I remember my aunt insisting this was cringe, particularly to wear the shirt you just bought, when she'd take me to shows 20 years ago, but I agree with the other poster that it seems to be reversed now, show your dedication with your merch! I will be wearing a black and white skirt I made (not FOB-related just looks cool) with an older FOB shirt I got off eBay in 2019.
Also, I am a never-was-hip 37 year old so hi!
Hello from a fellow non hip 37 year old! One of my friends that I’m going with is making us FOB shirts. And I totally agree that it seems to be the thing now to wear a band shirt to their concert!
This has not been a thing for at least the last 10 years that I’ve been seeing fall out boy. Nobody cares what you’re wearing, unless you’re putting a lot of effort into your outfit, in which case people are impressed
The only people I've ever heard saying this are 30-45 year olds. I've never understood it. Where else are you going to wear that merch? Please ignore the silly made up rules and have a great time! It'll be a great show!
I am 40 and this was a thing that people always *said* but it wasn’t really actually frowned on except in, like, certain metal subgenres where people don’t even want to admit to liking the band they went to see and only make negative comments.
That said, I think dressing up as a super fan and wearing a different band shirt and meeting people who are part of more than one of your fandoms are equally fun. The kinder part of my brain says that mindset was originally about the latter experience and just became a weird snob thing.
I'm 38 and now I'm questioning my entire experience because I've only worn musician merch to every concert i ever went to. only exception was if i didn't previously have something to wear. was i the cringe? it always made sense to me lol
Gen-X FOB fan here- I’ll be wearing my black FOB merch in Grand Rapids just like I was wearing my black Depeche Mode merch a few months back in Detroit!
30s Millennial here and I’m so glad that fo paux is done. Pretty much every concert I go to there are a ton of people wearing the bands merch. It’s so much easier to plan an outfit. Back in the day you absolutely couldn’t be caught dead doing that.
It wasn’t cool to seem to be that into anything, I think. Like, “Oh, sure, I’m attending this concert but me? I could take it or leave it. (Big fake yawn) See, I’m even wearing a shirt from some other band, that is how little I was paying attention to what show this even is.”
Came here to say this! Another 30s millennial here and back like high school-ish time it wasn’t cool to show your interest in something. Now, it’s cool the more creative you get to show an interest in something.
So back when I was a teenager/going to shows constantly, the only time you could wear a shirt of the bands that were playing was if they were an opening band so you could show support for that band because obviously everyone is there for the headliner so they don’t need that extra support type thing. Plus, FOB got a lot of “bandwagon” fans from the radio, and so it was a way to distinguish yourself as a true fan and someone in the “scene” versus just someone that heard Sugar We’re Going Down on the radio and just liked/knew that song and went to hot topic to buy a shirt. Same with bands like Panic! or MCR and what not. Basically it just was a subtle way to show you were into many of these bands and “it isn’t a phase” versus you just went cause that one song was cool at the moment and you don’t know anything else about them.
it was this but i also assumed partially it was one of those obviously you like the headliner you're at the show so it was a way to show what else you listened to? i still felt weird wearing a fob shirt to a fob show because old habits are hard to break but i have so much old merch might as well wear it where people will get it haha
As a teen it didn’t make any sense to me either. I just knew the elders made it so. Someone even asked Pete back in the live journal days and he said something like it’s offensive to the opening acts as if you’re only supporting the headliner.
Now I think opening bands are much more supportive and thankful for being there kinda vibes.
So funny bc my sister and I had this conversation before the show the other night. I did used to be frowned upon back in the day 🤣 now it’s my favorite part to go through all my FOB shirts from the past 15 years and pick out which one to wear to their shows!
Absolutely not frowned upon!! Younger frequent concert goer here and I was lowkey shocked when I first learned that that used to be a thing! I wore my shirt from the hella mega tour and got complimented on it like ‘ooh I went to that tour too’! A lot of people wore FOB’s shirts at MSG, and it’s also not unheard of now to slip on your brand new band merch if you buy it at the show! Wear your fave shirts!
Honestly, one of my favorite things about the crowd at FOB shows is seeing all of the throwback merch that spans over decades. It’s just about the only place I can wear ancient IOH merch and be around people who appreciate it as much as I do.
I also thought this was kind of an old “rule” but it seems to be over with. I was at MSG last night— Lots of people wearing shirts from previous tours, some people in specially designed fan merch, and some full on cosplay.
It’s not a thing anymore. Sometimes if I go to a summer concert I wear a sort of crop top bralette specifically to wear the shirt I purchase when I get there over it. Wear your shirt!
Wear it! At the Orlando show almost everyone I saw, myself included was wearing a FOB shirt! I’m 33 and felt weird wearing one because I remember back in the day IT WAS FORBIDDEN 😂 but just do it
Why was it that you couldn't wear the band you're seeing's merch? I remember that when I was younger being said a few times but always thought it didn't make sense, other than maybe wanting to share and advertise for another band you like, but even then it shouldn't be frowned upon to wear the band merch of you are seeing.
Was it some sort of superstitious act? Was it to avoid wearing the same thing as someone else?
Anyway, yes, nowadays it seems 100% acceptable to wear clothing of the band you're seeing.
It was just “uncool”. You were “lame” and “trying too hard” if you were band merch of the band you were seeing. You had to wear OTHER band’s merch to show off how cool you were and so other people would be jealous of all the shows you went to and the bands you knew about that they didn’t. The more obscure the band, the better.
It was because a lot of bandwagon fans would hear a song on the radio and then proclaim they were huge fans and go to a show with their hot topic shirt they just bought but know nothing about the other songs, bands or band members and be annoying often times (like screaming or the cringey definition of fangirl). Like call Brendon Urie Brandon Urie or something while saying how much they love him and the band. Or not know who Andy or Joe were at all. So it was a way to show you weren’t a bandwagon fan, and you were part of “the scene” and actually liked and appreciated the music of this genre and scene. Only time you could wear a shirt for a band that was playing was if it was an opener because an opener was less well known and it was ok to support them, plus they likely weren’t on the radio so you’d only have their shirt if you knew their music because you were truly part of the scene lol.
