Nick. L Photo
He is in tears, however, after some shows. And even after one where he thought he was fine, “I saw some fans who were in tears and then I just lost it.”
When he gets offstage, either Caputo (who after 20 years still hits the road with him and retains his status as LFO’s honorary fourth member) or drummer Floyd McCollum will check on him. “They’re always kind of waiting,” Fischetti said. “‘Okay, where’s he at? Is he gonna break down?'” They’re figuring out, “Do I need a hug? They’re all kinda looking at me, like, ‘Okay?’ ‘Um, I think I’m okay.”
Still, he continued, “a lot of fans remark, ‘I don’t know how you do that every single night.’ And there’s some nights where I go, ‘Okay, that’s enough. I had enough, I’m done, I’m retiring, it’s just too much.” But then he’ll head over to the merch table and pose for selfies with fans, “and they fill me with these beautiful words of love and respect,” he said. “And then I’m like, ‘Okay, I can’t stop.'”
Carrying on in Cronin and Lima’s stead “is not something I sought to do,” Fischetti emphasized. “It’s an unfortunate honor. But as long as people continue to support my mission, then I’ll continue to do it.”
