Panic! at the Disco – TWO Nights ONE band – Viva Las Vengeance Tour 2022 (Raleigh)
See night one in DC – Featured Artist Jake Wesley Rogers.
Viva Las Vengeance – Night Two
Foreplay:
Well, it was finally here, the day I and many other Panic! at the Disco fans in the Carolina region waited patiently for. Covid killed the tours for ages, then rumors of a new album came true. This past month we were treated to the new album Viva Las Vengeance (Fueled by Ramen/DCD2 Records). A delectable walk through old Vegas vibes spliced with new-age twang. Everything was cut live to a tape machine while playing some songs in LA alongside production partners Jake Sinclair, and Mike Viola. Urie wasn’t even aware he was making a complete album until the last song was tracked. The twist we always get with someone with pipes like lead vocalist Brendan Urie. The album was a one-take album on old recording machine that gave an element and a “Basically about to poop my pants,” nerves to hit each note, each song with precision and sometimes an aptly imperfect part that adds to the authenticity of the talent that is P!ATD. Some bands overmix their albums and the true talent is right out the window. It’s a breath of fresh air in the saturated sugar-soaked processed sea of releases.
Raw Concert Photojournalism is our tagline at Shutter 16 and it is akin to the duality of this album’s rawness in post kept, as well as some of the tracks. It’s a walk-through “almost” a break-up album, and while there are no rumors of that – and we aren’t going that route it just definitely takes minutes to walk through, take in, and let it hit the chest in a way you don’t expect. The new album, Viva Las Vengeance, is another notch in the belt of the band for always doing something different yet timeless. It’s growing up on tape, 17 year span into the career of Urie through heartache, overcoming, love, pitfalls, youth, aging, burnout, and rebirth. Come along with us on the journey.
Tonight at PNC Arena in downtown Raleigh the fans showed up. The stage was set high above the view line of any photographer or person, oddly not a giant which allotted for the band to run around the pit of fans lucky enough to grab those tickets and have the legs to stand for a full half-day! The way the round stage was laid attendees all over the arena could get a peek and some up close and personal light on the band. The energy, interaction, and culmination of the excitement was palpable up until the last note.
Performance:
Opener: To start the night we were introduced to Missouri’s Jake Wesley Rogers whom our photojournalist Derek Baker seemed to really take to, and wrote a phenomenal article of his performance on the article previous to mine on this tour of Two Nights One Band – Artist Spotlight: Jake Wesley Rogers (Washington, DC)
“I know we just met, but I think I might love you”
He primed the crowd with his sharp wit and absolutely dazzling attire. Tonight he donned sparkly red boots and a white sequined bodysuit accompanied by matching boot earrings and an impish smile. His dastardly finessed fingers on the piano gave us life. JWR pranced his way through a few songs I truthfully hadn’t heard before tonight, but you might say I might have fallen in love on the dance floor as well. Luckily his name wasn’t Jeffrey. We cried, laughed, sang a few hooks because they were that catchy. His cover of the MCR “Welcome to the Black Parade,” was a spot on sing-a-long. He stopped and talked to the crowd just enough to get us entwined into the performance and showed his amazing energy and spirit. He talked of being a:
“Rhinestone inside that is the bible belt (Hello NC!) “
What a fabulous talented creature he is, what an absolute honor it was to see his performance and feel the billowing hands of his music wrap around our waists and help us shimmy the night away. Cannot wait for his headlining tour, we will be center stage front dancing. Look for us. Most of all look out for him – you can find all of his stuff here.
Up next: Marina came out to a stunning act – the way she flowed through beat after beat. The crowd was very receptive to her. Later in the concert, Brendon Urie himself said how much of a fan he was and how excited she was on this tour.
The eclectic set sends people to dance all over the place. I even spotted the sound guy jumping up and down and jamming away. It was a great in-between Jake and Panic!
If you’d like to know a little about Marina, please check out her website and her latest single album can be located here.
The Main Event:
As the stage cleared from the opening performances, a timer appeared on the large screens surrounding the stage. You then feel the instant anticipation. It was there brewing, but we were about to break out of our seats with excitement. Surely we’d hear: a few “I love you’s,” scream of fans, pyro, otherworldly sick skills on the various instruments from a full-band, high notes that are crazy to hear in person; real and unmanufactured. It was all about to happen. We were primed and ready to go.
Soon as the clock got close to time, the fans second-by-second shouted at the top of their lungs 10-9-8-7…..and we were off.
They opened with “Say Amen (It’s Saturday Night),” which was extremely fun to bop around to, as you can see Urie agreed. A fan next to me so keenly added – “Hey! It’s Sunday night,” and burst into laughter” It was that child-like energy that exuded and illuminated the arena. On the jumbotron type screens to each side of the stage, you see Brendon in a dashing black blazer walking through a corridor make his way to the stage, and here comes a huge flash of pyro fog machines billowed out wonderful clouds that encased the front of the stage while we chanted word-for-word the poppy mega hit as he emerges in the front of the stage under a stagelight. His vocals crisp as a pressed recording.
