Fueled By Ramen Tour

Gym Class Heroes/The Academy Is.../Midtown/Fall Out Boy

Review by : Mike Mason

Photography by: Rob Kern

The show kicked off with Gym Class Heroes who were especially excited for the show coming off the February 22 release of the cd "The Papercut Chronicles."(See interview for more details)  The musical stylings of this band are an interesting blend of hip-hop and indie beats with a large dose of honesty in the lyrical masterpieces put together by Travis and company.  Some of the 'scenesters' there to see Fall Out Boy didn't appreciate the opening act due to the stigma behind 'rap' but I would shy from calling them rap.  They blur the lines behind typical genres to create a sound uniquely their own. 

The crowd started to go a little crazy between bands, pushing and shoving before The Academy Is… hit the stage.  Once the band finally emerged, the energy level of the crowd climbed higher as fans crowd surfed through the set.  Academy’s set list contained songs from the newly released debut album "Almost Here."  Following The Academy Is… was Midtown, an older more experienced band.  They've put out several cd's already and have been a long-standing touring force.  

Midtown wowed the crowed with a polished and energetic set that kept the momentum that Gym Class Heroes and The Academy Is… started.  Midtown brings a distinctly fine tuned performance to any tour, and did not disappoint here.  Then at long last came the much-awaited arrival of Fall Out Boy.  They thundered on stage and were greeted by the screaming of the sold-out Newport Music Hall crowd who braved a late winter snowstorm (yes, snowstorm, in case you weren’t in Ohio that night, it ended up snowing around 4-5 inches) just to see their beloved band.  On cd, Fall Out Boy sounds relatively calm and laid back, but the shows have a much harder edge thanks to Peter Wentz, the bass player.  During certain points during the song Pete plays the role of a "screamer," the part of metal that causes parents to flee the room with fingers in their ears.  The masses had been going at it hard for the three openers but still saved more than enough energy for Fall Out Boy.  More than a few mosh pits were to be had, along with countless crowd surfers (a constant pain to the photographers down in front, but hey, its half the fun of concerts right?)  The show was well worth the nearly twenty dollars per ticket if you didn’t have to deal with an over-zealous scalper. The show was sold out in advance of the opening doors, but tickets were still to be had if you knew where to look.  Local record store, Magnolia Thunderpussy gave out twenty tickets to fans attending Peter's book signing held earlier in the day.  Whether it’s writing a book or packing a concert hall, Fall Out Boy gives the fans their moneys worth.  I'd suggest seeing them before they get too big, hit them up while they still retain that underground edge.

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