When tickets for Fall Out Boy’s comeback reunion tour went on sale in February, most shows sold out within the hour.

The show, scheduled for the Palladium Ballroom on June 8 in Dallas, was a similar story. Fans like myself cued up in the online waiting room for tickets well over an hour before they even went on sale. Luckily, I was one of the fans able to purchase a ticket so I made the trip to Dallas the weekend of June 8 to see one of my favorite bands perform.

After a total of three-and-a-half hours driving time, a few more spent navigating the busy and unfamiliar streets of Dallas, a pretty penny dropped on the ticket and accommodations for the weekend, and four hours of waiting outside to get into the venue, I was only an hour and a half away from seeing a concert I’ve dreamed about seeing since I was a teenager.

The experience didn’t disappoint.

More than 2,500 fans packed in the Palladium Ballroom to see the sold-out show. There were certain discomforts at first — the heat inside the venue was no joke, especially with the crowd being as large as it was. My friend and I were fortunate to have gotten in early enough that we were able to nab a spot a couple rows from the barricade, and we avoided most of the crazy concert antics that were taking place in the center of the crowd.

By the time the opening act came on, the crowd was getting restless. But New Politics, the band that had the honor of starting the show, were good at setting a mood that was lively and fun and soon enough, the troubles of being cramped and crowded were replaced by the adrenaline rush that concert-goers feel whenever the party gets started.

After a surprisingly quick set by New Politics, the crew started to set up for the real show. Then it was time for what I had been waiting for — Fall Out Boy, live in Dallas for the first time in four years. The band was met with roaring applause when the curtain dropped and they began playing the intro to “Thriller,” the lead song from their sophomore album.

What followed was a rousing 21-song setlist, comprised of some of the band’s more well-known early works as well as hits from their latest album, released in April.

It would appear that the time the band took off, from 2008 to 2013, has only helped them flourish in their comeback. The Fall Out Boy I saw at the Palladium on June 8 were experienced and professional musicians, masterful in the ways they played their songs and worked the crowd.

The highlights of the show were surprising as some of the best material of the night were songs I hadn’t really expected. The track “Alone Together” from the band’s latest album was intensely moving live, with the large crowd of fans screaming the lyrics “Let’s be alone together/We can stay young forever” along with the band. The concert was a united effort, steeped in an outpouring of the feeling of belonging and feeling like you’re a part of something.

It was an emotional couple of hours, and an adrenaline rush like no other. Fall Out Boy did an amazing job of coming back in a big way, and offering their fans the chance to get up close and personal with them in small venues like the Palladium. Rating: A+