Techno billings of “Hey Look Ma, I made it, “ play for a second as the stage changes to what looks to be a jukebox.
The fans got into this one, and Urie came to the front stage to dance his way fully across it with the largest smile on his face. Looking at the full band on stage they were all having a blast. This seems not just a job but a calling for all of them. What is that quote if you enjoy it? Is it really working? Not to downplay the enormous undertaking this tour is. The stage is a huge round catwalk with a hole cut inside it, the super-fans have a pit inside this circle available to them to purchase tickets and see the band in 360degrees. This makes for a different vantage in the crowd, I was in row 10 stage right and still too close due to the fact I’m 5ft and the stage seemed 50ft high. Don’t get me started on having a super tall photographer still scrambling to get shots. Worth it, it was all worth it..and their crew has to tear it down and build it backup every single show!
“Don’t Threaten Me with a Good Time,” queued up and the stage screen and lights started to show an octopus which links back to the official video of this song. I loved that if you were one of those kinds of fans you could connect the dots. It’s an experience and every single visual or note is opulently dripping with reason. It’s the artistic overload you expect from a P!ATD show. By song three your endorphins have hit and the rest is bliss.
We went to the church of breakups and omens with the next song “This is Gospel,” while sparks flew from each side of the stage the overflow of blue enveloped the stage and presented the song perfectly while Brendon donned his guitar and the band gave it anything this was the most rockstar moment. With these songs, the amount of fans singing adds a beautiful extra harmony to each piece. Every one of you sounded amazing tonight.
Next the stage changed to a circle with what seemed like a big band, techno sounds surrounding the arena again and the transition into “Miss Jackson,” was epic. Strobes are heavy during this song – if you are sensitive to that do not forget your glasses!
Oh, where will you be waking up tomorrow morning?
Oh, out the back door goddamn, but I love her anyway
“Emperor’s New Clothes,” was full of an intense amount of pyro to each high note and lazers making this song so much more intense and theatrical. It was a great first half of classic Panic.
After the classic numbers, we are gifted this hysterical video of the band in slow motion smacking each other in hysterical fashion while they change clothes and directions.
The next part to the performance, if you haven’t already snatched up the new album Viva Las Vengeance please do, the 12 track album is worth its weight in gold. The cacophony of eclectic sounds and anthemic songs make for a hidden masterpiece directly made for us freaks. I’ll admit it didn’t click all the way until I saw it performed in its entirety in the flesh. The roller-coaster of emotions between a breakup, a love scene, a freaks anthem, and always looking out for the people down and out is some of the thematic prowess of this collection. The static and scratches you hear now and again showing the authenticity of a one-taping-wonder on some old track equipment is kindred to showing the raw talent that is rare in 2022, most is over processed autotuned bullshit and this is raw. Our favorite.
Tracklisting and stand outs: Viva Las Vengeance performed in full.
“Viva Las Vengeance” Brendon came out in a multi-colored blazer now – one might say the golden one. Fun to listen to a whole crowd chant shut up. The Guitarist and Bassist were on fire front stage playing off one another and prancing back and forth. I loved this for them and us!
“Middle of a Breakup.” went into “Don’t Let the Light Go Out,” slow and sad, crisp vocals of heartbreak. The pulsating hook chanting “don’t let the light go out,” hits your chest hard. It also hits the band when you sing, camera lights shone across the sea of fans. What a moment. A new ballad for 2022. The solo in this song by guitarist Mike Naran, he pushes the guitar to its limits and draws in a whole new generation to appreciate the intricacy of the instrument, def something to write home about bravo! Brendon thanked the fans for such a beautiful moment.
“Local God,” brought in the orchestral vibe and upright strings. “Star Spangled Banger, fireworks and a message that plays on the screen a lot “Home of the Freaks! This is an anthem for anyone feeling on the outside. It’s a poppy tale of finding your way in the world. Electric Angels.
“God Killed Rock and Roll,” Our first glimpse of Urie on the piano to start a sweet tune.
“Say It Louder,” This song is another participation song and so much fun to chant. The crowd got into this so much we chanted for the people in the back, back, back, while pointing that way. I think that just made it so much fun and I got to exchange high-fives with the row behind me.
The rest of the album was a journey through a new set of live performed songs for the fans and were very well received. There was a small intermission before they flew into the remainder of classic P!ATD set.
“Girls/Girls/Boys,” we had been gifted cut-out hearts and told to shine our phones through the hearts during this song. The crowd did in droves. The multi-colored LGBTQ-friendly rainbow lights flashed and shone throughout the whole stage while the song was performed flawlessly and in fashion for a real party to celebrate our group a fabulous array of confetti fell from the sky for the first time. I was covered head to toe in confetti and just the feeling of being in that was great. It still fell slowly piece by piece until it was done. We jammed to “House of Memories,” loudly and jumped around like we were losing our minds.