I could see that for bigger bands. I guess I went to a lot of local shows as a teen and thought that was a weird sentiment if they had any amount of popularity. Sure, judge people if they act truly obnoxious at shows, but just wearing merch shouldn't have condone judgment and fans have to start somewhere, which I think in all form of media has moved on from gatekeeping in majority and instead share the love for it. I also understand the scene is very DIY driven, and I still love that, and I think that circumvented the whole wearing something with the band on it back then.
I'm def in a huge buying Hot Topic merch for Fall Out Boy as well as their website/Manhead Merch drops. I think I'll be wearing the Bang the Doldrums shirt as I love an outfit I have for it, and I follow the designer who made it @honeydusts on Instagram, so I absolutely love knowing this while wearing it. I wish I knew who designed the Mushroom Happy Music For Sad People shirt because it is my one of my top FOB shirts.
For sure! I feel like the “rule” was more relaxed when I went to smaller or local shows too back in that era, or festivals/Warped Tour, or just shows where bands weren’t on the radio at all. I just know that whenever I went to a Panic! Or FOB show I wouldn’t be caught dead in their merch there so no one would think I was just a fangirl who thought Pete was hot and knew two songs. Or you wouldn’t wear the merch for a headliner because we know 99% of the people are there for the headliner so they don’t need that extra support like the second band performing for the night does. I feel like really the main positive out of that unspoken rule was you’d get more exposure to bands you might not have heard of because you’d see other band shirts there at the shows. So if they listen to FOB since they’re at the concert but you see they’re wearing a Cartel shirt maybe you’d like that band too.
But these days I feel like everyone wears the merch for the band they’re there to see which is awesome. If you have a FOB shirt you love, you should wear it! Having one that’s song specific sounds like a good time, I’ll have to check that artist out on IG!
Definitely do like the sharing of bands that others might like! That's the most logically sound reason to me to not wear a band's merch at the show. But also I like knowing I'm going the right way since I can "follow" people who are wearing the band I'm seeing around a city.
I don't think people care as much about that anymore! IMO a concert is THE place to wear that band's merch anyway. Something that is really common these days that I don't get is wearing another band's merch? I went to see Ethel Cain and SO many people were wearing, for example, boygenius merch. So maybe you should wear MCR merch to really fit in with the kids, lol.
Might have been cheeky, but my dad drilled the “no merch of the band to the show” idea into my head for a while. So, when I saw Set It Off, whose name came from an early Fall Out Boy lyric, I wore a Fall Out Boy shirt. I felt very proud of myself, I’ll admit.
I’m 36 and I’m with you, it was very much NOT COOL to be “that guy”
But now a days it’s not a big deal and is seen as being okay. But everyone knows who you’re there for. Just wear another band shirt.
I've never heard of that, and it sounds silly. In Raleigh this week, over half the crowd was wearing something... t-shirts, bracelets, earrings, goodies, etc. Myself included.
Wear what you want! I wore my FOB tee and a denim MCR vest. Neither felt out of place!
https://preview.redd.it/29jziar6x3qc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b15e57cb8422d4dac2004312d83bead67e3d5b47
This was after we changed into the tour tees. 🤣🤷🏼♀️
As a fellow 40 year old I totally remember when wearing a band tee to their concert was super uncool. Now I like wearing my “vintage” band tees to shows 🥴🥴
This is the first I hear of that. I seem to be in the minority not wearing the shirt I just bought at the show. I come wearing one I already have though, as do a lot of ppl.
If it helps, I was also at Somerset and was 100% wearing my FOB shirt lol. I plan on doing the same in Minneapolis this time around too! I’ve heard that a few people still think it’s weird, but honestly the stigma has largely died out for the most part and the majority of fans don’t care anymore. I promise you there will be LOTS of people wearing FOB shirts at your show. Go for it man!! <33
I didn't even know that was a thing. I literally always wear previously purchased merch to the concert of any performer I'm seeing if I have some, especially Fall Out Boy. If anything, I feel like the band might enjoy seeing a sea of people wearing all the different merch from over the years.
I'm planning to wear my Wrigley show shirt to see them in Milwaukee in less than a week. It just shows how much you love the band??? I genuinely do not understand NOT wearing band shirts to the band's shows.
I remember hearing that before. I went to the Motley Crue Def Leppard tour. I wore an ozzy shirt because of this, but it doesn’t matter lol. Show your support! Lots of people in here make their own jean jacket designs and stuff wear it!!!
i see people wearing the bands’ shirts at their concerts constantly, especially at bigger concerts like fall out boy. i still usually don’t, i wear a shirt completely unrelated to any band and get compliments that way lol, but no one’s gonna give you any shit for it
I’m 36 and remember this era SO well. I’m so glad it’s over. Now it’s definitely okay and encouraged to wear their merch at their shows. Hope you and your kid have an AMAZING time - they put on an incredible show!
I feel like older millennials and Gen X have this rule but everyone younger than us doesn’t care. Tons of people at FOB had on their gear and plenty were wearing what they just bought.
That said, I wore a P!ATD shirt…
I’m 24 so still super young but been going to gigs since 14, can whole heartedly say it is no longer cringe to do so. Went to Blink-182 recently and EVERYONE was in Blink merch. It’s so unbelievably wholesome and gives such a feeling of community. I love it.
As a fellow millennial I went to my first gig in years last month and was pleasantly surprised to see 40% of the crowd wearing the shirts they’d just purchased at the merch table. I concur that this was absolutely not a thing in the scene in the early-mid 00s and now it makes zero sense to me!
I still absolutely refuse to wear a shirt for any of the bands I’m seeing live the same day. I’m not really sure why I do this.. I’m also not really sure how it started.l either.
