Panic! at the Disco
Encyclopedia
Panic! at the Disco is an American alternative rock
duo, formed in Las Vegas, Nevada
in 2005. Since its split, the band's line-up includes Brendon Urie
(lead vocals, guitar, piano) and Spencer Smith
(drums). Former members Ryan Ross
(guitar) and Jon Walker (bass) left the group in 2009. The band has been described by critics as a variety of genres, most commonly pop punk
, alternative rock
, and baroque pop
.
The band formed and recorded their first demos while they were all still in high school. Shortly after, the band recorded and released their debut studio album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
(2005). Made known by the top ten lead single "I Write Sins, Not Tragedies", the album eventually was certified double platinum
and met with much success. The group then wrote and recorded their second record, Pretty. Odd.
, released in 2008. Marked as a drastic change in tone from their debut, it oversold commercial expectations but was met with critical success. Eventually Pretty. Odd.
went RIAA platinum in 2011.
The band released their third album, entitled Vices & Virtues
, on March 22, 2011, while the record's first single, "The Ballad of Mona Lisa
", was released February 1, 2011.
, Las Vegas
, by childhood friends Ryan Ross
on vocals and guitar and Spencer Smith on drums. Both teens attended Bishop Gorman High School
, and the two began playing music together in ninth grade. They invited friend Brent Wilson from nearby Palo Verde High School
to join on bass, and Wilson invited classmate Brendon Urie
to try out on guitar. The quartet soon began rehearsing in Smith's grandmother's living room. Urie grew up in a Mormon
family in Las Vegas and early on skipped rehearsals to go to church. Ross initially was the lead vocalist for the group, but after hearing Urie sing back-up during rehearsals, they unanimously decided to move him to lead. The teens initially worked solely as a Blink-182
cover band.
The monotonous nature of local Las Vegas bands influenced the members of the band to be different and creative, and they soon began laying down experimental demos. The band had not even performed a single live show when they were signed. "We never went out and played shows before we got signed because the music scene in Las Vegas is so bad. There's not a lot going on," Smith said. "In our practice space, there were something like 30 bands, and every day we'd walk into that room and hear the exact same death-metal bands. So it kind of influenced us to be different. And to get out of Las Vegas." Urie began working at Tropical Smoothie Cafe
in Summerlin to afford rent for the band's new practice space. The four left their education behind to concentrate on music, with Ross falling out with his father for leaving college after his first year. Upon telling his parents of their intentions to quit high school in favor of being in a band, Urie was kicked out, forced to stay at friends' homes and eventually affording a one-bedroom apartment.
Ross and Urie soon began to commit to their laptops the demos they had been developing, and posted three early demos ("Time to Dance," "Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks" and "Camisado") on PureVolume
. On a whim, they sent a link to Fall Out Boy
bassist Pete Wentz via a LiveJournal
account. Wentz, who was in Los Angeles
at the time with the rest of Fall Out Boy working on their major-label debut, From Under the Cork Tree
, drove down to Las Vegas to meet with the young, unsigned band. Upon hearing "two to three" songs during band practice, Wentz was impressed and immediately wanted the band to sign to his Fueled by Ramen
imprint label Decaydance Records
, which made them the first on the new label. Around December 2004, the group signed to the label. As news broke that Wentz had signed Panic! (who had yet to perform a single live show), fans on the Internet began to bash the group. "Almost right away we knew what was going to happen," Ross explained in a 2006 interview. "We had two songs online and people were already making assumptions on what kind of band we were and what we were going to sound like."
Meanwhile, Wentz began to hype the band wherever possible: from wearing "Pete! at the Disco" T-shirts onstage to mentioning them in interviews. Wentz gave a quick shout-out to the band during a press junket on the day before the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards
: "I've got a couple of bands coming out soon on Decaydance, one being this band called Panic! at the Disco," Wentz said. "Their record is going to be your next favorite record. It's called A Fever You Can't Sweat Out — get it before your little brother does." At the time of their signing, all of the band members were still in high school (with the exception of Ross, who was forced to quit UNLV
). Urie graduated in May 2005 and Wilson and Smith finished school online as the band left for College Park, Maryland to record their debut record.
The album is split into two halves: the first half is mostly electronic dance punk, while the second half features Vaudevillian piano, strings, and accordion. The band grew tired of writing only with drum machines and keyboards and, inspired by film scores (specifically the works of Danny Elfman and Jon Brion) decided to write a completely different half. "By the end of that, we were completely exhausted," said Ross of the studio sessions. After its completion, "we had two weeks to come home and learn how to be a band," Ross said. The group played their first live show during the summer of 2005 at local Las Vegas music venue The Alley on West Charleston. Afterwards, the band toured nationally on the Nintendo Fusion Tour
with mentors Fall Out Boy, as well as Motion City Soundtrack
, The Starting Line
, and Boys Night Out
for the rest of 2005.
