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As a photographer, the first thing I noticed about the Panic! at the Disco set was "Wow, this is a really well lit stage!" As the band opened up with its newest single, "Ready to Go," the ground shook and rumbled as the hundreds of unified fans jumped in place to the beat. The steampunk set pieces reflected scenes of, "Ballad of Mona Lisa," the first single from Vices & Virtue.
The tweens were in full effect; this was definitely the loudest concert I've ever been to. It was a hundred times more intense than when I saw the band shortly after its first album came out.
Last night's set had a great personal feel. Maybe it's the venue, maybe it's the way that the band members wanted it to go. By the fourth song in, a fan succeeded in getting onto the stage and diving off. Playing it off well, singer Brendon Urie applauded him: "Give it up to the guy who was able to get onstage and past the wall known as Ian Crawford." During the halfway point of the show, fans passed up a piece of paper to Urie with a drawing on it. Urie even handed out water to the thirsty fans who had been sardined for three hours. It looked like Panic! knew that some parents would be in attendance, so the band busted out an encore of incredible proportions, which included Kansas' "Carry On." My favorite part was when Spencer Smith stood up from behind his drums, pulled out his camera, and took a photo of the entire audience, telling them, "On three, give me your O face!" But that may just be because I'm a photographer.
