Fall Out Boy “Light Em Up,” sprinkle “So Much (For) Stardust” around the wonderfully wild Wrigley

Fall Out Boy Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Locally grown turned global superstars Fall Out Boy invoked the home field advantage to start its entire tour supporting “So Much (For) Stardust,” filling up Wrigley Field all over again following the “Hella Mega” triple play with Green Day and Weezer.

The pop/punk forerunners took cues from that enormous outing by inviting many of their neighboring friends, including even earlier scene shapers Alkaline Trio, a newly reunited The Academy Is… and relative newcomer Royal & The Serpent, all of whom added immense value to the almost four-hour extravaganza.

Fall Out BoyNonetheless, Fall Out Boy were probably the primarily draw and the group rewarded those who’ve been around from the basement party days through today with a stadium-sized production, plus 105 minutes of quite possibly the catchiest choruses to ever come out of Chicago.

Singer/rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, drummer Andy Hurley and lead guitarist Joe Trohman, who recently came back after a mental health-related hiatus, tore straight into “Love From The Other Side,” “The Phoenix” and “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” as sparks went shooting into the sky and the crowd went wild.

It was a scene that would regularly repeat to escalated degrees as the group blasted out many other infectious head bangers, including “Uma Thurman,” “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race” and “Disloyal Order Of Water Buffaloes,” each boasting the rare distinction of penetrating both the alternative and mainstream.

However, it must be noted the newer tracks were just as much of a reason to rejoice, thanks to a return to the Fueled By Ramen record label where the guys first found fame, while reuniting them with “Folie à Deux” producer Neal Avron, landing somewhere in the center of each era.

In other words, “Fake Out” and “Hold Me Like A Grudge” packed the maturity of musical experience, but with the raw, unbridled energy of Fall Out Boy’s beginnings, which also meant they could courageously stand next to the established likes of “The Last Of The Real Ones,” “Save Rock And Roll” and “Dance, Dance.”

Fall Out BoyThe scream-a-longs continued to the very end via “My Songs Know What You Did The Dark (Light Em Up),” “Thanks Fr Th Mmrs,” “Centuries” and “Saturday,” reaching decibel levels that would’ve rattled the walls of an indoor venue had they not reverberated all around Wrigleyville, who appeared more than happy to host this home run of a homecoming.


For additional information on Fall Out Boy, visit FallOutBoy.com.

For a list of upcoming Live Nation concerts, visit LiveNation.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Wrigley Field include Morgan Wallen (Jun. 23); Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band (Aug. 9 and Aug. 11); Pink (Aug. 12); Guns N’ Roses (Aug. 24) and Jonas Brothers (Aug. 25). For additional details, visit MLB.com/Cubs/Tickets/Concerts.