I feel like their shows have fallen into a rut since AB/AP.
Andy, Joe, and Pete (except Patrick) seem bored out of their minds throughout the show. They don't show any excitement on stage anymore. It's not like it was during the Infinity on High, Fuct, or even SR&R era (In those eras you saw them jumping around, laughing, joking with each other during the performance, and all the time smiling). I see other bands I like get really excited when they release a new album, but for FOB, it just seems like another day... It's kind of sad that the band has fallen into a rut and doesn't have that kind of excitement anymore. I've seen bands break up for less...đ
Iâm asking this 100% sincerely, but have you been to any of the shows post-Stardust? I went to 3 myself and the entire band was running on full energy. All 4 guys were all smiles and clearly having a great time
I havenât been to a show yet but Iâll say they are getting older, like we all are. Itâs amazing that Patrick still has the lung capacity to sing the way he does, so soulfully in those what, 2 hour shows? That is beyond hard. And Theyâre getting older, they are dads and have families. Itâs expected that they donât carry the same exact energy and stamina as they did years ago. I donât either! Iâm just happy theyâre still together and that theyâre still performing for us.
Also since Joe is on break for his hand I can imagine that was bothering him a lot and he probably powered through it during the last tour and who knows how long before that. We gotta give the guys a break and just be thankful.
exactly!! to me, Patrick's ability to sing and perform have got even better with time, he seems happy and comfortable on stage! I am very happy I could see them in 2025 for the first time
Theyâre older than they were pre hiatus, so yes less jumping and also probably less dumb/dangerous behavior (like swinging guitars and jumping because someone can get hurt). I donât think itâs fair to expect the same energy from a 40 year old as a 20 year old.
Theyâre also more popular now so they bring stage production in different and bigger ways - like pyro, stage setup, props, interactive elements (like the dry ice bubbles). That also engages the crowd and they have the money to do it. Back then, they probably didnât have as much, so they had to bring the energy themselves.
Iâve been to 20 fob shows and they laugh and joke on stage all the time. Believe me, if they didnât want to be making music, touring, and doing shows they wouldnât be doing it.
They are all in their 40s now. Pete still jumps around on stage but those days are over for Joe given his back. Andy is still Andy on the drums. Pete and Andy interact a lot, they all do they just arenât in their 20s and are Sober on stage. I think Stardust was a really emotional show for them to do. Patrick has been in tears or on the verge of tears more than once, Pete has been visibly emotional during his âPete talks momentsâ and Joe has most likely been in a lot of pain with his hand for a lot of the tour, also depending on his surgical outcome the band may be very different going forward.
They are at the end of a two year run of album launching and touring, itâs a long time to be travelling and performing/doing interviews etc they must all be missing their families and most likely need a good chunk of time off to recover and see their kids/partners.
I repost their smiling faces from the official accounts here after every show!!!!!! (But I donât recognize your username so I doubt youâve been here to see that)
I'm curious when Fall Out Boy was fully in step with each other and all 4 giving an excitingly present performance all at the same time? Was it all the way back in the TTTYG/FUTCT era? Because I didn't see them until IOH came out, and Patrick was miles less comfortable performing back then than he is now. I've never seen him more energetic and confident and present than during Tourdust. Conversely, Pete was definitely more of a showman when I saw him in 07. Joe's never struck me as a flashy performer. Andy's always been a beast.
I've loved all the concerts I've been to but the Tourdust shows were special. The care put into the setlists exceeded any previous tour. The playing was as tight as I've ever heard from them, but if something got flubbed during 8-Balls it was done with aplomb and humor.
You're entitled to your opinion but I just don't think it rings true if you examine it with a critical eye. If that's how you felt that's fine, but I think that's a you thing and not really a them thing.
i saw them live in 2025 for the first time, and the concert in general was great! To me Patrick seems to enjoy the concerts more than the others.!! Regarding your topic, IMO maybe its because they dont seems to enjoy being away from their families to touring, back then in 2007 none of them had children and now they are in their 40's. You can't expect the same 2007 energy, it kinda unfair! Take a look at this excerpt from a Pete interview to NYLON in 2023:
2020âs lockdown had struck the bassist with a newfound desire to be at home with his family. (In addition to a son with Simpson, he also has two kids with partner Meagan Camper.) âI was like, I donât really know if I want to tour anymore. The mental part of leaving is much more difficult,â says Wentz, who was not alone in those thoughts: Trohman opted out of the touring part altogether, announcing recently that heâd be taking a break to focus on his mental health.
