Honda Civic Tour rocks E Center

FALL OUT BOY, +44, THE ACADEMY IS, PAUL WALL, THE COBRA STARSHIP, E Center, West Valley City, Monday

WEST VALLEY CITY — The biggest surprise of the Honda Civic Tour came when Fall Out Boy cranked out a pretty loyal cover of Michael Jackson's "Beat It."

Bassist Pete Wentz, drummer Andy Hurley, guitarist/singer Patrick Stump and guitarist Joe Trohman stopped the song right where the guitar solo (originally performed by Eddie Van Halen) is supposed to be.

However, that didn't stop any of the show's rolling momentum. In fact, from the first band — The Cobra Starship — the show built on the energy of the crowd and the artists on stage.

There was something of a lull during Paul Wall's set. Not that he didn't do a good job. He did. It was just that he called for hands to be waved. Then he asked for arms to be waved. Then he told the audience he wanted fingers to be waved. He might as well had asked for feet and legs.

Just before Wall, The Academy Is took the stage and, with an explosive set, got the audience geared up for the rest of the night.

Plus 44, led by former Blink 182 drummer and bassist Travis Barker and Mark Hoppus, took the audience by the punk-rock finger horns and burst through a 40-minute set that included "Cliffdiving" and a Blink tune, "The Rock Show."

Armed with a multitiered stage and three video screens, including a massive backdrop screen, Fall Out Boy shot to the stage, via stage springs, and pumped out a 90-minute show.

Fire balls, flash pots, streamers, strobes and videos highlighted the power-pop rock the band offered its fans — who moshed and body-surfed to the songs, "Of All the Gin Joints in All the World" and "Sugar, We're Going Down" (from the 2005 album "From Under the Cork Tree").

The band also rolled out "Thanks for the Memories" and "The Carpal Tunnel of Love," complete with the gross but cute bunny video.

Although "Beat It" was a major highlight, the biggest spectacle came during "Dance Dance." Hurley moved from his drum set on the top tier to another set that flipped out from the main stage jetty. And while Stump sang from the stage's second tier, both Trohman and Wentz emerged on a portable stage in the middle of the arena by the soundman's mixing boards.

By the time the final note faded, audience members' hearing may have become a little muffled, but there were a lot of smiles.

---

E-mail: scott@desnews.com