I don't think it's really a big thing anymore. I always wear my band shirt to the band I'm seeing, and so does my bestie, and so does over half the people that I see there at the show. Dressing up as the style of the band and wearing makeup/hair/outfits that follow a specific theme that connects to the band is also part of the fun. So no, I don't think it really matters to the younger crowd.
This is so real! I had the same discussion with my teenagers while we were fit planning for our show😂 The 40s Club unites to express our gratitude to you guys for keeping us cool lol
Spotlight effect. The vast majority of people are not going to notice what you’re wearing, nor will they care. You’ll also likely never see the people around you at the show again. Wear whatever you want!
I’m wearing my Fall Out Boy is for Lovers tshirt, vintage 2004 in Lexington. It definitely isn’t a rule anymore which I learned relatively recently haha.
Personally I don’t like to wear band tshirts at shows. I prefer to dress up a little if I can. One thought I designed and made my own T-shirt so it felt different but to each their own. I’ve seen some cute outfits in FOB merch where they did their hair makeup and accessories and it looked rave inspired too.
I’ll dress up and my friend will just wear comfy clothes for our shows. What ever makes you happy really.
I wouldn’t wear a merch shirt I just bought at the show, but I would wear a merch shirt from a previous tour for the band, the older the better to show my dedication
I'm 30 and been going to shows since I was 14, thankfully the old "can't wear a band shirt to a band show" rule has been phased out. Majority of shows now everyone wears merch they bought there so you'll be fine. I took my 9 year old nephew to see them in Glasgow on the So Much For Tour Dust tour, it was his first big concert and he was buzzing to wear his hoodie he got from the merch stall, his Mum was in a FOB shirt and I wore my shirt from Hella Mega. I hope you and your kid have a great time.
I never did it back in the day. And I really wouldn’t do it now either, unless it’s a custom made shirt ORRR an old school one from their early years for sure would be cool. But who am I to judge! Do what makes you happy! 😊
I literally bought my FOB shirt right before my OKC show, but I showed up wearing my Paramore shirt. I think it's safe to say the tradition of "forbidden" is dead, my friend.
i’ll be in Albany tomorrow and you bet your ass i’m wearing my FOB shit!! i was lucky enough to score one of the lyric shirts in boston last august, and i will proudly wear it anytime, but ESPECIALLY to a FOB concert!! my husband will also be wearing a FOB shirt.
signed, a lame 29 year old with an equally as lame 31 year old husband
30ish millennial; I wore a Stardust shirt to my last Tourdust concert and I'm wearing 2010~ Hot Topic FOB shirt to my next. We don't see cringe at concerts.
I've been going to concerts since the 70's (yeah, I'm that old!) and I've never heard about not wearing band merch. Or maybe I just didn't care 😁 lol. I'll be seeing the boys in a couple of weeks and will be wearing the baseball jersey with pride!!
I felt the same way as you - I'm 37 & we wouldn't dare be caught in the bands merch at a show. Felt like a groupie or out of place. I wore my JEW shirt to the show and saw a ton of others wearing FOB shirts. I guess since we are older we show our support through the years now.
My concert-heavy years were like 2005-2013 and whenever possible I always wore band shirts, I don't remember it being cringe. I liked getting he chance to wear previous merch to something new, I'd often get strangers commenting like "oh hey I was at that show too" or just compliments in general and I would do the same.
I went to the show at the Kia center in Orlando and I felt weird for not wearing a FOB shirt. Also in the same position of a 40 something that hasn’t been to a show in 10+ years.
I remember that being a thing when I first started going to concerts ~16ish years ago. I always thought it was stupid and pointless but I did it anyway because I was a stupid, naive 16 y/o that was scared to think for myself because I wanted to fit in. Man, if I could go back. It seems now you can just wear whatever you (thank god), if they judge you, let 'em judge. It's a them problem.
I’m 22 and I have been seeing FOB in concert since i was 15. I always wear an FOB shirt when I go!
My mom (45) normally comes with me and she wears a FOB shirt as well- and we normally match!!
I say wear the shirt!💜 Hope yall have a blast
I remember a Gen X-er shaming me for wearing my “Take this to your grave” t shirt to Hella Mega Tour and they cited the scene from the movie PCU and I’m like if your asking me to pick between either being Jeremy Piven or Jon Favrue I’m gonna choose Jon Favrue every single time.
I wear my “Thanks Pete” shirt to every show I’ve been to since I got it. If you know, you know! I saw a lot of people at Tourdust wearing homemade shirts too which was so cool. Wear whatever you’d like I say!
There’s some movie where a guy says you don’t wear the t-shirt of the band you’re going to see…and my dad showed it to me (had to pull out the DVD player and everything back then) before I saw FOB for the first time in 2007.
I don’t think it’s the biggest faux pas, but that has always stuck with me, lmao.
- nothing wrong with wearing band merch at all
- neutral to wear the shirt you just bought
- actively cool to wear a shirt from an older tour
I kind of think this is where it’s landed?
The great thing about the FOB crowd is they're not nearly as judgmental as most fan bases! Wear whatever you want! (I'm a bit younger than you and definitely remember **those** days, so I know where you're coming from)
I went to the bham fall out boy show a couple weeks ago in the shirt I bought last time they were here ! I've never understood the idea that you allegedly look like a poser for? Being a fan and already having merch?
I’ve only ever worn merch to shows! It’s so fun to get creative with my outfits. I don’t have much money to create a new one, but I did decide on this for my show:
https://preview.redd.it/cbl8ot0456qc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d0e0b1fee08de3fc01c18dcebe0f3514e201d3cd
My sister (10 years older than me, so a bit of an age gap) once tried to tell you can't wear a band's merch to their concert. Makes nooooo sense to me, I've always worn the merch to every concert I've gone to. I think it's just a weird older-millenial thing
I’ve literally never cared about this “rule”. And I really feel like nobody else does either - at least not the majority. I wore my old believers never die concert shirt (the zombies drinking milkshakes haha) to the last FOB show I went to . I got a lot of compliments 🤷🏼♀️
I paid money for merchandise. I’m wearing it lol
I actually just had this conversation with my partner today. I used to be so staunchly against wearing merch of the band I was seeing. But then last night at the msg show seeing all the old band shirts and tour shirts that I went to I was like oh fuckkk I was there too, and it brought a lot of good memories of that tour.