Their debut album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
, was released September 27, 2005. Sales began relatively slow. It debuted at #112 on the Billboard 200
album chart, #6 on the Billboard Independent Albums
chart, and #1 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers
chart, with nearly 10,000 albums sold in the first week of release. Within a span of four months, Panic! would see the video for their first single, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies
", rocket up the Billboard Hot 100
as sales of Fever passed the 500,000 mark. At the end of March 2006, they announced their very own headlining tour. By August, their debut record was certified platinum
by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA), and the music video for "I Write Sins, Not Tragedies" won Video of the Year at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
. "Some aspects of the fame are annoying, but at the end of the day it's something we're most grateful for. It's certainly opened the door to a whole new batch of opportunities," Ross said of the band's newfound fame and instant success.
In May 2006, Panic! at the Disco announced that original bassist Brent Wilson had left the band, "posting a statement that was both diplomatic and entirely inscrutable […] yet [failing] to mention any reason why Wilson is leaving Panic," according to MTV News
. In June, Wilson asserted to MTV News that he was kicked out of the band via a phone call. "It was done as a phone call and the only person who spoke was Spencer. Apparently Brendon and Ryan were on the speakerphone too, but they didn't say a word. They never even said they were sorry," explained Wilson. Smith wrote a lengthy e-mail back to James Montgomery of MTV News, stating, in part, "We made the decision based on Brent's lack of responsibility and the fact that he wasn't progressing musically with the band," and revealed that Wilson did not write nor play any bass present on Fever: Instead, Urie recorded these parts. Wilson demanded a cut in royalties, and threatened to take his former band to court.
The band supported The Academy Is… on their worldwide The Ambitious Ones and Smoking Guns Tour from January to May 2006. Beginning in June, the group headlined their first unnamed national tour, that would last until August. During their performance at the 2006 Reading Festival in August, the band was greeted by excessive bottling, one of which hit Urie in the face that knocked him unconscious. Despite this, the band continued with their set after Urie recovered. The band's second headlining tour, dubbed the Nothing Rhymes with Circus Tour, began in November. In roughly one year, Panic! at the Disco went from being the opening act on a five-band bill to the headliners on a massive arena tour.
The Nothing Rhymes with Circus Tour debuted the band's highly theatrical and notable live show, which featured every song with dance numbers, skits and tricks performed by a six-member troupe, as the band donned intricate costumes, loosely re-enacting moments from the songs. Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times
noted the sudden success and circus-inspired tour of the young band in a concert review: "There’s something charming about watching a band trying to navigate sudden success, aided by a contortionist, a ribbon dancer and all the rest of it." The group, fresh off the major success of A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, took a break after non-stop touring and began formulating ideas for their next record together during the winter of 2006.
and began the writing process for the new album. After recording the new tracks and performing them live over the summer, the band returned to their native Las Vegas as well as their old rehearsal studio, where they wrote their debut record. The band grew disinterested in the songs previously written and by August scrapped the entire new album (which Ross later revealed was "three-quarters" done) and started over. "We wanted to approach these songs in the most basic form," Ross said. "We wrote them all on one acoustic guitar and with someone singing. I think that we kind of skipped that part of songwriting on the first record, and this time we're sort of paying attention to that. […] We've written a bunch of songs since we've been home [Las Vegas]. I think it's the most fun and the happiest we've been since we started." With simplicity the new focus and the old album shelved, the group settled in and began recording what would become Pretty. Odd. In October, the band entered the Studio at the Palms at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas to begin recording the album.
In January 2008, the band unveiled a new logo and dropped the exclamation point from their name, effectively becoming Panic at the Disco, which soon caused outrage among the band's fanbase. Released on March 21, 2008, Pretty. Odd.
was described by the band as "more organic and mellower" than A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, as well as unintentionally and coincidentally similar to music of The Beatles
, in both songwriting and scope. The record debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200
chart, with first-day sales of 54,000, and first-week sales of 139,000 copies in the United States. Those figures marked the band's biggest sales week to that date, beating a previous record held by A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (which sold 45,000 during the winter of 2006). The record also debuted at "Current Alternative Albums" chart and #2 on the "Digital Albums" chart, the latter of which accounted for 26 percent of the disc's overall sales. The album charted high in various other countries and was eventually certified gold in the United Kingdom, however, Pretty. Odd. received relatively disappointing sales in the face of its predecessor. Pretty. Odd. was, however, critically acclaimed in contrast to Fever: Barry Walters of Spin
called Panic's debut album "embarrassing" while regarding the new record as "[daring] to be optimistically beautiful at a time when sadness and ugliness might have won them easier credibility."
