Lead singer Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco performs a sold-out concert at the LC Pavilion Jan. 24.
Credit: Shelby Lum / Photo editor
On a no-frills sound stage downtown, as the smells of beer and pizza hung heavy in the air, a rock show to remember began.
Panic! At The Disco performed a sold-out concert at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion Friday night as part of its Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! tour.
After an energetic opening to “Vegas Lights,” a song from the band’s latest album, lead singer Brendon Urie had a confession to make.
He was feeling a bit under the weather, he told the crowd. It wasn’t noticeable during the opening song, but as he spoke, the rasp in his voice was evident.
“I sound like my great Aunt Marge,” Urie said.
But the show would go on undeterred, he told the audience.
“No way we were going to cancel this show because my voice was being a little b—-,” he said to the high-pitched screams of a full-capacity crowd. “F— this sickness, right?”
Sick or not, what followed was a stellar performance.
Urie was a manic ball of energy flitting about the stage and a versatile performer to boot. He took his turn on the drums, the guitar and the keyboard, and he belted out song after song through all of it.
Thankfully, Urie only sounded like Aunt Marge while speaking. His voice — an iconic, powerful belt — was in good form.
The band’s more-than-hour-long set ran the gamut of material from their latest album to hits from the past, including “Nine In the Afternoon” and “Camisado.”
Panic! At The Disco has historically been a hard band to pigeonhole, especially as its sound often changes drastically between albums. Pop, punk rock, folk — you name it, and Panic! has probably done it.
The set blended all these dissonant styles seamlessly and wrapped the whole performance up in the accouterment of a classic rock show.
With lights, lasers and blasts of smoke, Panic! At The Disco rocked out with the confidence of an established band, even though the band has been subject to a revolving door of members.
Though the band’s lineup has changed over the years, Urie is a front man charismatic enough to hold the group together.
And he gave a hell of a show.
