We will rock you

Crowds of spectators clothed in brightly colored band t-shirts engulfed the outdoor amphitheater at Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort on Friday, Aug. 29. Kids and adults of all ages were gearing up to see the widely known pop punk band from Chicago, Fall Out Boy.

Jagermeister presented the band for the highly anticipated show under their music tour, “Ultimate Summer of Music.” The well-known rock band asked for extra shows on their days off of their ongoing ‘Monumentour’ tour with Paramore.

Empty seats were rare to come by as fans were heading into the venue, including the crowded lawn area. Beverages, food items, and free koozies were up for grabs throughout the night.

Jim Florentine, known for co-hosting ‘That Metal Show’ and his character ‘Special Ed’ on Crank Yankers, hosted the concert. He made numerous jokes on technology and relationships to get the crowd laughing before the performers took the stage.

With Soaring Eagle being only a short drive from campus, the concert was a nice convenience for Lapeer freshman Marisa Colpetzer. Being so close to the venue has been a benefit for students at CMU.

“It’s pretty convenient to come here,” Colpetzer said. “It’s nice to be a student and to be able to come to these concerts.”

Many fans were jumping from excitement to see the iconic quartet of Fall Out Boy take the stage. However, there was much excitement for the opening act as well.

Denmark based dance-rock band, New Politics, were the special guests opening the show. Screaming and cheering from the crowd instantly sounded when they came onto the stage.

Running into the crowd, sing-alongs, backflips and even breakdancing were sights to see during New Politics’ set. Most of the crowd sang along to their well-known song, ‘Tonight You’re Perfect’, that reached number 16 on the U.S. Alternative Songs chart.

New Politics put on an impressive performance that got the anxious crowd moving. Flashing lights, smoke, and monitors were a part of the show. Vocalist David Boyd also talked to the audience about the importance of friends, family and life between songs.

“Life is just all about good company and good music.”

After their 40 minute set, the crowd roared wildly in preparation for Fall Out Boy.

“I’m excited for seeing (Fall Out Boy),” said Trey Pipesh, of Tawas. “They’re one of the first bands that I used to listen when I would take girls on dates.”

Fireworks, smoke, and flames exploded onstage as the headlining band rose from beneath.

The band played songs back from their first album, ‘Take This to Your Grave’ up to their most recent, ‘Save Rock and Roll.’ Lead vocalist/guitarist Patrick Stump empowered the crowd with his soulful vocals.

Between his high jumps on stage and performing within the crowd, bassist Pete Wentz gave the crowd a sense of inspiration. He talked about handling the truth in life and how things don’t automatically get better overnight.

“The truth is difficult,” Wentz said. “People are resistant to change. You are the only person in direct control of your happiness.”

Deafening screams rang through the air as countless hands shot up during both the drum solo by Andy Hurley and guitar solo by Joe Trohman. During the performance of a middle school favorite, ‘Dance, Dance’, couples were found swing dancing between aisles.

Stump paid tribute to Michigan and how nice it was to play not far from home.

“I feel like an honorary Michigander,” Stump said. “I have lots of family here.”

Tawas junior Chase Blackmore was pleased with the turnout for the concert. He talked about how excited he was that Fall Out Boy was headlining the show.

“I would like for Soaring Eagle to have more big concerts like this one,” Blackmore said. “I’ve listened to them (Fall Out Boy) ever since I was young.”

While Stump took over the piano, the band proceeded to cover Queen’s famous track, ‘We Are the Champions.’ This song got a pleasant response from the older generation within the crowd.

The band came back with a two-song encore that energized the entire arena. Wentz thanked the crowd and applauded them for being one of the largest while giving advice to aspiring musicians.

“You saying you love us, is you saying you love yourself,” Wentz said. “If we can make it on a stage here, anyone in this crowd can make it up here.”