The band announced plans to headline the 2008 Honda Civic Tour
in January 2008, which took up the majority of early touring for the album. Motion City Soundtrack, The Hush Sound
and Phantom Planet
opened for the tour, which April 10 to July 14, 2008 across North America
. Throughout October and November 2008, the band toured with Dashboard Confessional
and The Cab
on the Rock Band Live Tour promoting the video game Rock Band 2
.
As expected and predicted by several music publications, the band adopted a very different style for the touring in support of Pretty. Odd., in contrast to the dark, circus
-themed elements of their previous stage shows. Each show contained "woodsy set pieces, projections of flora
and fauna
, and mic stands wrapped in lights and flowers," and each band member dressed in a vest. While reflecting on the theatrical nature of A Fever You Can't Sweat Out touring, Urie commented "We did it and it was a lot of fun when we did it, but this time around I think we wanted to get back to a more intimate, personal setting, and scale it down a little bit." Ryan Ross explained that "It's more about connecting with the audience and seeing what's gonna happen every night. It's not as scripted out and pre-planned. It makes it more exciting for us, and less monotonous every night." A live album, ...Live in Chicago
, based on live recordings from Chicago
during the Honda Civic Tour, was released December 2, 2008. An accompanying DVD contains photos from the tour, each music video
from the album as well as behind-the-scenes footage of the videos and the tour, the short film Panic at the Disco In: American Valley, and the documentary feature based on the tour, All In A Day's.
Pretty. Odd. touring was also defined by a larger effort to remain environmentally
conscious. On the tour, the band worked with two non-profit eco organizations: Reverb, which facilitates environmentally friendly touring; and Global Inheritance, which seeks to inspire more eco-activism. In a 2008 interview, Ross revealed that the band traveling on a biodiesel bus, to re-using plastics, and recycling more backstage. The band went as far as to print tour booklets on recycled paper, with soy ink, and organize an "eco-contest," in which profits from the tour went straight to environmental organizations.
The news asserted that both tour plans with Blink-182
in August 2009 and new album production "will continue as previously announced," and the announcement ended with the teaser for a "surprise" soon to come. The following day, Alternative Press broke the news that "New Perspective
", the first song recorded without Ross and Walker, would debut the following month on radio and as a part of the soundtrack to the film Jennifer's Body
. On July 10, 2009, Alternative Press also reported that the band had regained the exclamation point, becoming, once again, Panic! at the Disco. "New Perspective" was released on July 28, 2009. Former The Cab
member Ian Crawford filled in for Ross on their tour during the Blink-182 Summer Tour in August 2009, and Dallon Weekes, singer/songwriter of the indie band The Brobecks
, filled in for Walker on bass.
The band re-entered the studio during early 2010 and spent much of the year recording their third studio album. On January 18, 2011, the band revealed that their new album, Vices & Virtues
, would officially be released on March 22, 2011. The album was produced by Butch Walker
and John Feldmann
. The record's first single, "The Ballad of Mona Lisa
", was released digitally on February 1, 2011, with the music video being released February 8, 2011. Vices & Virtues was officially released March 22, 2011 to relatively positive critical reviews.
The band began touring in support of the album, christened the Vices & Virtues Tour
, in earnest beginning in February 2011. The tour has sported the same electric, over-the-top theatricality the band was known for during the Fever era. "I really miss wearing costumes and makeup," Urie told Spin. "I love throwing a big production. I've recently been reading about Tesla coils and I'm trying to figure out how I can get one that sits on the stage and shoots sparks without hurting anybody." They were scheduled to play the Australian Soundwave Revolution festival in September/October but the festival was cancelled and in its place is the Counter-Revolution mini-festival the band will play.
On May 12, 2011, the band collaborated with indie pop
band Fun. for their US tour, releasing a new single named "C'mon". The group contributed a new song "Mercenary" to the soundtrack for the video game Batman: Arkham City.
In 2011, Panic! at the Disco played a month-long fall US tour with supporting acts Patrick Stump
and Foxy Shazam
at club and theatre venues, and are scheduled to play a UK tour.
, pop punk
, electro
, vaudeville
, and baroque
pop. These labels were more of a reflection of the band's work on A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
, as the stylistic shift on Pretty. Odd.
made many of these claims insignificant.
Panic! at the Disco went on record many times saying that their second album would be completely different from A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, as Rolling Stone wrote in an article: "The group cemented its next direction with their first single, called "Nine in the Afternoon
". "It's influenced by the music our parents listened to: the Beach Boys, The Kinks
, the Beatles", says Ross. "Our new songs are more like classic rock than modern rock. We got older and started listening to different music – and this seems like the natural thing to do right now." Pretty. Odd.
has been described as being like "[Panic] dropping the entire Beatles catalog into a blender, adding some modern alternative ice and the horn section from Sonia Dada
, then churning out a new-millennium Liverpool
smoothie." In his review of their live album
, Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted, "...Pretty. Odd. suggests that they're becoming that rare thing in 2008: a pop-oriented rock band. They might not be doing this knowingly, but the results are entertaining all the same."
