Wentz was primarily involved in the Chicago hardcore punk scene and was in several bands in the late 1990s. These included First Born, Arma Angelus (alongside Tim McIlrath, frontman of Rise Against), Yellow Road Priest, Racetraitor and many other relatively unknown bands. He claims to have co-founded the pop-punk band Fall Out Boy with Joe Trohman and Patrick Stump, with Andy Hurley later joining the band; but it was later said that he did this for the attention. He told his fans that it was actually Joe Trohman who founded the band. In 2004, Arma Angelus, the band in which Wentz was the vocalist, played its last show.[3]
In 2002, Fall Out Boy released an EP called Fall Out Boy/Project Rocket Split EP. Soon after, in 2003, the band released Fall Out Boy's Evening Out With Your Girlfriend on Uprising Records.[4] This album would later be digitally remastered and reissued after the band's second, more successful full-album release Take This To Your Grave. Later in 2003, Wentz and the rest of his bandmates signed with Island Records and released an acoustic EP called, My Heart Will Always Be the B-Side to My Tongue and DVD, in 2004.
Commercial success
After Fall Out Boy released the My Heart EP, they released their third album, From Under the Cork Tree, in 2005. Wentz wrote the lyrics to the first single, "Sugar, We're Goin Down" with his dad in Chicago; the song peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 [5]). February 6, 2007, was the release date for Fall Out Boy's fourth full-length album, Infinity On High.
Wentz has been helping Panic! at the Disco, the band he signed to his Decaydance Records label in 2005, with their second album in the summer of 2007.[6]
Other projects
Wentz has written a book entitled The Boy With the Thorn In His Side, which is a story based on nightmares he had as a child.[7] The title is a reference to a track on The Smiths' album The Queen Is Dead. He has another book titled, "Rainy Day Kids," which was scheduled to be released February 14, 2006, but has been postponed. It is said to be published in summer 2007.[8] In addition, Wentz is currently co-writing another book with William Beckett of The Academy Is....
Wentz's company, Clandestine Industries, distributes books and clothing and other merchandise. On August 2, 2007, fashion company DKNY joined a partnership with Clandestine Industries.[9] Wentz himself has served as a model on the DKNY/Clandestine promo website. [10] The clothing line, which consists of Skinny Jeans, Shirts and Hoodies, it will make its appearance on Septemeber 6th in the Macy's Herald Square, with Pete signing autographs for any fans that buy his new line of clothing.
