Fall Out Boy / All American Rejects
U.I.C. Pavilion Chicago, IL
May 15, 2006
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Story and Photos By Andy Argyrakis
Even though it appears as though Fall Out Boy's rise
to arena filling fame happened over night, Chicago
area locals know the real story. Just like any other
band shooting for the stars, the suburban bred
pop/punkers cut their teeth on the local scene,
building up a sizeable fan base and selling over
200,000 copies of its Fueled by Ramen debut Take This
to Your Grave (a remarkable feat for any act on an
indie label). So it was only natural that the
group's ground swell would carry over to the
gang's singing with Island Records, a partnership
which has catapulted them even further into the
stratosphere of undeniable success.
Despite the original version of its latest disc From
Under the Cork Tree hitting shelves quite some time
ago, a string of singles and MTV appearances have kept
it selling out of stock and keep ticket sales rising
on the road. Remarkably, the one time club fillers
have leapt to the several thousand seat U.I.C.
Pavilion hockey dome, selling it out once on the early
part of its spring tour and demanding an encore sell
out on this very evening. To help foster the momentum,
a limited edition run of From Under the Cork Tree:
Black Clouds and Underdogs edition includes bonus
tracks not found on the first take and has started the
cyclone of acceptance and adoration all over again.
However, the real question was how well would this
material stand up in the giant confines of the venue,
while one couldn't help but wonder if members' new
found fame and exhaustive pace over the past year
would've changed their demeanor in a negative
direction. Luckily for fans, both tests were
surprisingly passed, though the band not only had the
home field advantage, but this just so happened to be
the tour's final night. In terms of the environment,
Fall Out Boy's meaty hooks and sing-a-long choruses
had no trouble reaching the rafters, especially on
singles like"Sugar, We're Goin Down" and
"Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More "Touch
Me.'" As for the performance aspect, the foursome
has grown much tighter than the days of headlining the
Metro, using the special occasion to propel the
intensity level to an even higher degree.
Granted, Fall Out Boy isn't rewriting the pop/punk
textbook of originality, nor do any of its tunes reach
the heroic likes of the genre's legendary early
leaders (such as the Sex Pistols or New York Dolls).
But even with a generally safe and squeaky clean radio
friendly appeal, the quartet is still miles ahead of
Good Charlotte, Sum 41 an even Blink 182, melding its
flat out fun with wittiness and capable playing. The
title alone to"Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name
of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued" was enough to
make one's sides split, but resulted in genuine fist
pumping pleasure all the same."Of All The Gin
Joints In All The World" was also explosive,
inciting a round of jumping up and down, while
"Dance, Dance" signified the set's sole moment
of variety beyond driving strums chords and sugary
harmonies towards a more groove oriented disposition.
Yet in nearly 90 minutes, the locals received nothing
but a constant outpouring of love that even the most
cynical dose of negativity could never squelch, quite
possibly crowning Fall Out Boy (like it or not) as new
school windy city inhabitants to the Smashing
Pumpkins' 90s throne.
As for the All-American Rejects, their return to town
wasn't met with nearly the enthusiasm, nor was the
group's performance as entertaining or endearing.
Much of that had to do with the hometown crowd's
overwhelming anticipation for the headliners (who
actually had some members, their crew and some random
friends come out wearing only underwear as a prank)
for whom they seemed to be saving up all their energy.
Even so, the Rejects' latest project Move Along is
average alternative rock with surging punkish power
chords at its best bloated mostly with watered down,
predictable arrangements. Throughout nearly forty
minutes of stage time, the guys seemed to be trying
especially hard to convey themselves as rebellious,
raucous rock n' rollers appearing more like posers
than truly motivational players.
All American Rejects
Fall Out Boy
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So it was only natural that the
group's ground swell would carry over to the
gang's singing with Island Records, a partnership
which has catapulted them even further into the
stratosphere of undeniable success.
Luckily for fans, both tests were
surprisingly passed, though the band not only had the
home field advantage, but this just so happened to be
the tour's final night. In terms of the environment,
Fall Out Boy's meaty hooks and sing-a-long choruses
had no trouble reaching the rafters, especially on
singles like"Sugar, We're Goin Down" and
"Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More "Touch
Me.'" As for the performance aspect, the foursome
has grown much tighter than the days of headlining the
Metro, using the special occasion to propel the
intensity level to an even higher degree.
