Photo: Rae Votta
On Saturday I went to San Diego's Street Scene to see my new favorite band, Panic! At the Disco -- why yes, I am a 14-year-old emo boy at heart! -- and though I also caught their set at Seattle's Bumbershoot festival in September, now I can completely and confidently recommend their live show.
Brendon Urie's Freddie Mercury-esque stage presence -- and the associated self-described "slutty" crotch-grabs and hip-thrusts -- is as captivating as his vocal gymnastics. (Here they are, in fact, quite impressively covering Queen's "Killer Queen." And you can also go appreciate the original, which features Freddie in a belted fur coat and full manicure.)
Their recent performances and costumes are less dramatic than on their last tour, which was so gay even a Rolling Stone reporter felt compelled to ask whether Urie was dating the band's guitarist/lyricist, Ryan Ross. Ross said they're not, but you can't blame a girl for wondering when:
"Have you ever dreamt you were in a sunflower field," Urie begins, and then with some minor variations describes running towards a lover for "the perfect kiss." As he does this, he approaches Ross and leans his face in close to the guitarist, who pulls his mouth away just in time, almost every time. In San Diego, on the final night of the tour, Urie moved in quick enough to plant one on Ross' cheek, which immediately flashed crimson with embarrassment. And then, as he pulls back and the room fills with an audible gasp, Urie always says something like "Well, this isn't that kind of dream. This is about sweaty, angry, crazy, monstrous fucking."
Of course, as soon as I tell you about a band these days it turns out they're on the tail end of a tour (sorry!). Panic is headed back into the studio to re-imagine their sophomore effort, due out early next year, with a tour presumably to follow.
In the meantime, If you are at all a fan of either Moulin Rouge-style cabaret pop or dance-y, fast-driving flamboyant rock -- or just in favor of boys who like to apply full make-up before getting on stage -- you should check out their debut album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out.
Previously > Sounds like teen spirit > VMAs > Reading/Leeds
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