Since the release of Vices & Virtues
, the band's musical sensibilities have returned to the theatrical pop rock of their debut, albeit more mature and restrained in the style of Pretty. Odd. Urie has gone on record several times claiming that this was not the band's intention, stating that Virtues is a rebirth for the band and indicative of a new identity following the departures of Ross and Walker.
Current touring
Former members
Former touring
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
duo, formed in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
in 2005. Since its split, the band's line-up includes Brendon Urie
Brendon Urie
Brendon Boyd Urie is an American musician and the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, pianist and singer-songwriter of Panic! at the Disco. He also plays drums, bass guitar, accordion, organ, cello, violin, and trumpet.-Early life:...
(lead vocals, guitar, piano) and Spencer Smith
Spencer Smith (musician)
Spencer James Smith is an American musician. Smith is a founding member and drummer of American rock band Panic! at the Disco. With the band he placed two studio albums, Pretty. Odd. and Vices & Virtues , in the top ten of the US Billboard 200 chart with the band's debut effort "A Fever You Can't...
(drums). Former members Ryan Ross
Ryan Ross
George Ryan Ross III is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter most known for his work as the lead guitarist, backup vocalist and main songwriter for the band Panic! at the Disco, before his departure from the band in 2009...
(guitar) and Jon Walker (bass) left the group in 2009. The band has been described by critics as a variety of genres, most commonly pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
, alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
, and baroque pop
Baroque pop
Baroque pop, Baroque rock, or English baroque, often used interchangeably with chamber pop/rock, is a pop and rock music subgenre which originated in the mid-1960s in the United Kingdom and United States...
.
The band formed and recorded their first demos while they were all still in high school. Shortly after, the band recorded and released their debut studio album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
A Fever You Can't Sweat Out is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Panic! at the Disco. Recorded primarily at SOMD! Studios in College Park, Maryland with producer Matt Squire, the album was released September 27, 2005 on Decaydance and Fueled by Ramen Records.Written and...
(2005). Made known by the top ten lead single "I Write Sins, Not Tragedies", the album eventually was certified double platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
and met with much success. The group then wrote and recorded their second record, Pretty. Odd.
Pretty. Odd.
Pretty. Odd. is the second studio album by the American rock band Panic! at the Disco. Recorded at the Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas with additional production at Abbey Road Studios in London with producer Rob Mathes, the album was released March 21, 2008 on Decaydance and Fueled by Ramen Records...
, released in 2008. Marked as a drastic change in tone from their debut, it oversold commercial expectations but was met with critical success. Eventually Pretty. Odd.
Pretty. Odd.
Pretty. Odd. is the second studio album by the American rock band Panic! at the Disco. Recorded at the Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas with additional production at Abbey Road Studios in London with producer Rob Mathes, the album was released March 21, 2008 on Decaydance and Fueled by Ramen Records...
went RIAA platinum in 2011.
The band released their third album, entitled Vices & Virtues
Vices & Virtues
Vices & Virtues is the third studio album by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, released on March 22, 2011 on Fueled by Ramen. Produced by John Feldmann and Butch Walker, the album marks the debut of the band's two-man lineup, featuring vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Brendon Urie and...
, on March 22, 2011, while the record's first single, "The Ballad of Mona Lisa
The Ballad of Mona Lisa
"The Ballad of Mona Lisa" is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, released February 1, 2011 as the first single from the group's third studio album, Vices & Virtues...
", was released February 1, 2011.
Formation and early years (2004–2005)
The band was formed in 2004 in the suburban area of SummerlinSummerlin, Nevada
Summerlin is an affluent master-planned community under development by The Howard Hughes Corporation in the Las Vegas metropolitan area of Nevada near the Spring Mountains and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. It lies partially within the city limits of Las Vegas, Nevada, and in...
, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, by childhood friends Ryan Ross
Ryan Ross
George Ryan Ross III is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter most known for his work as the lead guitarist, backup vocalist and main songwriter for the band Panic! at the Disco, before his departure from the band in 2009...
on vocals and guitar and Spencer Smith on drums. Both teens attended Bishop Gorman High School
Bishop Gorman High School
Bishop Gorman High School is a Roman Catholic private preparatory school located in Summerlin, in Clark County, Nevada, United States serving the Las Vegas area for over 50 years. The school is administered by the Diocese of Las Vegas...
