The cavernous Showbox SoDo had turned into Seattle’s largest (and noisiest) steam room by the time Panic! At the Disco took the stage, the air filled with shrieks and teenage girlsweat. Standing in the photo pit, I began to understand why security guards wear earplugs — the band is fairly quiet from that vantage, but the screams of the crowd were deafeningly loud and completely unrelenting.
Panic is worlds away from what I was into at fourteen. I reached that age in the height of the grunge era, when an unwashed Kurt Cobain was the heartthrob du jour, and stage demeanor was a studied (or stoned) disaffection. The suits and ties and hair gel that the boys of Panic sport would have seemed at best archaic and at worst ridiculous, embarrassing and out of touch. Nowadays? I flipping love it. Their bear hug embrace of theatricality and their unabashed willingness to enjoy themselves are a joy to behold and a much better inspiration to kids (or adults) than chilly faux-cool.
Panic! At the Disco – photos by Brittney Bush Bollay
Panic! At the Disco – photos by Dagmar
It doesn’t hurt, of course, that the boys are talented. Their big baroque sound is radio-ready without sounding worn, the band is tight, and frontman Brendon Urie can really sing. And then there’s the cute: there’s a lot of it. It may be unbecoming for a photographer to find herself making eyes at the bassist from the photo pit, but I confess: I’m guilty. And if I can’t resist, why should the legion of young fans?
I’m still not a shrieker. But yeah: I get it.
Review by Brittney Bush Bollay
Panic! At the Disco – photos by Dagmar
Panic! At the Disco – photos by Brittney Bush Bollay
Panic! At the Disco – photos by Dagmar
Panic! At the Disco – photos by Brittney Bush Bollay
Panic! At the Disco – photos by Dagmar
Panic! At the Disco – photos by Brittney Bush Bollay
Panic! At the Disco – photos by Dagmar
Panic! At the Disco – photos by Brittney Bush Bollay
Panic! At the Disco – photos by Dagmar
Dagmar’s Gallery of Panic! At the Disco
