Panic! at the Disco @ LV HOB0

Not a whole lot needs to be said about Panic! at the Disco. They are definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. The first time I saw them play was six years ago at a small local venue called The Alley (really it was just the back room of the Family Music Center on W. Sahara). Interestingly enough, it was actually their first ever live performance. A lot has changed since then, and despite their fairly recent split from founding member Ryan Ross, I really have to say, the changes are all very positive. Keep reading for the rest of my review and a few more of my photos. As always, you can find the full photo set on my Flickr.

Now again, remember, the last few times I saw Panic! play were between the summer of 2005 and early 2006. At the time, Brendon Urie really did not have his vocals on lock; let’s just say there were a lot of voice cracks. I could tell by the last two records that things had definitely improved, but I did not realize by how much until I saw them last Saturday. In short, he fucking killed it. Moreover, the rest of the band had no trouble keeping up with the intense pace Urie set. Ian Crawford (formerly of The Cab) was literally sprinting across the stage, flailing around, and on his knees while playing. On several occasions, Crawford and bassist Dallon Weekes would meet in the center of the stage and switch places, making it to their mics just in time to sing the background vocals. I honestly did not expect to find myself singing and dancing along to old favorites like “Camisado” and “Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off,” but I assure you, I admittedly was. The songs off of their latest album, Vices & Virtues, were actually really awesome as we well. The crowd went crazy when Urie told them to start a fire in the center of the pit and then 360′d off of the bass drum mid-song during “Let’s Kill Tonight.” After getting to hear it live, I know I went away really loving the new album. There are a few more shows left on this tour, so get out there and catch them if you get the chance; you’re really missing out if you don’t.