Sold-out, roaring cheers, a wide screen; and most things in between: Panic! At The Disco kicks off tour at a packed Target Center
Panic! At The Disco? Panic! At The Disco! Read on to find out how the Sin City band rocked Minneapolis to start their Pray For The Wicked tour this past Wednesday.
Mansoor Ahmad
Staff Photographer
The countdown on the stage neared the 4-minute mark as fans started singing along Toto’s “Africa” being played on the speakers. Within moments, the packed venue started buzzing with loud cheers as a single fan directed the audience for an impromptu glowing lights show. Fans of all ages, on the floor as well in the upper sections alike, stood on their feet patiently, almost as if the chairs behind them didn’t exist. Starting off a tour only meant no one in the audience knew what to expect. But everyone had (pun alert) high hopes. Then the screen displayed “0:00” between the band’s triangular logo on its either end; it was Panic! time.
Three small platforms rose from the bottom of the stage. One contained a string section and guitarist Kenneth Harris, while the other had a jazz band with bassist Nicole Row. On the center platform was Panic! At The Disco’s new, yet-to-be-introduced drummer. The crowd couldn’t wait any longer. But where was Brendon Urie?
The string section started playing an older sounding tune which abruptly ended. For a moment there was complete darkness, like light had ceased to exist. Then a single spotlight shone upon the center of the stage. Streamers burst from around the stage as Urie launched into the air from under the stage and landed on top. What a way to launch (pun intended, again) the tour!
It was the perfect commencement. Panic! began performing “Silver Lining” as silver streamers fell down on the boisterous crowd. The high-spirited frontman didn’t stay in a single spot for more than a fraction of a second as he danced all around the stage. The crowd only got louder every time the chorus was sung. Urie, energetic as ever, and being the sensational showman that he is, got the crowd loud every time he danced his way to the edge of the stage.
As they ended the first song of the tour, Urie thanked the Minneapolis crowd and immediately started performing “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time” from their fifth studio album “Death of a Bachelor”, which was released in 2016. Harris and Row moved forward and started performing in the two opposite corners of the triangular stage, as Urie sang from the center. Moments later, a thousand voices screamed at the top of their lungs in unison as Urie sang the chorus hitting a magnificent high note. By now it was obvious that the seats in Target Center would not be used for the rest of the night. Maybe to stand and cheer on, but certainly not to sit on.
The band then decided to throw it back to older times, 2011 to be specific. Urie and co. progressed to perform “Ready To Go” from “Vices & Virtues” to an emphatic reaction from the sold-out arena. The timeless track, my favorite from the album, was the perfect ending to my short, 3-song photo pass experience. The vibrant atmosphere lit up faces all around me, as if nothing else mattered but to live in the moment and see one of your favorite bands captivate thousands of people at once. Although this was my first Panic! show ever, it felt otherwise.
The Las Vegas group not only proved that it’s not just another band on tour, but that they are also a band that can elegantly display their showmanship as well as their ability to get thunderous applauses, song after song. Panic! At The Disco kicked off their tour with an agenda: its music is here to stay — And they’re only getting started.
Photos by Mansoor Ahmad | MSU Reporter.
