Fall Out Boy is a catchy pop-punk-ish band possessing a familiar sound with some more diverse undertones. The band consists of Patrick Lachman-guitar, vocals; Joe Trohman-guitar; Pete Wentz-bass; and Andy Hurley-drums. They write songs that are removed from the noticeable angst and negativity of emo and hardcore, but still with enough edge to keep you from feeling silly for listening. The line at the door of Axis seemed never-ending as one confused teen after another showed the doorman their tickets marked "Evanescence;" tickets for the show playing next door. After all the confusion was sorted out, I was able to meet Wentz, the man behind the band. JustArts: It's only been a year since the creation of this band. Are you surprised that you are beginning to have so much success so soon?
Pete Wentz: Well, it's actually been about 2 years; the site is a bit outdated. But yeah, it might be surprising for others, but not for us. Just a little while ago we were playing basement shows and small venues for our friends, but we knew the music was progressing and we had confidence that we were going to have success.

JA: Pete, I understand you used to be the vocalist of Arma Angelus, a hardcore band. What brought about the abrupt change of pace to pop punk music?
PW: Basically, I was tired of the negativity. Night in and night out we would be focusing on negative energy. At first Joe [Trohman] and I just started writing pop songs for fun, and then it just caught on and we decided to make a band out of it.

JA: I hear some of the hardcore influence in songs like "The Pros and Cons of Breathing" and "Grenade Jumper." Is it safe to assume that's your hardcore past (and voice) peaking out from the poppy cover?
PW: Yeah, it sure is. I love to get on stage and just give a lot of energy and jump around and scream.

JA: You have gotten the opportunity to play with a lot of great bands on the road to where you are now. Which is your favorite band artistically and/or personality-wise that you had the opportunity to tour with. For example, I know you played with Rise Against, one of my favorite bands.
PW: Oh yeah, definitely. We are a huge fan of those guys. Actually, the lead singer of Rise Against was in Arma with me. Other than that it is definitely Early November, Matchbook [Romance], Allister ...

JA: I assume Patrick writes the lyrics...
PW: Actually, I write the lyrics.

JA: Ok, that's great, because I was going to say that they seem to be a sort of sly commentary on universal problems faced by young people, most likely from your own experiences. Are your lyrics more of a medium for you to air out your own feelings or more so a way to relate to your fans?
PW: Oh yeah, definitely both.

After the brief but engaging interview, it was time for the show to begin. Dynamite Boy, a foursome from Texas, was the opening band and they caught my ear immediately. Their harmonies were well done and their instruments well played. Their show included a cover of "TNT" by the band's favorite group AC/DC. Dynamite Boy put on a good show and was a sufficient opening band.

The next band to come on was Matchbook Romance, a fairly well known underground "screamo" band. They put on an entertaining show that I enjoyed thoroughly despite frequent technical difficulties that messed up the flow of the set.

Next it was time for Fall Out Boy to perform. The band entered the stage to a large ovation, clearly the largest of any band thus far that night. They opened their set with one of my favorite songs on the album,Tell Mick He Just Made My List of Things to Do Today. The song is poppy and catchy but with the angry and morbid lyrics that so often encompass this genre of music. "On the drive home / Joke about the kid you used to see/ And his jealousy/ Breaking hearts has never looked so cool/ As when you wrap your car around a tree/ Your makeup looks great next to his teeth."

As the show progressed the fans got more and more into the music, thrashing around mindlessly to the signal of Wentz's sporadic background screams. Towards the end of the show the band played my favorite song "The Pros and Cons of Breathing," most likely the hardest song on the album. Cut off by time constraints, the band grudgingly played their last song citing their lack of radio play as the reason for being cut short.

The show was still a success as the band seemed to gain fans after every song they played. If you are a fan of hard music with a light tone and infectious hooks, you should check out Fall Out Boy.