Fall Out Boy Brings Their So Much for (Tour) Dust to Arkansas
Words & Photos by Madison Walters | View the full concert gallery here
July 11, 2023 — Fall Out Boy brought their So Much for (Tour) Dust tour to Rogers, Arkansas for a stop at the Walmart Amphitheater. Hot off the release of their newest album So Much (for) Stardust, the band enlisted Carr, Royal and The Serpent, and Bring Me the Horizon as support for this historic tour, which has made waves on social media for Fall Out Boy’s use of their Magic 8 Ball—a treat for diehard and casual fans alike, but that’s getting ahead of ourselves.
The evening began with a performance by Carr, who played their first date of the tour in Arkansas. Wearing a yellow Sugar Daddies candy shirt and red tutu, singer Carly McClellan took the stage for a set that saw an infusion of indie-pop and rock, fitting the genre type of Fall Out Boy’s last album Mania. Unfortunately due to time constraints, Carr only played for about twenty minutes, leaving the audience wanting more. The band ended their set with a bag as they launched a blowup doll named “Ginger” into the crowd, because “She wants to crowd surf.” Carr also teased a forthcoming album coming this fall before leaving the stage.
Next up, Royal & the Serpent took the stage as a background that read “RATS. It stands for Royal & the Serpent” was unfurled by crew members. Lead singer Ryan Santiago—who’s known professionally as Royal & the Serpent—made a splash with the crowd as she strutted out on stage in a “Protect Trans Kids” shirt. The group’s touring guitarist also sported the same t-shirt. These shirts more than likely were a response to the wave of anti-trans legislation being pushed in Arkansas—and the rest of the country—right now. RATS didn’t stop there. During their set, the band played the venue their own unique rendition of the “Pledge of Allegiance,” which saw updated lyrics like, “I pledge allegiance to the drag and the United Gays of America. To safety in Public, from queer to trans. One nation underdogs, not invisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
The four-piece also treated fans to a cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” which immediately had the audience on their feet. Speaking of Nirvana, RATS also played their breakout hit “Overwhelmed” from their album Searching For Nirvana, which helped to bring their set to a close.
With Bring Me the Horizon’s set, the atmosphere of the concert shifted drastically, going from indie-pop to metalcore—a jarring juxtaposition but not unwelcome. Wearing his signature single red contact, singer Oli Sykes swaggered on stage as the band launched into “AmEN!,” one of the group’s newest singles that features Lil Uzi Vert and Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw and Head Automatica. Afterwards, Sykes addressed the audience by calling everyone “Pussyholes” and then remarking, “It’s so sweaty, innit?” Apparently, this was a few audience members’ realization that Sykes is from Sheffield as a woman hilariously remarked, “I didn’t know he was English. I can’t take him seriously with that accent.”
One of the highlights of the set included BMTH’s performance of “sTraNgeRs,” which saw Sykes drop down to the ground on his knees as he howled, “Alone together, we’re dying to live and we’re living to die.” Soon after the song ended, Sykes hopped off the stage and started high-fiving those on the barricade. In a sweet moment, he even obliged a fan’s request for Sykes to draw her a tattoo. Sykes didn’t stop at that. He ran through the entire venue, making a b-line for the lawn section. Hugging fans and taking quick selfies, Sykes made it clear to the very back of the venue, all in the space of a single song.
Finally, it was time for Fall Out Boy to take the stage. The pre-show playlist began to play the band’s updated cover of Billy Joel’s "We Didn’t Start the Fire,” which had only recently been released. Afterwards, a recording of “The Pink Seashell” played over the speakers as smoke filled the stage, counting down the final few seconds before the four members jogged on stage. Opening the set with “Love From the Other Side,” a single from their new album, the crowd raucously sang along to the lyrics. Surprisingly—scaring everyone in the venue, the band shot off fireworks throughout their set, exploding with the loudest BANG’s you’ve ever heard.
FOB have brought out all the bells and whistles for this tour. Any special effect you could think of has been included in this highly-evolved show. From crazy pyrotechnics (most notably in “Phoenix”) to bubble beach balls and even a giant dog controlled by a crew member, the band really has thought of everything—not even mentioning the ever-shifting backgrounds on the stage.
Though the tour is in support of their new album, the band made sure to play some songs from their previous albums, favoring From Under the Cork Tree and Take This to Your Grave. FOB also treated the venue to fan favorites like “Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy,” “Disloyal Order for Water Buffaloes,” “What a Catch, Donnie,” and “Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet.” Interestingly enough, the foursome also played their fair of covers, featuring “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding,” “Don’t Stop Believing”—which exceedingly complimented lead singer Patrick Stump’s voice—and most uniquely Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train.”
About halfway through the set, bassist Pete Wentz checked on the crowd. “Are y’all having the time of your lives? It’s fine if you’re not,” he said, “My dad took me to see Jimmy Buffet and if Jimmy Buffet had asked me, I would’ve said, ‘I’d rather be playing Super Mario Brothers.’”
One of the highlights of the evening saw Wentz perform and portion of “Dance, Dance” from the front of the house, while the other three members performed from the stage. It was a nice surprise for fans who were a bit further back in the crowd as the lights turned back on and Wentz stood before them.
Another highlight from the concert occurred during the band’s performance of “Heaven, Iowa,” which showcased Stump’s impressive—and beautiful—vocal range as he sang, “Star-crossed lovers forever. I’m checking myself out forever.” There’s a vulnerability in the performance of this specific song due to the openness and somewhat isolated nature of the chorus; there’s nothing to hide behind musically. All this is driven home further by the fact that Stump played the Arkansas show while under the weather, a point punctuated by Stump throughout the evening as he apologized for the state of his voice, though there was absolutely nothing to apologize for.
As for the Magic 8 Ball, Arksansas was treated to a rare performance of “I Slept With Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me.” This performance marked the first time the song had been played since 2015.
Åll-in-all, the evening was one to remember, full of surprises and great music. If you have the opportunity, go catch a show on the So Much For (Tour) Dust run, you won’t regret it.
