Of course, when Fall Out Boy hit the Agora last Thursday, selling the place out while supporting the forthcoming disc Infinity on High, the Chicago suburbanites blew away teenage heads with their anthemic pop-punk/emo/whatever shtick.
The kids — decked-out in Hot Topic (oversized hoodies, dyed hair, tiny skirts) — dug the jams hard, especially the video hit “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race.” But at times, the band looked and sounded as if some of its parts were prerecorded. For example, when guitarist Joe Trohman would leap onto the monitors — spastically twirling about like Kristi Yamaguchi after banging a few lines of crushed Ritalin — his pick didn’t seem to be striking the strings, though the PA blared the sound of his pick striking the strings.
Then again, would this even matter?
Nah, so long as the band doesn’t totally destroy the simulation of a live gig, like Ashlee Simpson did on Saturday Night Live — which is possible, mind you; Simpson and bassist Pete Wentz seem to be buds.
Anyway, the biggest WTF? moment of the show actually occurred before Fall Out Boy even climbed onstage. For its intro music, the band cranked Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer,” and every pop-rocker in the place, however young, shouted every single line to the song, with all the passion and fanaticism of a Christian rock concert.
Half these kids weren’t even born in ’86, when my friends and I — horny like sixth graders checking out the short skirts — caught BJ’s Slippery When Wet tour. Back then, we swore most of Bon Jovi’s backup vocals were prerecorded, but we didn’t give a shit; it rocked, especially the video hits. Some things never change. — Justin F. Farrar To see exclusive photos from the Fall Out Boy show, go to Walter Novak: Action Rock Photographer.
This article appears in Jan 17-23, 2007.