By NICKIE WANG/ Manila Standard Today
“I Don’t Care” is the latest single of Chicago-based punk rock group, Fall Out Boy (FOB). The song, which is the carrier single of the band’s fifth studio album Folie A Deux, was included on Rolling Stone’s “100 Singles of the Year 2008” and was one of the highlights of FOB’s loud concert at the Araneta Coliseum on Feb. 13.
At exactly 9 p.m., first-rate lighting system transformed the concert stage into an arena for alternative and pop punk music with Patrick Stump (vocals/guitar), Pete Wentz (bass), Joe Trohman (guitar), and Andy Hurley (drums).
When the band stepped on the stage and performed “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs,” fans howled a deafening scream and sang along with the quartet. FOB’s second visit to the Philippines was warmly welcomed by thousands of mostly Filipino teenagers who packed the Big Dome. It was a clear indication that FOB’s market here in the country belongs to the younger age group primarily because of the band’s contemporary appeal.
As the fans continued to scream from the top of their lungs and didn’t care to take their seats at all, the band continued with its other hits like “Thriller” and “A Little Less Sixteen Candle, A Little More Touch Me.”
High energy was obvious among the members of the band. Frontman Patrick seemed to have mastered singing continuously for he didn’t even sip any liquid. He was able to maintain his vocal strength all throughout the show without showing any signs of getting exhausted.
Pete, the most controversial and most recognized member of FOB mainly for being Ashlee Simpson’s hubby, served as the band’s talking head. Contrary to the known fact that Patrick is more vocal and eloquent, more popular Pete was the one who conversed with the crowd while introducing the songs that they’re about to play.
Scream was not the only evidence that the audience was completely hooked up with the band, everyone clapped their hands attuning with every song’s melody, not to mention that most of the people who packed the venue knew the lyric to every song. It was even observable when the little less known “A Bit of American Boy” was performed.
The concert’s front act Hey Monday with its vocalist named Cassadee stole the scene while FOB was performing “We’re Going Down.” She collaborated with Patrick singing the chorus and some parts of the song but instantly left the stage when the quartet proceeded with “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race.”
Charismatic Pete, who definitely got the loudest scream among the members of FOB, asked the crowd to do a human wave, the cooperative crowd followed the instruction of the band’s bassist. The “wave” somehow heralded the band’s latest single “I Don’t Care.” We mentioned that this was one of the highlights of the concert because the guitars clung over the shoulders of Patrick, Pete and Joe lighted up when the whole venue went dark. The guitars were the only visible light on the stage most especially during the song’s chorus.
The soaring energies among the band and crowd kept on as Patrick introduced a familiar tune. For the first time, he asked the crowd to sing along with them as they played their cover of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.”
The quartet just kept on playing and gave what their fans like the most, which is hearing the songs that made them popular among punk and alternative music lovers. The band played songs that catapulted them to pop punk stardom like “Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner,” “The Take Over, The Breaks’ Over,” “I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About,” “Grand Theft Autumn” and other two songs from the new album, “Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes,” and “Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet.”
Encore
While everyone screamed “more, more, and more,” the band, in less than five minutes, reappeared on the stage charged with the same vigor as when they started the show.
While the fans were expecting a much longer performance, that obviously disappointed them because opposing to long titles of FOB songs, the band performed for only 70 minutes, that’s an hour and 10 minutes to be exact.
FOB performed the finale with its popular songs “America’s Suitehearts,” “Dance, Dance,” and “Saturday.” While singing the near end of the last song, Pete removed his hooded jacked and jumped into the crowd. One of the bouncers held Pete high and the crowd just went crazy. Pete went back on stage and the band thanked the people who attended the concert.
The abrupt ending of the show surprised the audience after the adrenaline-pumping finale. Because some of them kept asking for more, some people didn’t immediately leave the venue wondering if the concert was really already finished.
Despite the disappointing end, FOB’s concert defined the attitude of an alternative and punk band. Listening to its music, we recognize that the melodies almost sounded the same. Trademark rhythm, guitar, and vocal styles, were evident but it was actually the provocative and anthemic lyric of the songs supported by FOB’s edgy attitude made the band identifiable as a prominent music act.
Folie A Deux
We learned that the chief reason why FOB came to Manila for a second concert was to promote its latest album Folie A Deux that literally means “insanity shared by two.” According to Patrick Stump, when we had the chance to see FOB face to face during a press conference held at the Edsa Shangri La Hotel a day before the concert, Folie A Deux is actually a metaphor that does not just talk about the insanity of two people but of everybody.
“We are newer and better people now,” members of the band quipped when asked how the concert would be different from the previous concert they had. They said that they’re just excited to perform with dynamic crowds like the Filipino audience. Filipino people have practically gone closer to the band as Patrick returned to the Philippines with his half-Filipina girlfriend.
To front-act the Friday the thirteenth concert, FOB also brought the girl fronted band Hey Monday. It opened the concert performing some of its singles including “Josey” and “Homecoming.”
Members of Hey Monday revealed before the press that they grew up listening to the songs of FOB. Apparently, the band is signed to Pete Wentz’s label, Decaydence.
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