It’s said that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and in the four years I’ve waited to see Fall Out Boy perform live again at the Mohegan Sun arena. I can safely say that my obsession with these Chicago boys has reached an all-time high. Since returning from hiatus in February, Patrick Stump, Pete Wentz, Andy Hurley and Joe Trohman have gone out on a quest to “Save Rock and Roll,” with their newest album in both clubs and arenas alike, much to the excitement of their fans.
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Photo Provided by Ashley Winward
The arena at Mohegan Sun, in Uncasville CT, was packed for the sold out, kick off of the Save Rock and Roll arena tour; opening for Fall Out Boy was both Twenty|One|Pilots and Panic! At The Disco. A concert lineup I only thought I’d ever see in dreams. To have three of my favorite bands playing together under one roof proved to be quite the unforgettable night.
Twenty|One|Pilots had a lot to prove to the crowd starting off the show. While I’ve been a huge fan of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun for a while, most people only knew of Panic! and Fall Out Boy, with little idea of what the Ohio duo had to offer. Starting off with the opening track of their debut full-length Vessel, “Ode to Sleep,” the stylistic shifts and tempo changes really had people taking notice. Hits like, “Holding on to You” and “Car Radio,” had everyone off their feet while during the ukulele ballad, “House of Gold,” Tyler dedicates to his mom at every show gave me goosebumps to finally hear in person.
What I love about Twenty|One|Pilots is how much energy they put into their set; these two do more back flips, crowd walks and sprints across the stage than I’ve ever seen before. I also love how genuine Tyler is when he addresses the crowd, passing along positive vibes and sweet smiles to every single person in the room. Wentz even said later on in the night that this band is going to be one to watch in the next year, so I would catch them now before they blow up the music scene.
Panic! at the Disco preformed next with a glitzy, Vegas feel to their set, complete with glittery mannequins and a hand shaped microphone stand for lead singer Brendon Urie. Urie’s ability to entertain the crowd never ceases to amaze me, and this time around he took things to a whole new level. It was my third time seeing Panic! perform live and never have I seen so much excitement and sass as he frantically ran about the stage, making crazy faces along the way. Also hearing Urie showing off his higher register made me melt, it was earth shattering. There was a nice spread of song choices from their previous three albums as well as two new singles, “Miss Jackson” and “This is Gospel” off of their new album Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die, coming out October 8. Personal favorites of the set for me were, “The Ballad of Mona Lisa,” “New Perspective,” and “This Is Gospel.” While it was great to see Urie and Dallon Weekes on bass guitar, it was hard to not see Spencer Smith playing on drums. Battling an addiction to prescription medications, Smith will not be able to perform for the rest of the tour and I wish him a healthy and happy recovery.
By the time Fall Out Boy was set to take the stage, I wasn’t sure my heart could take much more excitement. The second my middle school crushes stepped out, in Youngbloods jackets and ski masks, I was completely entranced. Their set was very industrial, with a jumbotron that was artfully used to play complimenting clip packages as well as scenes from the past five music videos of the Save Rock and Roll, “Youngblood Chronicles,” which I LOVED!
They played almost the entirety of their new album, along with hits from their previous four albums. I was surprised how much they played from “Infinity On High,” and how little they played from “Take The To Your Grave,” seeing as its 10 year anniversary just passed a few months ago. The crowd however, hung on every lyric, and swayed to every guitar riff. If I had to choose my favorite song or moment of the show, while it is nearly impossible, I think that Stump’s piano medley was definitely a highlight. The medley included a cover of Daft Punk’s summer smash, “Get Lucky,” Fall Out Boy’s somber crooning ballad, “What A Catch, Donnie,” and ended with Urie of Panic! At the Disco reappearing to sing their collaborative hit, “20 Dollar Nosebleed” together.
Seeing Urie and Stump sing “20 Dollar Nosebleed,” was my one big wish for the night and you could not wipe the grin off my face when it actually came true! I also really loved their acoustic set, which included “I’m Like A Lawyer…,” and “Grand Theft Autumn.” With 25 songs and nearly two hours of performance time, there was almost no way you missed your favorite hit song. I sang, I cried, I lost my voice the next morning, and it was probably the greatest night of my life. I could go on forever about each and every song but with other music news to be reported on I leave you with this; if you haven’t been to a Fall Out Boy, show you’re missing out. This was one of the most memorable shows I’ve ever been to and I could not be happier that my favorite band is back and looking happier, and more confident, than ever.