FOLIO
Words and Photos by Courtney Thomassen
This year’s St. Patrick’s Day was really Patrick Stump Day for Fall Out Boy fans when the band played VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena for their first solo-headliner in Northeast Florida since 2007.
Festivities started early with a block party held in front of the venue. Jax Events partnered with local radio stations 97.9 Kiss FM and 107.3 Planet Radio to bring food trucks, bars, games and a DJ for the crowd to enjoy until the show began.
Games We Play, the first of three opening acts, kicked the night off with a short but memorable twenty minute set. The trio released their debut studio album earlier this month, “Life’s Going Great,” Included on the setlist were “The End” and “Naked” from the recent release.
A large white banner with text reading “YOU ARE WATCHING A BAND CALLED THE MAINE” hung at the back of the stage as the Arizona-based rock band walked out, all in matching white suits. Frontman John O’Callaghan took a moment to thank Fall Out Boy for the opportunity to join them; this would be their final show on the tour before Hot Mulligan took over the opening slot for the remainder of the run. After first gaining popularity over a decade ago, The Maine has only continued to grow their fanbase. The past few years have seen the release of fan favorites “Sticky,” “Loved You A Little” and “thoughts i have while laying in bed” from the band’s 2023 self-titled album.
After a quick set changeover fellow Arizona rockers Jimmy Eat World took their place on stage for the final opening act. With a whopping 15 songs, the hour-long set could have easily been the main event. Immediately the crowd was transported back to the 2000s with “A Praise Chorus,” “Big Casino” and “Sweetness.” The set drew most heavily from 2001’s “Bleed American,” but overall included a good mix between new and old work. The band’s 2022 single “Something Loud” and “All The Way (Stay)” off of “Surviving” had fans singing and dancing along. By the time the set closed with “The Middle,” the crowd’s energy had reached new heights, but the peak was yet to come.
By the time the house lights dimmed one final time, it had been nearly four hours since the doors to VyStar Arena opened. Even though the length of a full show had come and gone, it wouldn’t be long before the crowd realized the show had barely begun. Through the darkness the voice of Ethan Hawke, featured in the “So Much (for) Stardust” interlude “The Pink Seashell,” elicited cheers throughout the venue. With each pulse of the stage lights fans grew louder until the soundbite finished playing. As smoke floated across the stage, the signature half smiling, half frowning face associated with their 2023 album was illuminated on the screen above. The kick of the opening riff of “Love From the Other Side” was punctuated by a blast of fireworks at the back of the stage as Fall Out Boy appeared. Excitement rose as the band immediately dove into hit after hit. “The Phoenix” continued to raise the bar for pyrotechnic display with large plumes of fire fanning out behind drummer Andy Hurley and the unique inclusion of a flamethrower attachment on Pete Wentz’s bass. With the iconic groove of the “Sugar We’re Going Down” intro, the crowd went wild, screaming along to the first verse louder than singer Patrick Stump. When the chorus hit, the already high energy was amplified, and this was only the third song.
A pause between songs drew attention to the elaborate stage setup. A structure with intricate designs of tea parties, moons, and octopus tentacles framed the stage, moving and lighting up during the transitions. As guitarist Joe Trohman played the instantly recognizable theme from “The Munsters,” sampled in “Uma Thurman,” the red curtain behind the band parted to reveal two large cacti on a desert backdrop, the first of multiple set pieces that would be used throughout the show. In one of the most clever uses of their large form props, a giant doberman head loomed over the stage during “Disloyal Order of Water Buffalos,” barking along as crew threw clear inflatable balls to the crowd and bubbles were pumped into the air to mimic the recent album’s cover art. The set continued with “Heaven, Iowa” and “Bang the Doldrums,” followed by “Fake Out,” a fan favorite off of “So Much (for) Stardust.”
In recent years fan projects have been gaining popularity among the most dedicated, so it was no surprise that this tour saw the creation of its own “stardust project.” During “Fake Out” fans held pink paper cutouts over phone flashlights to go above and beyond in showing their support for the musicians. A piano medley by Stump marked the halfway point of the set and included a cover of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” a solo release from the singer called “Bad Side of 25” and the first live performance of “20 Dollar Nose Bleed” since 2013. This surprise was not the last though; during each show there is a “Magic 8 Ball” song, a random addition to the otherwise stellar setlist. When the time came, Wentz asked an animation of the vintage toy “Are we the new faces of failure?” The crowd screamed as the ball responded affirmatively, leading into the first full performance of fan favorite “I’m Like a Lawyer…” since 2014. From there the band delivered a parade of classics, pulling from their most popular songs across their full discography. The 2007 masterpiece “Thnks fr th Mmrs” saw a new level of elation from fans that was somehow topped when it was followed by “Centuries.” Streamers and confetti exploded over the crowd during closing track “Saturday,” a fitting end to an amazing Saturday night.
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