By Stefny // I was majorly disappointed when Fall Out Boy announced their initial dates on their So Much For (Tour) Dust run because gasp WHERE WAS AUSTIN? Luckily, they decided to extend their schedule and graced us with their presence on So Much For (2our) Dust, along with Jimmy Eat World, The Maine, and Daisy Grenade.

In a way, this was their Eras Tour. The band has been around for over two decades, with their debut studio album Take This To Your Grave released in 2003. In those 20 years, they’ve released 8 albums, two greatest hits albums, and multiple remixes, mixtapes, and EPs – all while taking a five-year hiatus somewhere in the middle.

And just like Taylor Swift on HER Eras Tour, they left one album off completely: 2018’s Mania.

But fret not friends, they treated fans to 27 songs spanning the rest of their discography, playing the most tunes from their first and most recent albums.

The band opened the show by taking us to Emo Island with the lead single from So Much (for) Stardust, “Love From The Other Side.” From there, they took us back to the first post-hiatus album Save Rock & Roll with opening track “The Phoenix.” My biggest complaint about the first three songs of this set actually has nothing to do with the songs at all, but the freaking LOUD, TERRIFYING fireworks!! The pops were so loud and so unexpected, they made me scream every time.

When they got to “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down,” arguably their breakout hit, it either offended me or warmed my heart to see a bunch of kids half my age dancing to the track I danced to when I was their age. Am I old? Should these kids… get off my lawn?

Also – PETE DID THE THING! I was giddy.

“… don’t forget who left the light on 20 years ago”

After a couple more songs, they did a run of three songs from their debut album in a row: “Homesick At Space Camp” (a tour debut), “Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy,” and “Calm Before The Storm” which Pete dedicated to an important person in the audience who took them under his wing when they were still a young band in their formative years.

A bit further down the line, they played a song that “by sheer force of will has become a regular song on the setlist” – “Bang The Doldrums,” followed by “Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet.” I made a note during that last song that kind of sums up my entire experience with this album: “I know I didn’t fw Folie à Deux but this song rips.” Okay, okay. Maybe I’ll go back and give that album another shot.

After another song from the new album, Pete and Pat were talking together on stage… Pete tells Pat to play some music. Pat laughs. 13-year-old me melted. Pat then proceeds to say that he was going to play a song he’s never played ever. “As deep as deep cuts go.” Turns out it really was the deepest of deep cuts from their 2004 EP My Heart Will Always Be the B-Side to My Tongue, “It’s Not a Side Effect of the Cocaine, I Think It Must Be Love.”

That was followed by a short piano medley of “What A Catch, Donnie” and Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.”

After a couple more songs and the first verse and chorus of Ozzy’s “Crazy Train,” they played another song from From Under The Cork Tree, “Dance, Dance.”

And this time, PAT DID THE THING!

Tonight’s Magic 8 Ball song (basically a surprise song) was “Don’t You Know Who I Think I Am?” Another tour debut.

They ended with a run of four songs from four different albums, but I must say that I was a little surprised they decided to end with 2003’s “Saturday.” I mean, I know that song goes hard. I was there when the deep magic was written. But kids these days? I didn’t think they’d even know it.

The running total of songs from various albums is as follows:

• nothing from Mania
• nothing from PAX AM Days (We don’t count that one anyway.)
• My Heart Will Always Be the B-Side to My Tongue = 1
• Take This To Your Grave = 4
• From Under The Cork Tree = 3
• Infinity On High = 4
• Folie à Deux = 3.5
• Save Rock & Roll = 2 (They did this album dirty. TBH they could’ve played the whole album and I’d have been happy.)
• American Beauty/American Psycho = 2
• So Much (for) Stardust = 6

It’s still weird to me seeing Fall Out Boy in a venue like the Moody Center. I saw them countless times at old Emo’s and La Zona Rosa and it just blows my mind that they’ve endured like this to not only stay around but become so successful in the mainstream that they sell out arenas.

The performance itself was incredible, 10/10. No notes. I only wish I had had a better view of the stage. I didn’t get to appreciate Pete’s set design as was intended and feel like I missed important aspects of the show.