Fall Out Boy brought their hit show, Mania, to Austin. From their explosive energy to their stunning pyrotechnics, Fall Out Boy brought their best to the Frank Erwin Center, wowing both long-time fans and parents alike.

The show opened with band Nothing, Nowhere, an alternative hip-hop band. Their heavy bass and meaningful lyrics spoke to the younger crowd, and received applause when lead singer Joe Mulherin spoke about mental health telling the audience to take control of their anxiety and depression. The second opening act, Machine Gun Kelly, also spoke about mental health, relating to those who “use music as an escape” like lead singer Richard Colson Baker. Their stellar light show and unique set in combination with their heavy beat warmed up the audience in preparation for the event’s headliners. Overall, both opening acts were able to get the crowd on their feet, and built the excitement for Fall Out Boy’s arrival.

By the time the set was being changed for their eventual arrival, a countdown timer appeared on a large screen behind the stage. As the timer reached 0, the crowd went absolutely wild, and much to my surprise, the set was nothing but three microphone stands and a small platform for the drums. This unexpected set equally matched with a stunning performance of their first number, Disloyal Order of Water Buffalos, from their early album Folie à Deux. These two very unforeseen choices only escalated the excitement in the audience, and then the pyrotechnics started. Green, blue, and pink flames burst from the stage to the beat of the band’s next song, Phoenix from their album Save Rock and Roll. Even far from the stage, I could feel the fire’s heat. The bare set, ferocity of the lighting, and magnitude of the pyrotechnics set an intense mood for the rest of the concert within the first 10 minutes of the main act.

The quartet’s secondary stage also left jaws on the floor. The stage, just barely big enough for two performers to stand on at a time, was lifted into the air to be level with the second level of the venue. Main vocalist Patrick Stump and bassist Pete Wentz commanded this stage, with guitarist Joe Trohman and drummer Andy Hurley on a separate stage lifted slightly less into the air. On these stages the band performed hits like Dance, Dance (From Under the Cork Tree), Wilson (expensive mistakes) (Mania), and Thnks fr th Mmrs (Infinity on High), along with a drum solo performed by Hurley. The completely unique secondary stages allowed audience members in the nosebleeds to actually see the band perform, as opposed to looking at one of the screens onstage.

After these songs, the band took a quick break, while the ‘mascots’ for their Mania album came onstage to briefly entertain the crowd. Fall Out Boy returned to the stage with a bang, playing their anthem to indifference, I Don’t Care from Folie à Deux. This marked the fast-approaching end of the concert, with the band playing only five more songs and their encore.

When it came time for the encore, Wentz came back to the stage bearing a University of Texas football jersey, proudly bearing his name and the number one on the back. Their final songs, My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up) from Save Rock and Roll and Saturday from Take This to Your Grave left the crowd begging for more.

Overall, Fall Out Boy’s Mania show left the audience in both awe and wonder, from their screen graphics to their presence as a whole. Even the musical performance itself did not disappoint, as the band’s raw talent was on clear display. This is a band that I would definitely go see again and that I recommend for anyone who is a fan of Fall Out Boy or who just like an engaging show performance. The fire, the lights and the musical performance all added up to a universally stellar show that left jaws agape and minds blown across the stadium.