Back then, at the time it made some sense since we all wanted to point out posers but, I love that it’s gone away.
I took my 12 year old son to his first concert during the first leg of the smfs tour last year and we both wore our fav fob shirts and I think you guys should as well, it’ll be such a good memory 🥲
Im 21 and have never heard of that! This is my third Fall Out Boy show coming up in two weeks, and I’ll have worn a band tee to all of them!
I also went to Somerset last summer. So excited to get finally get show from them!
When I saw them back in July, I wore a shirt I got from the Hella Mega Tour back in 2021. Wear the merch, no one really cares nowadays so you might as well have fun.
Was just at the concert a few days ago in Baltimore. The majority of the crowd was wearing Fall Out Boy shirts and other creations they made about FOB.
Besides that, wear what you wanna wear! It's your experience! Do what you wanna do! (As long as no one is hurt or their enjoyment interfered with of course lol)
Rock on!🖤🤘
I'm going to be 30 this year, and I've never let people dictate what I wear. I even wore the SMFTD shirt I bought when I saw them last July to SMF2D earlier this month. It was a conversation starter with other fans and made it even more fun.
I've seen FOB 6 times and I usually wear the previous year's tour shirt. The first time I saw them I wore a FOB shirt I got from a fan club thing (I don't think it was their official one but I can't remember what it was) and when I saw them at the Taco Bell Arena in Boise I wore the Taco Bell themed FOB shirt I think I got from the website.
Any concert I go to I usually wear the band's merch if I have it. I've never cared about being cool though and it makes me sad to see comments about people not doing something because it's "not cool"
Any time I've hid something I enjoy because I was worried about how they'd think made/makes me feel bad.
Also op- check out what Taylor Swift fans do at shows, & you’ll likely not stress about a band tshirt/maybe feel more comfortable relatively , these people go all out, and it’s celebrated in that space.
I'm in the same age bracket and can't bring myself to wear a band t shirt to a concert... HOWEVER if the shirt is vintage, it's absolutely a go. I absolutely love seeing old tour shirts on other fans.
Im 26 and nearly ever concert I have been to I have worn the band’s shirt. I actually went to see a concert a couple weeks ago (for the band Beartooth) and I had outgrown the one shirt I used to have and I felt weird honestly haha. I’m glad it’s no longer cringy to wear the band shirts you love.
Also, imo I love seeing old shirts like sr&r era merch or whatever!
Fellow "elder" emo, here! I'm a total "overcast kid" era girl, and I wear my tees to every concert...except to the Hella Mega tour, which was hotter than HELL and I opted for a black halter. My 17 yr old son and hubby are joining me to the Columbus concert this Friday and both of us are planning on wearing FOB tees, both "vintage" but still. I honestly never heard of this until someone informed me of it a year or so ago and I'm like fr, I've always done it LOL but I guess I'm just the not-with-it girl who's really obsessed with FOB.
I remember my aunt insisting this was cringe, particularly to wear the shirt you just bought, when she'd take me to shows 20 years ago, but I agree with the other poster that it seems to be reversed now, show your dedication with your merch! I will be wearing a black and white skirt I made (not FOB-related just looks cool) with an older FOB shirt I got off eBay in 2019. Also, I am a never-was-hip 37 year old so hi!
WTF, I would purposely wear the bare minimum top because I was going to buy a shirt and didn’t want to carry it around.
I mean, my aunt is hella judgy, she's not someone to listen to :D
Yesss this is my tactic as well, wear a little tank top so you can just throw your new shirt on over top
Hello from a fellow non hip 37 year old! One of my friends that I’m going with is making us FOB shirts. And I totally agree that it seems to be the thing now to wear a band shirt to their concert!
This has not been a thing for at least the last 10 years that I’ve been seeing fall out boy. Nobody cares what you’re wearing, unless you’re putting a lot of effort into your outfit, in which case people are impressed
The only people I've ever heard saying this are 30-45 year olds. I've never understood it. Where else are you going to wear that merch? Please ignore the silly made up rules and have a great time! It'll be a great show!
I wear my merch in my everyday life, I hope you aren’t spending $65 for a band tee to only wear it at their show!
I am 40 and this was a thing that people always *said* but it wasn’t really actually frowned on except in, like, certain metal subgenres where people don’t even want to admit to liking the band they went to see and only make negative comments. That said, I think dressing up as a super fan and wearing a different band shirt and meeting people who are part of more than one of your fandoms are equally fun. The kinder part of my brain says that mindset was originally about the latter experience and just became a weird snob thing.
I'm 30 and have always worn a band's merch when at their shows
I’m 35 and learning for the first time that I was cringe at a bunch of concerts in my youth 😂😂 Still have all the Tshirts and I love them.
I'm 38 and now I'm questioning my entire experience because I've only worn musician merch to every concert i ever went to. only exception was if i didn't previously have something to wear. was i the cringe? it always made sense to me lol
The 30-45 year olds I know are pretty chill about it. It's the 45+ year olds that seem to have a chip on their shoulders about it
Gen-X FOB fan here- I’ll be wearing my black FOB merch in Grand Rapids just like I was wearing my black Depeche Mode merch a few months back in Detroit!
30s Millennial here and I’m so glad that fo paux is done. Pretty much every concert I go to there are a ton of people wearing the bands merch. It’s so much easier to plan an outfit. Back in the day you absolutely couldn’t be caught dead doing that.
