Fall Out Boy was never supposed to be as big a success as they ended up becoming. Sure, Patrick Stump and Pete Wentz may have been successes in mainstream music without Fall Out Boy, but there's no way they would have had as big an impact on those who support their band as they do now. Throw in the modest goals of Joe Trohman and Andy Williams to simply make music they enjoy playing with Stump's flair for the dramatic (and constantly-improving vocals) and Wentz's sheer star power, and Fall Out Boy became superstars after the unexpected success of From Under the Cork Tree. This success led the band's new legions of fans to discover Take This to Your Grave, an album way too many pop-punk bands are still trying to recreate. Something tells me no one ever will.
What happened next still remains a shock to some. The pop-punk leaning brand of emo the band had become known for was traded in for a more modern rock approach, as Infinity On High ushered in arena-ready choruses that served as a stark contrast to the gang vocals that the band crafted to be perfect for sweat-drenched club shows. After Infinity came Folie a Deux, an album that could readily be described as Fall Out Boy doing whatever they damn well please. There was a track with Lil Wayne on it (not that the band hadn't tried having a rapper on their songs before, use "Thriller" for evidence); they brought out all their friends from Fueled by Ramen for a song that looked back at where they'd come from ("What a Catch, Donnie"), and some of those friends contributed to other tracks; but what's more, the band continued to veer away from the path many of them were longing for them to return to.
Then, after what seemed like an unrealistically fast rise to the top of the rock and roll world, Fall Out Boy was gone. An indefinite hiatus was announced in 2009, and immediately after, it seemed like there was a reunion rumor (that was vehemently denied) every other week. Most of it was substanceless fodder that fans had created to coax themselves into a false sense of comfort that the band they'd loved so much would be back soon. But weeks went by, then months, then years. Side projects became full-time affairs. Interviews about the band reuniting were answered with ambiguity, if they were answered at all. There was speculation everywhere, but no one really knew what was going on. All the while, a slew of bands attempted to break through to the mainstream the way Fall Out Boy did, but no one ever came close. Sure, BoysLikeGirls, Paramore, and a few others had some monster hits, but no one was able to grow and develop and expand on their sound while still maintaining their dignity (and core fanbase) the way Fall Out Boy had. While many bands tried to fill it, the void remained. And impatiently, we waited; whether it was for another band to explode the way they did, or for the explosion themselves to reappear.
Which, of course, brings us to that fateful morning, at a radio station in Chicago. Fall Out Boy were back. The speculation of a reunion seemed to be gaining more and more validity (thanks in part to PropertyOfZack), and when the dots were beginning to be connected, no one could have imagined the picture they would create.
In a way, we were spoiled with band reunions before Fall Out Boy returned. blink-182, arguably the only band more culturally relevant than FOB, had come back and have been touring for the better part of two years; Yellowcard was back, and have released two full-length albums in as many years, headlining Warped Tour in the process; Matchbook Romance reunited for a few festival dates; The Starting Line did a few winter tours, one of which being the ten-year anniversary of Say it Like You Mean It; Armor for Sleep did Bamboozle; The Early November returned with a blistering, beautiful new album. You get the picture: if a band had broken up within the last 7 or 8 years, chances are, they had reunited during the Fall Out Boy hiatus.
So when the dust settled, and the world breathed a sigh of relief that Fall Out Boy wore back, their collective breath was taken away with what was announced. The band had been busy. They came to the interview in Chicago with news that a new album had been completed and was set for release in May, and they had a new single, with a music video for that single being uploaded to Youtube that day. Even if that was all they had up their sleeves, it would have merited this post. But there's so much more to the story from here.
Announcing that they had returned inevitably meant that Fall Out Boy were going to be touring again. But before they embarked on their already-sold-out US tour (which includes a headlining set at this year's Skate and Surf Festival), the band announced three secret shows in rooms you'd see bands like Motionless in White or Man Overboard or any other band that was getting a decent amount of buzz play at for $10. These were not arenas, far from it. This was a chance for the fans who kept checking the internet rumors, who kept spinning the records, who never stopped supporting a band that was completely inactive for over 4 years, to see the band they were aching to see again, in a room that could barely fit 300 people. This was Fall Out Boy's message to the fans that they were back, that they appreciated the support they still had, and above all else, that they were ready to move forward.
The buzz about the Fall Out Boy reunion cannot be overstated. Since returning, the band have performed on the Late Night TV circuit, appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and were selected to perform at the NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge, performing new single "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light 'Em Up)" at each appearance. Radio interviews at the most renowned stations in America have followed, and the band have been so rejuvenated with the reception, the release of their new album was moved up a full two weeks early, so that fans didn't have to wait any longer than they already had.
There's a sense growing in me that this was all part of the plan. The band had a big, over-the-top reunion planned the minute after they broke up. In secret, they slaved away on the songs that will grace their new album Save Rock and Roll, all while shooting down any rumors of the reunion to keep the vision of their reuinon alive. And if "My Songs..." is any indication, they will be the most adventurous and risky songs they've ever made. And you wouldn't want it any other way, because you've come this far, and I'm willing to bet you're ready to go a little further with one of the best bands of this generation.
There's no ceiling on what Fall Out Boy's reunion is capable of. If these Topsy-turvy weeks since they announced their rebirth have proven anything, it's that the band haven't lost their creative fire that has set them apart from so many other bands, that they still have the support of their fans, and that they've got their sights set on becoming the biggest rock band in the world, if they aren't already. Through the trials and tribulations of their unexpected success and painstakingly long hiatus, Fall Out Boy have proven themselves to be a band that has the world waiting with baited breath on their every move, and they relish in that attention. They thrive off of it. And that's the greatest thing about Fall Out Boy: their uncompromising vision has become the stuff of legend. They went from sweaty shows to arenas, from naming their songs in full sentences to bravely naming their new album Save Rock and Roll.
And the scary part is, they might actually do it.
Long live the car-crash hearts. Believers never die. Welcome back, Fall Out Boy.
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