The great part was having Jake Wesley Rogers jam to the song with Urie. What fun! Brendon had changed his blazer to white dazzling number that matched JWR watching them jump around and have fun front stage was just perfect. It was something to see the hopping, skipping, jumping, and beautiful smiles everywhere I looked.
Another song on the piano, “Nine in the Afternoon,” is a perfectly written song. I’ll just leave this here:
“Death of the Bachelor,” brought the wind portion of the band to the front of the stage where they did a little dance that really set the crowd wild. Even more so was when the very first note of “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” dropped. This song Brendon and crew basically had a chance to take a break and let us perform to their glorious smiling faces.
You could see how connected in that moment everyone was and that my friends is the power of quality well written epically performed music. Brendon mentioned it was a 2006 single and it was sung the best out of his 17 years of touring.
“Victorious,” explosive performance we even got a metal death growl in there before a vocal high note, highest of the night. This was the time of night to thank the openers, the crew, and the fans, heartfelt.
“Without you being here this is just soundcheck”
With the last thank you, balloons on the screen rose to the ceilings. They dropped into the finale, “High Hopes”, the crowd almost sung over them again. What a closer. Another major amount of lights and pops and here comes the finale of confetti peppering the sky. Brendon said goodnight to the crowd and the band made one last lap around the stage and we were done.
In the Afterglow:
I grabbed fistfulls of confetti and stuffed them into my pocket and my friend’s new Viva Las Vengeance tote bag. Traversed the entire arena walking the wrong way back to the car. Traveled by JWR sweet bus cruiser. Sung a song or two. Drove 3+ hours in the dark rainy night to come home walk in the door and crash somewhere between the couch and the bed completely exhausted.
The concert is an immersive sing-a-long of classics and new hits combined. You expend all the energy they also put out on the stage and if anything to be said it’s a show to see, to dance to, to sing to, to experience. Fall in love, find a new bestie, and become one with your favorite band. Until next time.
Watch a 2-minute recap of the night below:
To sum up an incredible night like the one I just experienced is always hard. You might say things like amazing, life changing, personification of excellence, fab, rad, awesome, and all would just start to explain the experience. The decades of perfecting the craft of live performance married to a vocalist that has been on broadway and gets the overall experience needed to be given through the craft is magnificent and not lost on me. Its a show you participate in, escape in, and as usual it was done beautifully tonight and as a unified crowd.
Until next time, Two Bands One NIght – P!ATD another rousing success with a band everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime if not over-and-over-and-over again. I know we just met again, but I think I might love you still.
Missing: I did NOT see The Amazing Beebo (mini B) – is he OK?!
See gallery of Viva Las Vengeance Tour – by Derek Baker.
Remaining Tour Dates:
OCT 15, 2022 Moda Center Portland, OR
w/ special guests MARINA + Jake Wesley Rogers TICKETS
OCT 16, 2022 Climate Pledge Arena Seattle, WA
w/ special guests MARINA + Little Image TICKETS
OCT 19, 2022 Kia Forum Inglewood, CA
w/ special guests MARINA + Jake Wesley Rogers TICKETS
OCT 21, 2022 T-Mobile Arena Las Vegas, NV
w/ special guests MARINA + Jake Wesley Rogers TICKETS
OCT 23, 2022 Footprint Center Phoenix, AZ
w/ special guests MARINA + Jake Wesley Rogers TICKETS
OCT 25, 2022 Chase Center San Francisco, CA
w/ special guests MARINA + Jake Wesley Rogers TICKETS
OCT 28, 2022 United Center Chicago, IL
Support TBA TICKETS
FEB 20, 2023 Stadthalle Vienna, Austria
w/ special guest FLETCHER TICKETS
FEB 21, 2023 Olympiahalle Munich, Germany
w/ special guest FLETCHER TICKETS
FEB 23, 2023 Barclays Arena Hamburg, Germany
w/ special guest FLETCHER TICKETS
FEB 24, 2023 Lanxess Arena Cologne, Germany
w/ special guest FLETCHER TICKETS
FEB 25, 2023 Rotterdam Ahoy Rotterdam, Netherlands
w/ special guest FLETCHER TICKETS
FEB 28, 2023 Sportpaleis Antwerp, Belgium
w/ special guest FLETCHER TICKETS
MAR 1, 2023 Accor Hotels Arena Paris, France
w/ special guest FLETCHER TICKETS
MAR 3, 2023 OVO Hydro Glasgow, Scotland
w/ special guest FLETCHER TICKETS
MAR 4, 2023 Utilita Arena Birmingham, UK
w/ special guest FLETCHER TICKETS
MAR 6, 2023 The O2 London, UK
w/ special guest FLETCHER TICKETS
MAR 7, 2023 The O2 London, UK
w/ special guest FLETCHER TICKETS
MAR 10, 2023 AO Arena Manchester, UK
w/ special guest FLETCHER TICKETS