, and the two began playing music together in ninth grade. They invited friend Brent Wilson from nearby Palo Verde High School
Palo Verde High School
Palo Verde High School is a high school in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.The school was built in 1996 with an adjacent 10 portable classrooms located in Summerlin, a rapidly growing suburban middle class to affluent community in the western portion of the City of Las Vegas and unincorporated...
to join on bass, and Wilson invited classmate Brendon Urie
Brendon Urie
Brendon Boyd Urie is an American musician and the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, pianist and singer-songwriter of Panic! at the Disco. He also plays drums, bass guitar, accordion, organ, cello, violin, and trumpet.-Early life:...
to try out on guitar. The quartet soon began rehearsing in Smith's grandmother's living room. Urie grew up in a Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
family in Las Vegas and early on skipped rehearsals to go to church. Ross initially was the lead vocalist for the group, but after hearing Urie sing back-up during rehearsals, they unanimously decided to move him to lead. The teens initially worked solely as a Blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
cover band.
The monotonous nature of local Las Vegas bands influenced the members of the band to be different and creative, and they soon began laying down experimental demos. The band had not even performed a single live show when they were signed. "We never went out and played shows before we got signed because the music scene in Las Vegas is so bad. There's not a lot going on," Smith said. "In our practice space, there were something like 30 bands, and every day we'd walk into that room and hear the exact same death-metal bands. So it kind of influenced us to be different. And to get out of Las Vegas." Urie began working at Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Tropical Smoothie Cafe, sometimes referred to as simply Tropical Smoothie, is a restaurant franchise in the U.S.A. and India. In addition to smoothies the company is a full Cafe that offers sandwiches, wraps, salads, and introduced flat breads to their food line in 2009.-History:Tropical Smoothie...
in Summerlin to afford rent for the band's new practice space. The four left their education behind to concentrate on music, with Ross falling out with his father for leaving college after his first year. Upon telling his parents of their intentions to quit high school in favor of being in a band, Urie was kicked out, forced to stay at friends' homes and eventually affording a one-bedroom apartment.
Ross and Urie soon began to commit to their laptops the demos they had been developing, and posted three early demos ("Time to Dance," "Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks" and "Camisado") on PureVolume
PureVolume
PureVolume was the first independently run website of its type, allowing for the upload and stream of music files. It was created in 2003 by Jennifer Welch , in conjunction with the Unborn Media team; Brett Woitunski, Nate Hudson, and Mitchell Pavao; all from the University of...
. On a whim, they sent a link to Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
bassist Pete Wentz via a LiveJournal
LiveJournal
LiveJournal is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal or diary. LiveJournal is also the name of the free and open source server software that was designed to run the LiveJournal virtual community....
account. Wentz, who was in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
at the time with the rest of Fall Out Boy working on their major-label debut, From Under the Cork Tree
From Under the Cork Tree
From Under the Cork Tree is the third studio album by American rock band Fall Out Boy. It was released on May 3, 2005, through Island Records as the band's major label debut...
, drove down to Las Vegas to meet with the young, unsigned band. Upon hearing "two to three" songs during band practice, Wentz was impressed and immediately wanted the band to sign to his Fueled by Ramen
Fueled by Ramen
Fueled by Ramen is an American record label which operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records. The label, founded in Gainesville, Florida, is based in New York City...
imprint label Decaydance Records
Decaydance Records
Decaydance Records is a record label based in New York City. Originally founded as an imprint of Fueled by Ramen, it is now an independent record label owned by Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy and partners. The first band Wentz signed to the label was Panic! at the Disco...
, which made them the first on the new label. Around December 2004, the group signed to the label. As news broke that Wentz had signed Panic! (who had yet to perform a single live show), fans on the Internet began to bash the group. "Almost right away we knew what was going to happen," Ross explained in a 2006 interview. "We had two songs online and people were already making assumptions on what kind of band we were and what we were going to sound like."
Meanwhile, Wentz began to hype the band wherever possible: from wearing "Pete! at the Disco" T-shirts onstage to mentioning them in interviews. Wentz gave a quick shout-out to the band during a press junket on the day before the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards
2005 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2005 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 28, 2005, honoring the best music videos from July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005. The show was hosted by Diddy at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida...
: "I've got a couple of bands coming out soon on Decaydance, one being this band called Panic! at the Disco," Wentz said. "Their record is going to be your next favorite record. It's called A Fever You Can't Sweat Out — get it before your little brother does." At the time of their signing, all of the band members were still in high school (with the exception of Ross, who was forced to quit UNLV
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
). Urie graduated in May 2005 and Wilson and Smith finished school online as the band left for College Park, Maryland to record their debut record.
