It’s crazy to think that 20 years ago, many of us spent the summer immersed in Take This to Your Grave, the debut studio album from Fall Out Boy – and a release that would usher in a new era for the scene. In the years since that moment, the kids from Chicago have given us so many other summer anthems to belt aloud in sweaty crowds, many of which made the set list during their recent Indianapolis stop on the So Much for (Tour) Dust trek.
The evening began with a quick set from Carly McClellan, better known as CARR, whose energetic concoction of indie rock and pop punk provided a delightful dose of adrenaline before a brief storm shut things down. Fortunately, the night was not lost, but onlookers were deprived of seeing Royal & The Serpent who were cut for time.
After the delay, Bring Me the Horizon brought their own brand of thunder. The British rockers’ set kicked off with their latest single (and my personal favorite song of the year) “Amen!” – one of the heaviest tracks the band has put to tape in the past decade. The set list meandered through both the bands newer tracks such as “Lost” and “Die4U” while still making room for some older material like “Can You Feel My Heart” and “Shadow Moses”.
Seeing Bring Me the Horizon’s stage performance evolve over the years has been a thing of beauty. Not only has the band managed to stretch well beyond their metalcore roots and explore new heavy sonic territory better than any of their peers, their ability to bring those songs to life on stage continues to impress. In particular, vocalist Oli Sykes has become one of the best hard rock performers around. His energetic bounce and shape-shifting vocal ability made it impossible to look away.
Finally, it was time for Fall Out Boy to take the stage, kicking things off with “Love from the Other Side” from the band’s latest release, So Much (for) Stardust. Highlighted with fireworks and pyrotechnics, the song is a perfect choice for an opener. The 28-song set felt like a love letter to longtime fans of the band, with care given to every album in the band’s discography while still featuring a healthy serving of new tracks.
In particular, “Heaven, Iowa” was a high note, with vocalist Patrick Stump showing off his impressive vocal ability, belting a chorus for the ages. An early set journey through Take This To Your Grave tracks like “Homesick at Space Camp” and “Calm Before the Storm” felt like a wonderful nod to the band’s roots, while performances of “Bang the Doldrums” and “Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet” were reminders of the band’s rich catalog during their heyday.
In all, the night was a reminder of how far Fall Out Boy have come, how many hits they’ve penned along the way, and how much prowess the band still has in a scene that they were instrumental in building.
by Kiel Hauck
Kiel Hauck is the editor in chief at It’s All Dead. Over the past decade, he has been a contributor for multiple online and print publications and was most recently an editor at PopMatters. Kiel currently resides in Indianapolis, IN with his wife and their imaginary pet, Hand Dog. You can follow him on Twitter.
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