Review and photos by Ken Lackner
Fall Out Boy returned to Georgia to once again perform to a sold-out crowd on the Save Rock and Roll Arena Tour. While the first Save Rock and Roll Tour announced when the band came off of hiatus this spring took place at smaller venues, fans got to see the band this time at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Alpharetta, Ga. Touring in support of Fall Out Boy were Panic! at the Disco and Twenty One Pilots.
The job of an opening act is to warm up the crowd, and Twenty One Pilots certainly didn’t fail to deliver in that regard. The duo from Columbus, Ohio, was full of energy, with lead singer Tyler Joseph jumping off his upright piano at one point. The crowd was no doubt excited for Fall Out Boy to take the stage, but first Panic! at the Disco performed. Panic! performed a mix of favorite from their three studio albums, as well as the two singles so far released from their upcoming fourth album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, set for release on Oct. 8.
After powerful performances from both opening acts, fans were ready for Fall Out Boy. The band took the stage in black masks and opened with “The Phoenix,” the opening track on their latest album, Save Rock and Roll. The set lasted nearly two hours. After being joined on stage by the lead singer of Panic! at the Disco, Brendon Urie, for “20 Dollar Nose Bleed,” lead singer Patrick Stump, guitarist Joe Trohman, and bassist Pete Wentz left the main stage to perform a two-song acoustic set at the venue’s sound board. Following this was a drum solo by Andy Hurley while the rest of the band made their way back to the stage. After closing the set with “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light ‘em Up),” Fall Out Boy came back to the stage for a three-song encore. Elton John appears as guest vocalist on Save Rock and Roll’s title track. Though he wasn’t present on the tour, Stump performed vocals and played piano, and it was tough to discern the difference. The show closed with “Thnks fr the Mmrs” and “Saturday.”
Fall Out Boy are back. They’re here to Save Rock and Roll. And hopefully they’re here to stay.
Fall Out Boy
Panic! at the Disco
Twenty One Pilots