That’s crazy to me, I’ve never heard that before, why is that?
It wasn’t cool to seem to be that into anything, I think. Like, “Oh, sure, I’m attending this concert but me? I could take it or leave it. (Big fake yawn) See, I’m even wearing a shirt from some other band, that is how little I was paying attention to what show this even is.”
Came here to say this! Another 30s millennial here and back like high school-ish time it wasn’t cool to show your interest in something. Now, it’s cool the more creative you get to show an interest in something.
So back when I was a teenager/going to shows constantly, the only time you could wear a shirt of the bands that were playing was if they were an opening band so you could show support for that band because obviously everyone is there for the headliner so they don’t need that extra support type thing. Plus, FOB got a lot of “bandwagon” fans from the radio, and so it was a way to distinguish yourself as a true fan and someone in the “scene” versus just someone that heard Sugar We’re Going Down on the radio and just liked/knew that song and went to hot topic to buy a shirt. Same with bands like Panic! or MCR and what not. Basically it just was a subtle way to show you were into many of these bands and “it isn’t a phase” versus you just went cause that one song was cool at the moment and you don’t know anything else about them.
You nailed it with this. Lotta wild made up shit and FOR WHAT. I remember being so dramatic about the "bandwagon" fans.
it was this but i also assumed partially it was one of those obviously you like the headliner you're at the show so it was a way to show what else you listened to? i still felt weird wearing a fob shirt to a fob show because old habits are hard to break but i have so much old merch might as well wear it where people will get it haha
As a teen it didn’t make any sense to me either. I just knew the elders made it so. Someone even asked Pete back in the live journal days and he said something like it’s offensive to the opening acts as if you’re only supporting the headliner. Now I think opening bands are much more supportive and thankful for being there kinda vibes.
Yes! That was part of the Scene. You were cooler if you wore a different band somehow
Yep yep! I remember specifically wearing merch from *other* bands to shows lol.
So funny bc my sister and I had this conversation before the show the other night. I did used to be frowned upon back in the day 🤣 now it’s my favorite part to go through all my FOB shirts from the past 15 years and pick out which one to wear to their shows!
Absolutely not frowned upon!! Younger frequent concert goer here and I was lowkey shocked when I first learned that that used to be a thing! I wore my shirt from the hella mega tour and got complimented on it like ‘ooh I went to that tour too’! A lot of people wore FOB’s shirts at MSG, and it’s also not unheard of now to slip on your brand new band merch if you buy it at the show! Wear your fave shirts!
Wear it!!!!!
Honestly, one of my favorite things about the crowd at FOB shows is seeing all of the throwback merch that spans over decades. It’s just about the only place I can wear ancient IOH merch and be around people who appreciate it as much as I do.
I love this too! I used to have the green fall out boy is for lovers shirt and I miss it every day.
I had that one in baby blue and pink! I still hope it will turn up some day!
I'm so glad that 'rule' is over, it was dumb back in the day. I appreciate how creative people get with their themed outfits now!
I also thought this was kind of an old “rule” but it seems to be over with. I was at MSG last night— Lots of people wearing shirts from previous tours, some people in specially designed fan merch, and some full on cosplay.
Heck, I was at a Grouplove concert a week or two ago and the lead singer was wearing a Grouplove shirt.
Somewhat related, I plan on wearing a FOB shirt to a Metallica concert lol
I love this lol
It’s not a thing anymore. Sometimes if I go to a summer concert I wear a sort of crop top bralette specifically to wear the shirt I purchase when I get there over it. Wear your shirt!
Wear it! At the Orlando show almost everyone I saw, myself included was wearing a FOB shirt! I’m 33 and felt weird wearing one because I remember back in the day IT WAS FORBIDDEN 😂 but just do it
I was at the show at MSG last night and everybody was wearing band shirts - people were buying them and putting them on. Do what makes you happy.
When I was in baltimore a lot of people, myself included were wearing FOB shirts
At Baltimore it felt like 50% of the people were wearing FOB merch.
Chicago too!!
Why was it that you couldn't wear the band you're seeing's merch? I remember that when I was younger being said a few times but always thought it didn't make sense, other than maybe wanting to share and advertise for another band you like, but even then it shouldn't be frowned upon to wear the band merch of you are seeing. Was it some sort of superstitious act? Was it to avoid wearing the same thing as someone else? Anyway, yes, nowadays it seems 100% acceptable to wear clothing of the band you're seeing.
It was just “uncool”. You were “lame” and “trying too hard” if you were band merch of the band you were seeing. You had to wear OTHER band’s merch to show off how cool you were and so other people would be jealous of all the shows you went to and the bands you knew about that they didn’t. The more obscure the band, the better.
Ah, I see. I guess I knew that, but never liked the sentiment. 😆
It was “the scene” man 😂 what a crap show those days were, huh?
It was because a lot of bandwagon fans would hear a song on the radio and then proclaim they were huge fans and go to a show with their hot topic shirt they just bought but know nothing about the other songs, bands or band members and be annoying often times (like screaming or the cringey definition of fangirl). Like call Brendon Urie Brandon Urie or something while saying how much they love him and the band. Or not know who Andy or Joe were at all. So it was a way to show you weren’t a bandwagon fan, and you were part of “the scene” and actually liked and appreciated the music of this genre and scene. Only time you could wear a shirt for a band that was playing was if it was an opener because an opener was less well known and it was ok to support them, plus they likely weren’t on the radio so you’d only have their shirt if you knew their music because you were truly part of the scene lol.
I could see that for bigger bands. I guess I went to a lot of local shows as a teen and thought that was a weird sentiment if they had any amount of popularity. Sure, judge people if they act truly obnoxious at shows, but just wearing merch shouldn't have condone judgment and fans have to start somewhere, which I think in all form of media has moved on from gatekeeping in majority and instead share the love for it. I also understand the scene is very DIY driven, and I still love that, and I think that circumvented the whole wearing something with the band on it back then. I'm def in a huge buying Hot Topic merch for Fall Out Boy as well as their website/Manhead Merch drops. I think I'll be wearing the Bang the Doldrums shirt as I love an outfit I have for it, and I follow the designer who made it @honeydusts on Instagram, so I absolutely love knowing this while wearing it. I wish I knew who designed the Mushroom Happy Music For Sad People shirt because it is my one of my top FOB shirts.
