FOB!!

April 8th, 2024

I have actually lost count of how many times I’ve seen Fall Out Boy live, but I know when I became a diehard fan: 2005, the year that the album From Under The Cork Tree was released.

Like I said in a previous post, FOB is one of the precious few things I’ve found in my life that I just never tire of. I don’t get sick of their music or roll my eyes at their shenanigans. I would see them every night if I had the chance to. And on Saturday, their last day of tour, with a set list of 38 songs, I saw what was, for me, one of their greatest shows — all by myself.

It was glorious.

Some highlights:

🚗 All of their openers delivered solid-to-outstanding sets, but Carr in particular, who also opened for them last summer in Wisconsin. We were rained out for much of that show and got a short set as a result. This information is important for later.
🏀 I’ve been looking for Timberwolves gear in order to jump on the bandwagon this season and FOB have been offering dope shirts featuring a graphic of the band wearing the local b-ball team colors at every stadium, effectively killing two birds with one orange ball for me.
🥹 There is sold out and then there is SOLD OUT and Target Center was packed from bottom to top with more people than I could count (and I can count pretty high).
🐃 FOB has become a band with TOO many hits, which often (understandably) constrain their choices; that being said, they always find ways to give songs that don’t see as much light a chance to shine, and hearing songs like Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes as part of the main set was a massive treat.
🧠 Local legend Justin Pierre surprised us and joined them for an early tune; we have seen Motion City Soundtrack almost as many times as FOB, most recently at First Ave on their Commit This To Memory anniversary tour.
☔️ Patrick sang a Minnesota medley, starting with a deep local cut (Animal Chin?!), followed by memorably leading us in a chant of Purple Rain.
🎱 Set lists are easy to find online, so artists challenge these by playing unique songs on each stop. Taylor Swift does it; FOB calls theirs the Magic 8 Ball songs. They usually do one, maybe two of these tunes per set. But remember how we got rained out last year? Because Pete remembered. And they played us SIX Magic 8 Ball songs, finishing with one of my all-time faves, Wilson (Expensive Mistakes). I cried. I was actually so in the moment that I ripped out my protective ear plugs and never even thought of grabbing my phone. I just wanted to be in it, and I soaked up every second.
🫶 I got an super cute friendship bracelet from a girl and her mom, and that was the vibe of every person I met that night.

Until next time, Wentz & co. Thnks fr th mmrs. 💙🖤