Very few bands have had the longevity of multi-platinum band Fall Out Boy. Since the early 2000s, the band has consistently reinvented their punk-rock sound across their eighth studio album. Their latest project So Much (for) Stardust is filled with addictive anthems, dynamic guitar riffs and euphoric lyrics that redefine their sound. In support of the album the band headed on the road last year for the So Much For (Tour) Dust tour. Due to the huge success the band is back with the encore tour, So Much For (2our) Dust – a 20+ date run across the US. The band stopped by the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA in March. 4th, joining them this time around was Jimmy Eat World, The Maine, and Daisy Grenade.
The night began with a fun 30-minute performance by punk grunge duo Daisy Grenade. Dani Nigro and Keaton Whittake’s charismatic personas and catchy harmonies won the crowd over. The biggest cheers of the night came when they performed the popular Pierce the Veil cover “King For A Day.” It’s a hard song to sing but the duo gave a memorable rendition. Their style is fresh and youthful, the perfect openers for the night.
Dressed in matching white suits, pop punk band The Maine know how to make an entrance. The band have been busy promoting their ninth self-titled album, The Maine. Their outfits are an homage of the mood and aesthetic of the dance rock project. Frontman John O’Callaghan’s energetic persona had the crowd cheering and dancing along. The band offered the crowd a taste of their diverse catalog with songs including “blame,” “Black Butterflies & Déjà Vu” and “Loved You a Little.”
Rock bands Jimmy Eat World have been in the music game since the mid-90s and are pros at what they do best – perform live. Their music resonated with the crowd as they received one of the biggest applause of the night. The band kicked off their set with the crowd favorites "A Praise Chorus," “Big Casino” and one of their biggest songs to date “Sweetness.” Frontman Jim Adkins’ powerhouse vocals are a real treat to see live, he has a very distinctive voice that echoes through the entire venue. The band’s hour-long set included fan-favorites “Lucky Denver Mint,” “Pain,” and “The Middle.”
Before Fall Out Boy made their grand entrance bright red curtains set the theatrical atmosphere as a recording of “The Pink Seashell,” a spoken word piece narrated by Ethan Hawke from So Much (for) Stardust, blasted over the speakers. Their set began with the first single of their new album “Love From the Other Side.” The show featured unique set pieces that set the atmosphere for the night. We were transported from the sea to a mystical forest and later in the night joined by giant doberman puppet. The band is known for their insane use of pyrotechnics and energetic performance. Ahey did not disappoint with awe-dropping moments including Pete Wentz’s iconic flamethrower bass during “Phoenix,” and “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up).” Wentz was the biggest hype man of the night, often taking time to chat with the crowd and interacting with them.
The set spanned the band’s extensive career defining discography, keeping old and newer fans happy. Frontman Patrick Stump may say he’s a shy person, but his soulful and versatile vocals made him the center of attention. Towards the middle of the show, he took time to chat with the crowd, revealing he’s currently writing music for television before performing a solo piano medley of “I’ve Got All This Ringing In My Ears and None On My Fingers,” “What a Catch, Donnie” and ending with “Don't Stop Me Now.” Wentz also had some solo time on stage, as he performed a spoken word track, “Baby Annihilation.” Keeping up with the ominous vibes, he held black fabric over his head and disappeared from the stage. Emerging towards the end of the venue in a lifting podium while the band covered Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train.”
Each night the band calls upon a magic 8 ball to help them with their set list. For this performance, the first song the ball chose was “7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)” from the album From Under the Cork Tree. For their next surprise song, the band brought out the band Cobra Starship for a performance of their mega hit “Good Girls Go Bad.” Marking their first performance since 2014.
Over the course of two hours, the band had the entire venue dancing along to their immense hit’s including “Sugar, We're Goin Down, “Uma Thurman ""This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race " "Thnks fr th Mmrs.” As is tradition, the band ended their set with the classic “Saturday.”