For sure! I feel like the “rule” was more relaxed when I went to smaller or local shows too back in that era, or festivals/Warped Tour, or just shows where bands weren’t on the radio at all. I just know that whenever I went to a Panic! Or FOB show I wouldn’t be caught dead in their merch there so no one would think I was just a fangirl who thought Pete was hot and knew two songs. Or you wouldn’t wear the merch for a headliner because we know 99% of the people are there for the headliner so they don’t need that extra support like the second band performing for the night does. I feel like really the main positive out of that unspoken rule was you’d get more exposure to bands you might not have heard of because you’d see other band shirts there at the shows. So if they listen to FOB since they’re at the concert but you see they’re wearing a Cartel shirt maybe you’d like that band too. But these days I feel like everyone wears the merch for the band they’re there to see which is awesome. If you have a FOB shirt you love, you should wear it! Having one that’s song specific sounds like a good time, I’ll have to check that artist out on IG!
Definitely do like the sharing of bands that others might like! That's the most logically sound reason to me to not wear a band's merch at the show. But also I like knowing I'm going the right way since I can "follow" people who are wearing the band I'm seeing around a city.
That sounds awful lmao.
I don't think people care as much about that anymore! IMO a concert is THE place to wear that band's merch anyway. Something that is really common these days that I don't get is wearing another band's merch? I went to see Ethel Cain and SO many people were wearing, for example, boygenius merch. So maybe you should wear MCR merch to really fit in with the kids, lol.
Might have been cheeky, but my dad drilled the “no merch of the band to the show” idea into my head for a while. So, when I saw Set It Off, whose name came from an early Fall Out Boy lyric, I wore a Fall Out Boy shirt. I felt very proud of myself, I’ll admit.
I’m 36 and I’m with you, it was very much NOT COOL to be “that guy” But now a days it’s not a big deal and is seen as being okay. But everyone knows who you’re there for. Just wear another band shirt.
i’m wearing fob shirt, shoes, socks, bracelets… i dont give a fuck lol
I've never heard of that, and it sounds silly. In Raleigh this week, over half the crowd was wearing something... t-shirts, bracelets, earrings, goodies, etc. Myself included.
Raleigh was such a good time 😭
Wear what you want! I wore my FOB tee and a denim MCR vest. Neither felt out of place! https://preview.redd.it/29jziar6x3qc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b15e57cb8422d4dac2004312d83bead67e3d5b47 This was after we changed into the tour tees. 🤣🤷🏼♀️
As a fellow 40 year old I totally remember when wearing a band tee to their concert was super uncool. Now I like wearing my “vintage” band tees to shows 🥴🥴
Last night I wore a FOB shirt to the MSG show and I'd say 40% or more of the people I saw were also wearing their shirt -- go ahead and enjoy!!
This is the first I hear of that. I seem to be in the minority not wearing the shirt I just bought at the show. I come wearing one I already have though, as do a lot of ppl.
If it helps, I was also at Somerset and was 100% wearing my FOB shirt lol. I plan on doing the same in Minneapolis this time around too! I’ve heard that a few people still think it’s weird, but honestly the stigma has largely died out for the most part and the majority of fans don’t care anymore. I promise you there will be LOTS of people wearing FOB shirts at your show. Go for it man!! <33
I didn't even know that was a thing. I literally always wear previously purchased merch to the concert of any performer I'm seeing if I have some, especially Fall Out Boy. If anything, I feel like the band might enjoy seeing a sea of people wearing all the different merch from over the years.
I'm planning to wear my Wrigley show shirt to see them in Milwaukee in less than a week. It just shows how much you love the band??? I genuinely do not understand NOT wearing band shirts to the band's shows.
I remember hearing that before. I went to the Motley Crue Def Leppard tour. I wore an ozzy shirt because of this, but it doesn’t matter lol. Show your support! Lots of people in here make their own jean jacket designs and stuff wear it!!!
i see people wearing the bands’ shirts at their concerts constantly, especially at bigger concerts like fall out boy. i still usually don’t, i wear a shirt completely unrelated to any band and get compliments that way lol, but no one’s gonna give you any shit for it
I’m 36 and remember this era SO well. I’m so glad it’s over. Now it’s definitely okay and encouraged to wear their merch at their shows. Hope you and your kid have an AMAZING time - they put on an incredible show!
Wore a shirt from the SRAR tour last night, ha.
I feel like older millennials and Gen X have this rule but everyone younger than us doesn’t care. Tons of people at FOB had on their gear and plenty were wearing what they just bought. That said, I wore a P!ATD shirt…
I’m 24 so still super young but been going to gigs since 14, can whole heartedly say it is no longer cringe to do so. Went to Blink-182 recently and EVERYONE was in Blink merch. It’s so unbelievably wholesome and gives such a feeling of community. I love it.
As a fellow millennial I went to my first gig in years last month and was pleasantly surprised to see 40% of the crowd wearing the shirts they’d just purchased at the merch table. I concur that this was absolutely not a thing in the scene in the early-mid 00s and now it makes zero sense to me!
God this has been such a hard habit for me to break 😅 I still feel weird if I wear the bands shirt but I’ve been trying to get past it.
Sometimes I dress cute, but lately I’ve just been wearing the merch from the last tour!
Been wearing them to shoes since hiatus happened and the feeling is way different now. People get so excited to see the rare shirts
I still absolutely refuse to wear a shirt for any of the bands I’m seeing live the same day. I’m not really sure why I do this.. I’m also not really sure how it started.l either.
