By: Regina Joseph
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Panic! At the Disco performed a memorable show at Madison Square Garden in the summer of 2018.
When Panic! At the Disco performed at Madison Square Garden on July 24, 2018 during the Pray for the Wicked tour, they delivered a high energy and theatrical night.
Let me preface this review by saying that Madison Square Garden, in my opinion, is arguably the best place to see a concert. Even the ‘worst’ seat in the house allows one to capture the totality of the booming sounds and spirited performances that grace the stage on any given night. There’s an undeniable feel, certainly a historic atmosphere.
The opening number was highly anticipated, to say the least. Lead singer Brendon Urie did not disappoint. The band rose from the ground and Urie popped up from under the stage like bread from a toaster starting with his single, ‘(Fuck A) Silver Lining’. Urie would have made his home proud with the Las Vegas inspired atmosphere, emerging from the stage light show. I appreciated the fact that there was a full band to support Urie rather than pre-recorded tracks, and the energy of the band surprisingly seemed to increase as the concert went on.
When I arrived at my seat prior to the start, there was a yellow piece of paper cut into a heart on my seat. During ‘Girls/Girls/Boys’, the crowd raised these yellow hearts to their flashlights to reveal a vibrant rainbow among the audience. This wasn’t my favorite song of the night, but the experience was a memorable one. During ‘Death of A Bachelor’, Urie took to the floor and interacted with fans as he made his way across the arena.
Upon arriving to the grand piano near the back of the floor, he was lifted into the air while performing Bonnie Raitt’s ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’, a song that his mother used to sing to him as a child, calming him while battling ADHD.
There was a smooth transition from the cover to his final song from the album (and my personal favorite) ‘Dying in L.A.’ In these moments, I felt such unity among the crowd, a feeling that a performer can only hope of delivering to an audience.
Following multiple originals, the band covered both classics ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ from Cyndi Lauper (featuring Broadway co star J. Harrison Ghee) and Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Urie’s rendition of the rock staple had put him in the spotlight in recent months. Attempting such a beloved song like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is a tall task. After seeing it live, I gained an entirely new level of respect for Panic, both as a fan and as a musician.
The setlist, as a whole, was unexpected. This was due to the many songs off of previous albums and the fact that only a handful of songs came from the Pray for the Wicked record. The group played songs that catered to any Panic fan.
If you haven’t heard Panic! At the Disco’s music, I highly recommend taking a listen and if you are considering seeing them live, it’s worth every penny.
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Regina Joseph is a junior at Quinnipiac University where she studies business and music.