GRAND PRAIRIE -- Fall Out Boy is like sonic Red Bull: kind of tasty, wildly popular in certain quarters of society and packed with energy.
Judging from the Illinois foursome's Friday night stop at Nokia Theatre, as part of the ongoing "Believers Never Die, Part Deux" tour supporting Fall Out Boy's latest record, Folie a Deux, the band is struggling to transition from Red Bull to espresso. Still packing some zip, but better enjoyed in sips rather than slugs -- more refined and slightly more mature.
Taking the stage in business suits -- lead singer Patrick Stump even sported a Dubya-like wig -- and backed by faux SWAT team members in riot gear, bassist Pete Wentz patiently explained that Fall Out Boy was "given the stage for a reason."
That reason? Apparently calling attention to all the ongoing domestic and international turmoil (images of AIG and Bernard Madoff flickered across the video screens); given how plugged in FOB's fans are with Facebook and Twitter and the like, doesn't he think they might've noticed stuff like the near-collapse of America's economy?
So Wentz and company think FOB's fan-base is woefully uninformed or they're trying, unsuccessfully, for some kind of hip, satirical, public service announcement vibe. Either way, earnest activism is an ill fit for 'em -- the pop-rockers abandoned the suits and the between-song shtick after four songs and returned in more familiar garb.
Ripping through a 90-minute set heavy on tunes from the quartet's last two albums, Deux and the masterful Infinity on High, Fall Out Boy kept the energy level humming, thanks in part to an evening peppered with hits: I Don't Care; This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race; Sugar, We're Going Down and America's Suitehearts. Stump remains one of the most vibrant vocalists in any genre; his elastic, expressive voice is the unshakable foundation upon which FOB's success rests.
For a band to thrive and continue along its artistic path, it must experiment and push itself into uncomfortable territory. There were glimpses of this reality Friday, as Fall Out Boy fights to reconcile its ever-increasing visibility and a sense of responsibility to the world and its fans with mindless fun.
A trio of same-y, emo-leaning pop-rock bands opened up (Hey Monday, All Time Low and Cobra Starship) but the strangest sight of the evening had to be rapper 50 Cent loping onstage, flanked by a pair of hype men, for a menacing, intense and yet strangely fun 45-minute set.
If the incongruity of entertaining a roomful of Fall Out Boy fans struck 50 Cent, he didn't let on. Instead, he doled out plenty of smashes, from Ayo Technology to, of course, In Da Club. It doesn't make a lot of sense on paper, but Fiddy actually got the party started to fantastic effect.
