are in reference to the Ethan Hawke Reality Bites film clip played on the new album, but I don’t know why “Fake Out” was the chosen moment to do this. It was very visually appealing to me though. I love pink, I love that song, and I absolutely loved this concert and am so glad I got the chance to attend by winning those tickets. (Pardon the blurry photos, I did the best I could considering the distance!)
There are only a few more dates left for this tour. Check out Fall Out Boy’s website for all the band’s news at falloutboy.com
Jennifer Patino lives in Traverse City and loves music. Check out her blog at thistlethoughts.com