I know, of course they won't have the energy they had 20 years ago, but at least they show a little excitement on stage. I follow bands where members are around 60 years old, and they show more excitement than Fob lately. The only one who, for me, really shows that he's happy and excited to be there is Patrick. The rest, for me, seem just meh... that they were just for the show's pay.
I kinda agree I just said the same, I could see/feel Patrick was happy to be there, he vocals was on point and he did all his dances moves and etc. Besides everything I've already mentioned, could they be sad because Joe couldnt stay on tour for rest of the year? IDK, i guess its just the way they are, I dont think they will change
I went to 3 Stardust shows (I love the album so much for stardust by the way), and I still maintain my opinion, everyone except Patrick looks bored as hell, and this isn't new, it's been going on since the AB/AP era, maybe you were too excited about the shows that you didn't even notice their bored faces, especially Joe and Andy's, practically the entire show.
Tourdust was the tour they were all most excited for in a very long time and I'm pretty sure it was obvious to everyone but you. I think you confused vibing, grateful, concentrated, committed to work, internally happy, (I can keep going...) for bored. A lot of people who are passionate internally (which we know FOB is - It's one of the top reasons I love them so much) are in the zone often are misunderstood for exactly what you are calling them out for. I often look like I'm absolutely going through it when I'm doing my favorite hobby and have been told so. It's often how overly passionate people seem when they are doing something. And I'm not saying people can't have a one-off bad day and still do their job - that's common! And I'm not saying I know what was in their head every day of tour either. But again, I doubt that was every day for any of them when they were all more excited about this album cycle than any they have been in a long time. Performing together, however they all love so I don't think this was the case for some of the other tours either. Maybe Mania, and then there was the chaos of HMT but that's about it? And let's not even get into the experience of mental illness that Pete and Joe especially have both expressed. That can't be easy to tour with.
And why in the world, if you had such a bad time watching them, did you go to 3 shows on one tour?
But I never said I had a bad time. The three shows I went to were beautiful, it's an incredible event. 8ball was an incredible idea. The show going through all the band's eras is also incredible. The only thing that bothered me was that in all the shows I went to (and even the ones I saw on YouTube), all the members seemed out of energy. Pete always starts off excited, but halfway through the show towards the end, he looks bored/serious. Andy and Joe start and end the show with their energy down low (I understand Joe has his problems). The only one you see showing energy and excitement from the beginning to the end of the show is Patrick. An example for you to compare is to watch a show of them playing "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race." See this song being played in 2007, 2008, or even 2013 when they came back. The energy that the band has. The music it transmitted was incredible, smiles, conversations between them and speeches, jumps, spins, it infected whoever was watching, now see a performance of this song nowadays, the only ones who are infected by the music are the audience and Patrick, that's why I say the band for me seems to have fallen into a routine, and that playing shows for most of the band is just another "job"... which is sad because it is one of my favorite bands to watch live shows.
(I've been following them since 2007, I'm not a hater like many are saying in the comments, I love the band and their music, I'm super excited for the next album, it's just a point that I've been noticing at their shows for a while now)
I can see now where you never said you had a bad time and that is fair. I'm glad about that! However, I still completely disagree with your assessment of Joe and Pete especially. Mostly because I also cannot jump and spin like I could when I was 15-25 either. I believe that is a lot of what you are noticing. I don't want to see our favorite bands hitting their 20 years anniversaries and thinking they can't keep up and just quit. They have to keep going! I personally am just there to see them - I don't need a show. You can feel about this, however of course! I'm just stating my view of their shows.
I will back out of this discussion now because I realize it is not for me. Thank you for expanding on your view though to help me understand how you see this. I'm always glad when people elaborate when they believe something, even if I disagree.
I am also super excited for their next album! I hope you get to go to as many shows on the next tour as you did for Tourdust.
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u/uhminecraftgang So Much (For) Stardust 1d ago
Iâm asking this 100% sincerely, but have you been to any of the shows post-Stardust? I went to 3 myself and the entire band was running on full energy. All 4 guys were all smiles and clearly having a great time