A Fever You Can't Sweat Out and mainstream success (2005–2007)
The band relocated to College Park, Maryland to record their debut album from June–September 2005. Although they only had shells of songs when they arrived, the rest of the album shaped up fast through the marathon session. "We didn't have a day off in the five-and-a-half weeks we were there, 12 or 14 hours a day," Ross said in a 2005 interview. "We were making things up in our heads that weren't there, and on top of the stress of trying to finish the record, we were living in a one-bedroom apartment with four people on bunk beds," recalled Ross. "Everyone got on everybody's nerves. Someone would write a new part for a song and someone else would say they didn't like it just because you ate their cereal that morning."The album is split into two halves: the first half is mostly electronic dance punk, while the second half features Vaudevillian piano, strings, and accordion. The band grew tired of writing only with drum machines and keyboards and, inspired by film scores (specifically the works of Danny Elfman and Jon Brion) decided to write a completely different half. "By the end of that, we were completely exhausted," said Ross of the studio sessions. After its completion, "we had two weeks to come home and learn how to be a band," Ross said. The group played their first live show during the summer of 2005 at local Las Vegas music venue The Alley on West Charleston. Afterwards, the band toured nationally on the Nintendo Fusion Tour
Nintendo Fusion Tour
Nintendo Fusion Tour is a touring rock music and video game festival sponsored by Nintendo, which began in 2003.Nintendo's Fusion Tour has provided early exposure for then-developing bands such as Evanescence, Story of the Year, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Anberlin and Panic! at the Disco...
with mentors Fall Out Boy, as well as Motion City Soundtrack
Motion City Soundtrack
Motion City Soundtrack is an American rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 1997. The band consists of founding members Justin Pierre and Joshua Cain , along with keyboardist and moog synthesist Jesse Johnson, bassist and backing vocalist Matthew Taylor, and drummer, percussionist and...
, The Starting Line
The Starting Line
The Starting Line is an American pop punk band based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that formed in 1999.- Formation and history :In 1999, the band that would become The Starting Line was initiated in Churchville, Pennsylvania via an e-mail from guitarist Matt Watts to vocalist/bassist Kenny Vasoli...
, and Boys Night Out
Boys Night Out
Boys Night Out may refer to:* Boys Night Out , a Canadian emo/post-hardcore band** Boys Night Out , their self-titled album* Boys' Night Out , a 1962 comedy...
for the rest of 2005.
Their debut album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
A Fever You Can't Sweat Out is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Panic! at the Disco. Recorded primarily at SOMD! Studios in College Park, Maryland with producer Matt Squire, the album was released September 27, 2005 on Decaydance and Fueled by Ramen Records.Written and...
, was released September 27, 2005. Sales began relatively slow. It debuted at #112 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart, #6 on the Billboard Independent Albums
Independent Albums
The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels...
chart, and #1 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
chart, with nearly 10,000 albums sold in the first week of release. Within a span of four months, Panic! would see the video for their first single, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies
I Write Sins Not Tragedies
"I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, and is the lead single from their debut studio album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out . It was released on April 27, 2006 on both compact disc and 7 inch vinyl. The song was written by guitarist Ryan Ross. The song...
", rocket up the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
as sales of Fever passed the 500,000 mark. At the end of March 2006, they announced their very own headlining tour. By August, their debut record was certified platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA), and the music video for "I Write Sins, Not Tragedies" won Video of the Year at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
2006 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 31, 2006, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. The show was hosted by Jack Black at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
. "Some aspects of the fame are annoying, but at the end of the day it's something we're most grateful for. It's certainly opened the door to a whole new batch of opportunities," Ross said of the band's newfound fame and instant success.
In May 2006, Panic! at the Disco announced that original bassist Brent Wilson had left the band, "posting a statement that was both diplomatic and entirely inscrutable […] yet [failing] to mention any reason why Wilson is leaving Panic," according to MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
. In June, Wilson asserted to MTV News that he was kicked out of the band via a phone call. "It was done as a phone call and the only person who spoke was Spencer. Apparently Brendon and Ryan were on the speakerphone too, but they didn't say a word. They never even said they were sorry," explained Wilson. Smith wrote a lengthy e-mail back to James Montgomery of MTV News, stating, in part, "We made the decision based on Brent's lack of responsibility and the fact that he wasn't progressing musically with the band," and revealed that Wilson did not write nor play any bass present on Fever: Instead, Urie recorded these parts. Wilson demanded a cut in royalties, and threatened to take his former band to court.
The band supported The Academy Is… on their worldwide The Ambitious Ones and Smoking Guns Tour from January to May 2006. Beginning in June, the group headlined their first unnamed national tour, that would last until August. During their performance at the 2006 Reading Festival in August, the band was greeted by excessive bottling, one of which hit Urie in the face that knocked him unconscious. Despite this, the band continued with their set after Urie recovered. The band's second headlining tour, dubbed the Nothing Rhymes with Circus Tour, began in November. In roughly one year, Panic! at the Disco went from being the opening act on a five-band bill to the headliners on a massive arena tour.
