Live Review: Fall Out Boy, British India

When British India were announced as support for this Fall Out Boy run many wondered if they were a suitable, and this seems to influence what they play tonight to win the crowd over. Straight out the gate they try to rock the predominantly teenage crowd awake with 2008's This Dance Is Loaded, one of their most generically appealing, up-tempo tracks.  It clearly works, catching many offguard, but it was always going to be an uphill battle.

They work through a variety of tracks, many off their current album Controller. Plastic Souvenirs, Summer Forgive Me and their new single (with its twisted-yet-hilarious video), I Can Make You Love Me, are warmly received but for the most part, if this was an improv night someone would've mentioned “tough crowd” by now. Regardless, they close out on a high with applause and some crowd participated swearing with This Ain't No Fucking Disco.

Fall Out Boy take to the stage with explosive opener The Phoenix.  The tweens in the front row feel instant validation for their face painting efforts with frontman Patrick Stump hollering out “Put on your war paint” from behind a balaclava. After de-masking, its noticeable that Patrick has lost some weight along with a certain charm – not too unlike Seth Rogen – and while it's the last date of their tour, bassist Pete Wentz is looking tired, probably no thanks to Ashlee Simpson, but as they say, “He's still got it”.  Pete points, girls scream. Pete on the “Jumbotron”, girls scream.  British India gets their biggest cheer of the night, because, you guess it, Pete mentioned them.  As for the other two guys… they're still there like the third Tenor.

While some say their latest album and this tour has been a grasp at trying to revive their heyday along with their bank accounts, new tracks Alone Together and Death Valley translate well to a live set with stadium rock anthemic builds and singalong chanting. Interlaced with a mixture of crowd favourites like A Little Less 16 Candles, A Little More Touch Me,This Ain't a Scene, It's An Arms Race and Dance Dance, the night flows well with little stalling or pausing between tracks.

Midway through their set, an old interview is screened of Iggy Pop looking like he copped Homer's makeup gun set to “whore”, giving the guitar trio time to leg it to the back of the venue to perform a couple acoustic numbers. Closing out their set, Pete stumbles awkwardly through a speech somehow relating “realness is about being different” and ”don't feel undervalued” to the David and Goliath book he has been reading “because that is what Save Rock And Roll is about!” but like “...and world peace” or “San Dimas High School football rules!” it was more a cue to cheer and cheer they did through Light Em Up and an encore of Save Rock And Roll with Patrick taking to the keys, Thnks fr th Mmrs and Saturday.