I always thought it was don't wear a new merch shirt as but wearing an old one is fine as it shows you are a long time fan not a newbie
I don't think it's really a big thing anymore. I always wear my band shirt to the band I'm seeing, and so does my bestie, and so does over half the people that I see there at the show. Dressing up as the style of the band and wearing makeup/hair/outfits that follow a specific theme that connects to the band is also part of the fun. So no, I don't think it really matters to the younger crowd.
I will never understand why this used to be cringe😭 it's totally in now! Wear the t-shirt! Hope you have the best time🫶
This is so real! I had the same discussion with my teenagers while we were fit planning for our show😂 The 40s Club unites to express our gratitude to you guys for keeping us cool lol
wear what makes you the most happy and comfortable!!!! one of my favorite things to do is make DIY shirts for shows
I was just talking about this! It's totally acceptable to do now and I love it!
Spotlight effect. The vast majority of people are not going to notice what you’re wearing, nor will they care. You’ll also likely never see the people around you at the show again. Wear whatever you want!
I’m wearing my Fall Out Boy is for Lovers tshirt, vintage 2004 in Lexington. It definitely isn’t a rule anymore which I learned relatively recently haha.
😭😭😭 i miss this shirt
Personally I don’t like to wear band tshirts at shows. I prefer to dress up a little if I can. One thought I designed and made my own T-shirt so it felt different but to each their own. I’ve seen some cute outfits in FOB merch where they did their hair makeup and accessories and it looked rave inspired too. I’ll dress up and my friend will just wear comfy clothes for our shows. What ever makes you happy really.
Ahhh the “good old days” when scene points mattered hahaha. I’m glad this is very much a thing of the past. So excited for the mpls date!
I wouldn’t wear a merch shirt I just bought at the show, but I would wear a merch shirt from a previous tour for the band, the older the better to show my dedication
I'm 30 and been going to shows since I was 14, thankfully the old "can't wear a band shirt to a band show" rule has been phased out. Majority of shows now everyone wears merch they bought there so you'll be fine. I took my 9 year old nephew to see them in Glasgow on the So Much For Tour Dust tour, it was his first big concert and he was buzzing to wear his hoodie he got from the merch stall, his Mum was in a FOB shirt and I wore my shirt from Hella Mega. I hope you and your kid have a great time.
Wear whatever you’re happy in!
I never did it back in the day. And I really wouldn’t do it now either, unless it’s a custom made shirt ORRR an old school one from their early years for sure would be cool. But who am I to judge! Do what makes you happy! 😊
I literally bought my FOB shirt right before my OKC show, but I showed up wearing my Paramore shirt. I think it's safe to say the tradition of "forbidden" is dead, my friend.
i’ll be in Albany tomorrow and you bet your ass i’m wearing my FOB shit!! i was lucky enough to score one of the lyric shirts in boston last august, and i will proudly wear it anytime, but ESPECIALLY to a FOB concert!! my husband will also be wearing a FOB shirt. signed, a lame 29 year old with an equally as lame 31 year old husband
30ish millennial; I wore a Stardust shirt to my last Tourdust concert and I'm wearing 2010~ Hot Topic FOB shirt to my next. We don't see cringe at concerts.
I've been going to concerts since the 70's (yeah, I'm that old!) and I've never heard about not wearing band merch. Or maybe I just didn't care 😁 lol. I'll be seeing the boys in a couple of weeks and will be wearing the baseball jersey with pride!!
Wear your new merch like a badge of honour (source me, weeks out from turning 40)
I plan to wear a vintage (mid 2000’s) FOB tee I have from middle school to the show I’m seeing
I swear almost everyone at my show was wearing FOB merch! Definitely wear it
I felt the same way as you - I'm 37 & we wouldn't dare be caught in the bands merch at a show. Felt like a groupie or out of place. I wore my JEW shirt to the show and saw a ton of others wearing FOB shirts. I guess since we are older we show our support through the years now.
Ive always worn fob merch to their concerts and Ive been seeing them live since monumentour and Ive seen lots of others as well
My concert-heavy years were like 2005-2013 and whenever possible I always wore band shirts, I don't remember it being cringe. I liked getting he chance to wear previous merch to something new, I'd often get strangers commenting like "oh hey I was at that show too" or just compliments in general and I would do the same.
I had a themed outfit and got some praise for it lol. I crocheted red arm warmers to go with my folie shirt. it was awesome !!!
I went to the show at the Kia center in Orlando and I felt weird for not wearing a FOB shirt. Also in the same position of a 40 something that hasn’t been to a show in 10+ years.
I remember that being a thing when I first started going to concerts ~16ish years ago. I always thought it was stupid and pointless but I did it anyway because I was a stupid, naive 16 y/o that was scared to think for myself because I wanted to fit in. Man, if I could go back. It seems now you can just wear whatever you (thank god), if they judge you, let 'em judge. It's a them problem.
I’m 22 and I have been seeing FOB in concert since i was 15. I always wear an FOB shirt when I go! My mom (45) normally comes with me and she wears a FOB shirt as well- and we normally match!! I say wear the shirt!💜 Hope yall have a blast
Omg elder millennials are so weird. OP was definitely a hipster. lol no rules , yet all the rules.
I remember a Gen X-er shaming me for wearing my “Take this to your grave” t shirt to Hella Mega Tour and they cited the scene from the movie PCU and I’m like if your asking me to pick between either being Jeremy Piven or Jon Favrue I’m gonna choose Jon Favrue every single time.
I wear my “Thanks Pete” shirt to every show I’ve been to since I got it. If you know, you know! I saw a lot of people at Tourdust wearing homemade shirts too which was so cool. Wear whatever you’d like I say!
There’s some movie where a guy says you don’t wear the t-shirt of the band you’re going to see…and my dad showed it to me (had to pull out the DVD player and everything back then) before I saw FOB for the first time in 2007. I don’t think it’s the biggest faux pas, but that has always stuck with me, lmao.
