A lot of Wentz’s growth and maturity can certainly be attributed to the fact that he’s now a family man who sees the world through the eyes of a husband and a father. And while he’s only been part of the parenting game since November, being a dad has rocked his world, and in a very short period of time, it’s had a big influence on his life and his music. “It’s definitely been the best five month experience of my entire life. It’s hard to explain. It’s like all the clichés, ‘If you’re a dad, you’ll get it,’ and ‘If you’re not, it’s hard to explain.’ I just like totally understand so much more about my father, and the sacrifices that he made for me now and I appreciate that on a whole different level. And if I can be half as good as him, then I’ll be alright,” Wentz reflects. “I always thought I was fighting the good fight, but I realized I was fighting a lot of little fights. I realize the complications of the things that got under my skin before are just so silly and trivial to me now. They just don’t mean anything.”
While Wentz says it’s hard to be away from little Bronx Mowgli while he tours, he and Simpson try to spend as much time together as possible. Luckily, fans can rest assured that quitting Fall Out Boy is not in the cards. “These are the lives we signed on for, and we knew that going into it. We find ways to make it work. When Ash isn’t working, they’re with us, and when I have a day off I’m with them, so we find ways,” he says. “I want my son to have a nomadic upbringing. I think it’s important to see and experience other cultures in the world. He’s been to England, and he’s been to France, and he’s been to Japan, and that’s all before he was four months old. I want him to be able to experience that.”
Not only is Bronx being exposed to more than most babies, but much to Wentz’s delight, his son’s already started showing the makings of quite a talented musician. “He was on the piano the other day, and man, it was blowing my mind. He hasn’t got it all down, but he likes making the noise, which is half the battle, you know.”
When he’s not focused on his son’s skills as a pianist, Wentz is busy honing in on his own musicianship. Currently making his way through the States on Fall Out Boy’s massive spring Believers Never Die, Part Deux tour with Cobra Starship, All Time Low, Metro Station, Hey Monday, and even 50 Cent for some shows, Wentz says while the performances have been great, the tour’s been plagued with some bad luck. “It’s actually been a little bit cursed. We’ve had two trips to the hospital and we’ve had a show that was cancelled due to lightning. There was a food poisoning that ran rampant through one bus, and then someone broke their ankle, or did something to their ankle. So we have a shaman coming in to bless the tour today, and we’re making the opposite of voodoo dolls, whatever that is. There’s a bit of a hex on this tour, but the show’s nuts. We’re doing anti-rain dances. We’re going to make it happen. We need this show blessed.”
Regardless of what spiritual mojo the shaman brings, Fall Out Boy is guaranteed to deliver a much-more-than-blessed performance at their upcoming spot at Bamboozle. Wentz says it’s a huge privilege to be the major headlining act on the first day of the festival and can’t wait to get crowds going crazy. “It’s definitely an honor. We played at Bamboozle when it was called Skate And Surf, and it’s been a big deal for us, and we’ve never really seen ourselves in that [headlining] light before. So to be asked to headline not just that—we headlined the West Coast show as well—it’s a really big deal,” he says, excited. “We’re going to put on the biggest show we can at a festival. At a festival, all the bands have even playing ground. That’s the great thing—you just need to go out and earn the fans with your music and with your stage show. You don’t have all the tricks, and the smoke and mirrors to pull people in. But we’re excited to get out there and do it like that. I [still] get nervous every single time. I get butterflies in my stomach.”
Fall Out Boy will be performing the first day of the Bamboozle festival on Saturday, May 2. For more information, visit falloutboyrock.com or thebamboozle.com.