The Nothing Rhymes with Circus Tour debuted the band's highly theatrical and notable live show, which featured every song with dance numbers, skits and tricks performed by a six-member troupe, as the band donned intricate costumes, loosely re-enacting moments from the songs. Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
noted the sudden success and circus-inspired tour of the young band in a concert review: "There’s something charming about watching a band trying to navigate sudden success, aided by a contortionist, a ribbon dancer and all the rest of it." The group, fresh off the major success of A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, took a break after non-stop touring and began formulating ideas for their next record together during the winter of 2006.
Pretty. Odd., ...Live In Chicago, and continued success (2008)
After a short period of development regarding the ideas of the album, on March 6, 2007 the band arrived at a cabin in the rural mountains of Mount Charleston, NevadaMount Charleston, Nevada
Mount Charleston is an unincorporated town in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The population was 285 at the 2000 census.Named for Mount Charleston, the highest point in the area, the town is in a valley of the Spring Mountains to the northwest of Las Vegas, noted for its hiking trails, and for...
and began the writing process for the new album. After recording the new tracks and performing them live over the summer, the band returned to their native Las Vegas as well as their old rehearsal studio, where they wrote their debut record. The band grew disinterested in the songs previously written and by August scrapped the entire new album (which Ross later revealed was "three-quarters" done) and started over. "We wanted to approach these songs in the most basic form," Ross said. "We wrote them all on one acoustic guitar and with someone singing. I think that we kind of skipped that part of songwriting on the first record, and this time we're sort of paying attention to that. […] We've written a bunch of songs since we've been home [Las Vegas]. I think it's the most fun and the happiest we've been since we started." With simplicity the new focus and the old album shelved, the group settled in and began recording what would become Pretty. Odd. In October, the band entered the Studio at the Palms at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas to begin recording the album.
In January 2008, the band unveiled a new logo and dropped the exclamation point from their name, effectively becoming Panic at the Disco, which soon caused outrage among the band's fanbase. Released on March 21, 2008, Pretty. Odd.
Pretty. Odd.
Pretty. Odd. is the second studio album by the American rock band Panic! at the Disco. Recorded at the Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas with additional production at Abbey Road Studios in London with producer Rob Mathes, the album was released March 21, 2008 on Decaydance and Fueled by Ramen Records...
was described by the band as "more organic and mellower" than A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, as well as unintentionally and coincidentally similar to music of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, in both songwriting and scope. The record debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, with first-day sales of 54,000, and first-week sales of 139,000 copies in the United States. Those figures marked the band's biggest sales week to that date, beating a previous record held by A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (which sold 45,000 during the winter of 2006). The record also debuted at "Current Alternative Albums" chart and #2 on the "Digital Albums" chart, the latter of which accounted for 26 percent of the disc's overall sales. The album charted high in various other countries and was eventually certified gold in the United Kingdom, however, Pretty. Odd. received relatively disappointing sales in the face of its predecessor. Pretty. Odd. was, however, critically acclaimed in contrast to Fever: Barry Walters of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
called Panic's debut album "embarrassing" while regarding the new record as "[daring] to be optimistically beautiful at a time when sadness and ugliness might have won them easier credibility."
The band announced plans to headline the 2008 Honda Civic Tour
Honda Civic Tour
The Honda Civic Tour is an annual concert tour, sponsored by Honda Motor Company which began in 2001. Each year, the headlining band or bands customize a Honda Civic for concert patrons to win in a raffle.-First Half:*Headliner: blink-182...
in January 2008, which took up the majority of early touring for the album. Motion City Soundtrack, The Hush Sound
The Hush Sound
The Hush Sound was an indie quartet originating in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. Initially named "The Hush," the band later changed their name to "The Hush Sound" due to the discovery of a rapper with the same name...
and Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet are an American alternative rock band from Southern California. Formed in 1994 in Los Angeles, the band consists of Alex Greenwald , Darren Robinson , Sam Farrar and Jeff Conrad . The band is best known for its track "California", which became the theme song for the Fox TV series,...
opened for the tour, which April 10 to July 14, 2008 across North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Throughout October and November 2008, the band toured with Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, led by singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" from the debut album The Swiss Army Romance....
and The Cab
The Cab
The Cab is an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. Their debut album, Whisper War, was released on April 29, 2008. They have been called "The Band You Need to Know 2008" by Alternative Press magazine...
on the Rock Band Live Tour promoting the video game Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2 is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems. It is the sequel to Rock Band and is the second title in the series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments...
.
As expected and predicted by several music publications, the band adopted a very different style for the touring in support of Pretty. Odd., in contrast to the dark, circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
-themed elements of their previous stage shows. Each show contained "woodsy set pieces, projections of flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
, and mic stands wrapped in lights and flowers," and each band member dressed in a vest. While reflecting on the theatrical nature of A Fever You Can't Sweat Out touring, Urie commented "We did it and it was a lot of fun when we did it, but this time around I think we wanted to get back to a more intimate, personal setting, and scale it down a little bit." Ryan Ross explained that "It's more about connecting with the audience and seeing what's gonna happen every night. It's not as scripted out and pre-planned. It makes it more exciting for us, and less monotonous every night." A live album, ...Live in Chicago
...Live in Chicago
-DVD content:*Live performance*In the Days – This is a documentary-like segment which includes a sneak-peek behind the scenes during the Chicago stop on the tour.*Music videos# "Nine in the Afternoon"# "That Green Gentleman "...
