So far, 2023 has been a banner year for Fall Out Boy. The Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum Chicago rockers returned to the spotlight with their new album just in time for the 20th anniversary of their debut release, Take This To Your Grave. If you’re one of those fans who still brags about being into Fall Out Boy before they made it big, you were in good company on Wednesday night among the mostly millennial crowd. Side note: We hope everyone’s backs are OK. The supporting acts for Fall Out Boy’s headlining world tour vary by location and range from fellow emo icons New Found Glory and Alkaline Trio to up-and-comers like some of the openers we saw in Dallas.
Getting things off to a very punctual start, Daisy Grenade’s Dani Nigro and Keaton Whittaker made quite the entrance, charging onto the stage, pride flag in tow, to the delight of those of us who showed up early and weren’t afraid of a little heat. The Brooklyn-based duo may only have a handful of tracks since hitting the scene last year, but the self-described “power punk bubble grunge” band’s 30-minute opening set packed quite the punch. Sporting Barbie-pink microphones and plenty of charisma, the pair commanded the stage and managed to get the crowd moving, a herculean feat for the first band on a lineup like this one. Cynical and undeniably catchy lyrics like “got to know you, should’ve known it from the get-go/now my hair’s a mess, I’m lookin’ like a shit show” from their newest release, “Got It Bad,” were delivered with twisted smiles and a chilling dose of cheer, making for a seriously good time.
Next up was Royal & the Serpent, fronted by LA-based singer-songwriter Ryan Santiago, whose backdrop proclaimed “RATS. It stands for Royal & the Serpent, dumbass.” Santiago was dressed to impress the Texas crowd in a Dallas Cowboys jersey, men’s briefs and white cowboy boots. Her perpetual gyrations and breathy vocals held the crowd’s attention, including some of the vendors and security staff who couldn’t resist taking a break from their posts to watch the spectacle. RATS’ hit track “Overwhelmed,” which has racked up over 160 million streams on Spotify since its release in 2020, was a big crowd pleaser to close out the set.
Since their metalcore beginnings in the early aughts, Bring Me the Horizon have made a name for themselves by brazenly disregarding every genre convention, reinventing their sound with each new release and amassing a fiercely loyal following along the way. As we waited for their set to start, there was a noticeable shift in the atmosphere of the venue — the crowd was ready to rock. And rock they did. After opening with their latest single, “AmEN!,” frontman Oli Sykes addressed the audience.
“I was told everything is bigger in Texas, does that not apply to mosh pits?” he said tauntingly, before switching his British screamo mode to “on” and demanding that we push back. The crowd happily obliged, opening up a massive mosh pit despite the “no moshing” instructions printed in all caps on every single wristband. Shout out to the venue staff who were misting fans near the barricades in a kind but futile attempt to keep everyone cool.
The crowds turned out for Fall Out Boy, Daisy Grenade, Royal & the Serpent and Bring Me the Horizon.
Elliot Ingham
BMTH powered through their set with mercifully little banter between songs. Sykes effortlessly navigated transitions from gravely, intense screaming into otherworldly riffing, keeping the crowd absolutely transfixed. At one point, he jumped down off the stage and was quickly met with a long embrace by an enthusiastic female fan. Sykes was escorted by security as he paraded around the perimeter of the crowd while people screamed at the top of their lungs, craning their necks to get a glimpse of the enigmatic singer up close.
Once Sykes finally rejoined his bandmates onstage, he addressed the audience again: “Is it always this hot here? If I were you, I’d just move.” Well yes, yes it is — although it probably didn’t help that he was dressed in black pleated trousers and a long-sleeved shirt that was so tight it looked like it could have been painted on.
At long last, it was time for our headliners, and the excitement was palpable, despite the fact that standing in the pit felt more like being trapped inside an oven while enduring the forceful gusts of an enormous blow dryer. This hellish torture was easily forgotten the second Fall Out Boy took the stage, starting off with a bang, quite literally. Their opening number, “Love From the Other Side” from So Much (For) Stardust was punctuated by panic-inducing pyrotechnics that sent some fans ducking and screaming and certainly did not help the rising temperatures.
The one person who seemed unaffected by the scorching heat was bassist Pete Wentz, who sported three different outfits during the course of the set, one of which included a hooded sweatshirt.
Fall Out Boy tore through hit after hit for nearly two hours, including “Uma Thurman,” “Dance, Dance,” “This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race“ and “Sugar, We’re Going Down,” alongside deeper cuts such as “A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More ‘Touch Me,’” from their sophomore album, From Under the Cork Tree, all of which had the crowd dancing and singing along nonstop.
The highlight of the evening came when the stage was stripped down, the backdrop dimmed and the lighting rigs lowered, creating the illusion of an intimate club reminiscent of the ones where Fall Out Boy played during their formative years. The effect was disarming and the perfect setting for a block of songs from 2003’s Take This To Your Grave, one of the most influential albums of the genre, cementing emo’s place in the mainstream music scene. Fall Out Boy’s flawless performance of their timeless anthem, “Grand Theft Autumn,” reminded us of the lasting impact of their music.
The band rarely addressed the crowd, but the famously shy vocalist Patrick Stump shared one vulnerable moment with fans when he confessed that he struggles with imposter syndrome.
“I feel unqualified to be up here … does anyone else have imposter syndrome?” This was met with encouraging cheers from the audience. He left us with some good advice: “Whatever your thing is, put yourself out there.”
