Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy have a problem the Phoenixes and Mastodons of the world would love to have, and that folks like Kanye West can relate to all too well: They won. No emo-punk-pop group has managed to garner greater cultural cachet. Jay-Z endorsed 'em. Lyricist/bassist/gadfly Pete Wentz married and had a son with pop star Ashlee Simpson. They're on a massive world tour that will feature 50 Cent on some stops—a formerly titanic rapper who's in need of their luck and influence to get back on the road to relevance. So Fall Out Boy are simply too big to fail, now, and while their obscenely catchy (and increasingly creative) musings on fame, love, and self-regard continue to impress, you've gotta wonder: Where do they go from here? Political posturing? The dreaded side-project restlessness? Sifting through film scripts? Think of it this way: Fall Out Boy find themselves where Linkin Park were, post-Meteora. And that's not necessarily a fun place to be. All ages.
Sun., May 17, 7 p.m., 2009