Fall Out Boy, Paramore rock Jones Beach
Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz performs June 21, 2014, during the Monumentour stop at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. Credit: Newsday / J. Conrad Williams Jr.
The Monumentour pairing of Fall Out Boy and Paramore – two of only a handful of rock bands who can power their way onto the pop charts and, more importantly, pop radio – pays tribute to the tradition of massive rock shows, while updating it to create that personal connection younger fans demand.
Fall Out Boy used so much pyro you could feel the heat Saturday night at the back of the sold-out Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. Singer Patrick Stump and drummer Andy Hurley took on a hip-hop-influenced drum-off, bassist Pete Wentz roared a lot when he wasn’t engaging in a series of spins with guitarist Joe Trohman. And, oh yeah, they played plenty of crowd-pleasing hits, mostly from the recent “Save Rock and Roll” album.
Paramore also made the most of the big stage, with singer Hayley Williams high-kicking and running for most of their 75-minute set, as confetti cannons unleashed streamers that matched her teal-colored hair. Bassist Jeremy Davis did an incredible flip over the back of guitarist Taylor York, who had his moment to shine on a solo on “Flames” that put to rest any questions about whether Paramore still rocked.
Though Fall Out Boy kept mostly to the emo-tinged pop-punk they’re known for, including grand versions of “Grand Theft Autumn / Where Is Your Boy” and "A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More ‘Touch Me’,” they did throw in “something for the parents,” as Stump tacked on a triumphant version of Queen’s “We Are the Champions” to the epic “Save Rock and Roll.”
Paramore’s set list, however, outflanked Fall Out Boy on both sides. They were a little more pop, as their current hit “Ain’t It Fun” suggests, but also way more punk, as the band raged through “Ignorance” and “For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic.”
Before the band launched into their beautiful ballad “The Only Exception,” Williams promised, “We will get right back to the business of playing angry songs.” She kept her word.
No question, Monumentour is a spectacle. But as the most organic of the major pairings hitting the road this summer – aside from Beyonce and Jay Z, of course – it’s also a way to empower both bands’ fans. “It’s about giving everybody a voice,” Williams said as she brought a fan to sing the bridge of Paramore’s breakthrough hit “Misery Business.”
Wentz took it a step further, saying, “If you say you love Fall Out Boy, what you really mean is you love yourself,” and that the band is just like them. “Anybody in the crowd can do the same,” he said. Let’s hope he’s right.
PARAMORE SET LIST: Still Into You / That’s What You Get / For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic / Ignorance / Pressure / Decode / Only Exception / Last Hope / Emergency / Misery Business / Flames / Part II / Proof / Ain’t It Fun
FALL OUT BOY SET LIST: The Phoenix / The Take Over, the Breaks Over / A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More “Touch Me” / This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race / Alone Together / Death Valley / Sugar, We’re Goin Down / Miss Missing You / Dance, Dance / Young Volcanoes / Just One Yesterday (with LOLO) / Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy / We Are The Champions/Save Rock and Roll / I Don’t Care / My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light ‘Em Up) // ENCORE: Thnks fr th Mmrs / Saturday
