It was a bittersweet night, as Panic! At The Disco stopped in Birmingham ("one of our favorite cities"- Panic! wrote on their Instagram) for the last time.
Set opener: “Say Amen (Saturday Night)” was absolutely incredible, the perfect way to get the show started. Followed by “Hey Look Ma, I Made It” and “Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time”.
The band closed out Act I of the concert with “Emperor's New Clothes”, and Urie disappeared from the stage. When Panic! came back they shifted gears toward their new album Viva Las Vengeance which was released just before the tour began. A perfect album to be played live. On the “Viva Las Vengeance Tour,” Panic! At The Disco takes a big risk, playing the entirety of their newest album from front to back in order, along with a dozen of its biggest hits. The decision got mixed audience reactions because it's less familiar to some but Urie, being the tremendous showman that he is, carried the performance with his pure vocal talent and charisma. After playing their latest LP, it was increasingly apparent that fans were getting antsy for something they knew so they got back to playing some of the fans' favorites.
"Girls / Girls / Boys” was next in a celebration of bisexuality, and audience members used their flashlights and colored pieces of paper to create a rainbow sea. One thing that was constant across the three acts was the incredible production. Lighting played a key role in the transitions between the acts along with psychedelic light shows and major stage theatrics.
It was a sensory overload, and there was always something to look at.
That includes his band: bassist Nicole Row and guitarist Mike Naran ooze cool and played off each other and the crowd, often leading the stage while Urie was gone between songs. Even the percussion sections had simple choreographed moves at certain points.
Urie didn’t speak much between songs, thanking people for showing up a handful of times and his crew for putting the tour together night after night.
Then came the last act. From the band’s first hit single "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" to the last one "High Hopes" and everything in between, Panic! At The Disco made sure there was something for everyone.
The realization that Panic! At The Disco will be no more after their current tour is a hard one to swallow, but the reason behind it is a very sweet and positive one. I can only congratulate them on a long incredible career and good luck in this next chapter.