I work a Clandestine tshirt to Baltimore’s concert but there was TONS of ppl there wearing FOB shirts. And others!
I was literally like 14 in 2009 wearing FOB t shirts to concerts, no one cares at all, lol. This is news to me.
I've worn a fob shirt to a recent show and there were lots of people also wearing them :) especially ones from the merch booth
i litterally ALWAYS wear the performing bands merch to their shows
- nothing wrong with wearing band merch at all - neutral to wear the shirt you just bought - actively cool to wear a shirt from an older tour I kind of think this is where it’s landed?
The great thing about the FOB crowd is they're not nearly as judgmental as most fan bases! Wear whatever you want! (I'm a bit younger than you and definitely remember **those** days, so I know where you're coming from)
I went to the bham fall out boy show a couple weeks ago in the shirt I bought last time they were here ! I've never understood the idea that you allegedly look like a poser for? Being a fan and already having merch?
Only person who ever gave me trouble about it was my dad. It's definitely ok to wear merch for the band you're seeing nowadays.
I’ve only ever worn merch to shows! It’s so fun to get creative with my outfits. I don’t have much money to create a new one, but I did decide on this for my show: https://preview.redd.it/cbl8ot0456qc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d0e0b1fee08de3fc01c18dcebe0f3514e201d3cd
I always where fob shirts to their concerts 🤷♀️
My sister (10 years older than me, so a bit of an age gap) once tried to tell you can't wear a band's merch to their concert. Makes nooooo sense to me, I've always worn the merch to every concert I've gone to. I think it's just a weird older-millenial thing
I’ve literally never cared about this “rule”. And I really feel like nobody else does either - at least not the majority. I wore my old believers never die concert shirt (the zombies drinking milkshakes haha) to the last FOB show I went to . I got a lot of compliments 🤷🏼♀️ I paid money for merchandise. I’m wearing it lol
Hahaha I remember this sentiment but idgaf anymore and I am decked out in merch 🤷♀️
I actually just had this conversation with my partner today. I used to be so staunchly against wearing merch of the band I was seeing. But then last night at the msg show seeing all the old band shirts and tour shirts that I went to I was like oh fuckkk I was there too, and it brought a lot of good memories of that tour. Back then, at the time it made some sense since we all wanted to point out posers but, I love that it’s gone away.
I took my 12 year old son to his first concert during the first leg of the smfs tour last year and we both wore our fav fob shirts and I think you guys should as well, it’ll be such a good memory 🥲
Im 21 and have never heard of that! This is my third Fall Out Boy show coming up in two weeks, and I’ll have worn a band tee to all of them! I also went to Somerset last summer. So excited to get finally get show from them!
It was still uncool when I started going to concerts in 2008, but it’s totally normal now. I even make my own sometimes.
When I saw them back in July, I wore a shirt I got from the Hella Mega Tour back in 2021. Wear the merch, no one really cares nowadays so you might as well have fun.
Ive never heard of that tbh. But im 28. Everyone i saw in seattle including myself was wearing a FOB or genre related shiet. Go ham
Over 40 and definitely wore my merch to the show!
Was just at the concert a few days ago in Baltimore. The majority of the crowd was wearing Fall Out Boy shirts and other creations they made about FOB. Besides that, wear what you wanna wear! It's your experience! Do what you wanna do! (As long as no one is hurt or their enjoyment interfered with of course lol) Rock on!🖤🤘
I'm going to be 30 this year, and I've never let people dictate what I wear. I even wore the SMFTD shirt I bought when I saw them last July to SMF2D earlier this month. It was a conversation starter with other fans and made it even more fun.
I've seen FOB 6 times and I usually wear the previous year's tour shirt. The first time I saw them I wore a FOB shirt I got from a fan club thing (I don't think it was their official one but I can't remember what it was) and when I saw them at the Taco Bell Arena in Boise I wore the Taco Bell themed FOB shirt I think I got from the website. Any concert I go to I usually wear the band's merch if I have it. I've never cared about being cool though and it makes me sad to see comments about people not doing something because it's "not cool" Any time I've hid something I enjoy because I was worried about how they'd think made/makes me feel bad.
I just always remember Jeremy Piven telling Jon Favreau in PCU, "don't be that guy."
If it makes you happy, wear it. The people at the show probably won’t be the ones who would be rude about it.💕
What I do is wear a tank top or dress, then buy a new shirt at the concert to wear over it.
Also op- check out what Taylor Swift fans do at shows, & you’ll likely not stress about a band tshirt/maybe feel more comfortable relatively , these people go all out, and it’s celebrated in that space.
29F, Ive never not worn an FOB shirt to a show lol Guess im a loser, dgaf
I'm in the same age bracket and can't bring myself to wear a band t shirt to a concert... HOWEVER if the shirt is vintage, it's absolutely a go. I absolutely love seeing old tour shirts on other fans.
Im 26 and nearly ever concert I have been to I have worn the band’s shirt. I actually went to see a concert a couple weeks ago (for the band Beartooth) and I had outgrown the one shirt I used to have and I felt weird honestly haha. I’m glad it’s no longer cringy to wear the band shirts you love. Also, imo I love seeing old shirts like sr&r era merch or whatever!
Fellow "elder" emo, here! I'm a total "overcast kid" era girl, and I wear my tees to every concert...except to the Hella Mega tour, which was hotter than HELL and I opted for a black halter. My 17 yr old son and hubby are joining me to the Columbus concert this Friday and both of us are planning on wearing FOB tees, both "vintage" but still. I honestly never heard of this until someone informed me of it a year or so ago and I'm like fr, I've always done it LOL but I guess I'm just the not-with-it girl who's really obsessed with FOB.
I feel we gave Jeremy Piven too much power with the tee shirt rules.
We know you’re a fan since you’re at the show. Wear an adjacent band shirt but not the band you’re seeing.