Panic! At The Disco Pop-Up in Kansas
Panic! At The Disco has been hosting a series of pop up shows across the country in support of their new album. On March 31st, the band rolled through Lawrence, KS and brought with them a night of excitement and nostalgia. The anticipation began the evening before when a flyer was released on Twitter with no details besides the city and the date the band would be playing, The hashtag “#prayforthewicked” was printed at the bottom of the flyer.
The band didn’t release any further details until noon the day of the event. For the Lawrence show, tickets were only able to be purchased in person at the box office. Luckily, the Lawrence area sports limited options for a show of that size, but it was still fairly surprising to discover that it was happening at The Bottleneck. The line was wrapped around the venue’s building and down the sidewalk even hours before the venue had been confirmed. Later that evening, fans packed into the small venue and it was the first time this writer had ever seen the room so full.
A mix of new and old songs seemed to appeal to every fan that packed the bar. Panic!’s nineteen song set began with “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time” off of Death Of A Bachelor and it sounded like everyone knew lyrics. Next, the band took the crowd on a short walk down memory lane by continuing with “Ready To Go” and “Mona Lisa” from their 2011 release Vices and Virtues. The night really picked up as adrenaline when Panic! started in with their two newest songs, “Silver Lining” and “Saturday Night”.
For many people, the show was their first time seeing Panic!, as well as their first time attending a pop-up show. It was exciting to listen to concertgoers that had previously seen the group share their stories, as well as witnessing people connecting over memories that they shared. If there’s one thing about a concert that’s greater than getting to experience an amazing live show, it’s seeing people being able to build memories and connect with one another through music.
After more than thirteen years this writer’s pleased to report Panic! At The Disco hasn’t forgotten their Las Vegas roots and still know how to throw a great party. The band’s pop up shows were only a taste of what’s to come. With the new album and summer tour, this writer can’t wait to see what they accomplish.
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