panic! @ the disco re-inspires thousands during stop in kcmo

panic! @ the disco re-inspires thousands during stop in kcmo

Who was a band or artist you played on repeat in your adolescence? Were you band or genre-loyal in your teens? Did you cling to lyrics, composition, or a specific type of energy to help inspire you and get you through the insanity of high school? Chances are, many millennials are getting into their feels thinking about emo and emo-adjacent music right now. A genre known for hosting nasally voices, lyrics that utilize a person’s entire vocabulary, titles that are longer than most novels, and theatrics that harkened a bit of darkness. While Panic! at The Disco absolutely belongs in this genre, lead singer (and now solo artist) Brendon Urie’s voice didn’t quite belong in the “nasally” category, as was the case for a handful of others who dominated the genre in the aughts.

2006 brought us “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” an edgy track that immediately caught my attention, with a music video that utilized more stage makeup than a three-ring circus. In the words of Blades of Glory’s Chazz Michael Michaels, “it’s provocative.” Emo kids rejoiced as they saw themselves–their hair, at the very least–in the music videos and performances that ensued over the years from Panic. Even with the band’s evolution – from a band to a (mostly) solo act, with phenomenal cohorts, session musicians, and tour players, and as they’ve dipped their toes into different genres and sounds – their fanbase has held strong.

February of 2019 was the last time Urie made an appearance in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Aside from a less crowded atmosphere on the evening of September 13th, the crowd was no less invigorated and was loud enough to cause a visceral reaction from the entertainer multiple times. He looked shocked, he noted that he was impressed, and the pure joy on his face could be felt all the way “in the back back back back.”

Panic! at The Disco has always done its best to incorporate a wide range of tracks from various titles in every single one of their shows. While the Viva Las Vengeance tour was pretty meticulously planned – from pyrotechnics to sound effects, lighting and confetti – there is still wiggle room for a variety of songs to be interspersed depending on the date. Our stop seemed particularly magical, as the crowd sang along to the following tracks.

  1. Say Amen (Saturday Night)Play Video
  2. Hey Look Ma, I Made ItPlay Video
  3. Don’t Threaten Me With a Good TimePlay Video
  4. This Is GospelPlay Video
  5. Miss JacksonPlay Video
  6. Emperor’s New ClothesPlay Video
  7. Viva Las Vengeance
  8. Viva Las VengeancePlay Video
  9. Middle of a BreakupPlay Video
  10. Don’t Let the Light Go OutPlay Video
  11. Local GodPlay Video
  12. Star Spangled BangerPlay Video
  13. God Killed Rock and RollPlay Video
  14. Say It LouderPlay Video
  15. Sugar SoakerPlay Video
  16. Something About MaggiePlay Video
  17. Sad ClownPlay Video
  18. All by YourselfPlay Video
  19. Do It to DeathPlay Video
  20. Girls/Girls/BoysPlay Video
  21. House of MemoriesPlay Video
  22. Nine in the AfternoonPlay Video
  23. Death of a BachelorPlay Video
  24. I Write Sins Not TragediesPlay Video
  25. VictoriousPlay Video
  26. High Hopes

The tour itself – as high energy and incredible as the performance has been – has experienced some setbacks over the first few weeks. As most may know by now, two dates were postponed because of Covid, and the night after they were in Kansas City, there was a small fire incident on stage in Minnesota. And still, Brendon moves on with the energy and enthusiasm that we have come to know and love him for.

Check out some highlights below, and make sure to check out Panic on their North American tour through October, and then in the UK at the top of 2023.