, based on live recordings from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
during the Honda Civic Tour, was released December 2, 2008. An accompanying DVD contains photos from the tour, each music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
from the album as well as behind-the-scenes footage of the videos and the tour, the short film Panic at the Disco In: American Valley, and the documentary feature based on the tour, All In A Day's.
Pretty. Odd. touring was also defined by a larger effort to remain environmentally
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
conscious. On the tour, the band worked with two non-profit eco organizations: Reverb, which facilitates environmentally friendly touring; and Global Inheritance, which seeks to inspire more eco-activism. In a 2008 interview, Ross revealed that the band traveling on a biodiesel bus, to re-using plastics, and recycling more backstage. The band went as far as to print tour booklets on recycled paper, with soy ink, and organize an "eco-contest," in which profits from the tour went straight to environmental organizations.
Lineup change and Vices & Virtues (2009–present)
In spring 2009, the band began recording material for their then-untitled third studio album. However, on July 6, 2009, Ryan Ross and Jon Walker announced via the band's official website that the two were leaving the band. The statement, in part, read: "Ryan Ross and Jon Walker will be leaving Panic at the Disco to embark on a musical excursion of their own. Though the four of us have made music together in the past, we've creatively evolved in different directions which has compromised what each of us want to personally achieve. Over the years, we have remained close and honest with each other, which helped us to realize that our goals were different and that parting ways is truly what is best for each of us." In an interview following the split, Ross explained that he first brought the idea to Smith in late June 2009 over lunch: "Spencer and I had lunch and caught up for a while, and then the big question came up, like, 'Well, what do you want to do?' and I said, 'Well, I think it might be best if we kind of do our own thing for a while', and he said, 'I'm glad you said that, because I was going to say the same thing'", Ross recalled. "And there was really no argument, which is really the best way that could've worked out." Ross said the split was largely due to creative differences between him and Urie. Urie wanted the band to explore a more polished pop sound, while Ross — and, by extension, Walker — was interested in making retro-inspired rock.The news asserted that both tour plans with Blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
in August 2009 and new album production "will continue as previously announced," and the announcement ended with the teaser for a "surprise" soon to come. The following day, Alternative Press broke the news that "New Perspective
New Perspective (song)
-Charts:...
", the first song recorded without Ross and Walker, would debut the following month on radio and as a part of the soundtrack to the film Jennifer's Body
Jennifer's Body
Jennifer's Body is a 2009 black comedy horror film written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama. The film stars Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, and Adam Brody. Fox portrays a newly-possessed teenage serial killer specializing in killing her male classmates as her best friend...
. On July 10, 2009, Alternative Press also reported that the band had regained the exclamation point, becoming, once again, Panic! at the Disco. "New Perspective" was released on July 28, 2009. Former The Cab
The Cab
The Cab is an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. Their debut album, Whisper War, was released on April 29, 2008. They have been called "The Band You Need to Know 2008" by Alternative Press magazine...
member Ian Crawford filled in for Ross on their tour during the Blink-182 Summer Tour in August 2009, and Dallon Weekes, singer/songwriter of the indie band The Brobecks
The Brobecks
The Brobecks is an American indie rock band, and a project of singer/songwriter Dallon Weekes. The band is unsigned and is based in Salt Lake City, Utah and Los Angeles, California. The band's sound uses a wide variety of instrumentation and attributes its influences to artists such as George...
, filled in for Walker on bass.
The band re-entered the studio during early 2010 and spent much of the year recording their third studio album. On January 18, 2011, the band revealed that their new album, Vices & Virtues
Vices & Virtues
Vices & Virtues is the third studio album by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, released on March 22, 2011 on Fueled by Ramen. Produced by John Feldmann and Butch Walker, the album marks the debut of the band's two-man lineup, featuring vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Brendon Urie and...
, would officially be released on March 22, 2011. The album was produced by Butch Walker
Butch Walker
Butch Walker is an American recording artist, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the metal band SouthGang from the late 80s to early 90s as well as the lead vocalist and guitarist for rock band Marvelous 3 from 1997 until 2001.-Career:Walker grew up in Cartersville,...
and John Feldmann
John Feldmann
John William Feldmann is an American musician and producer who is the lead singer/guitarist of the band Goldfinger. He is known as an animal rights advocate.- Music :...
. The record's first single, "The Ballad of Mona Lisa
The Ballad of Mona Lisa
"The Ballad of Mona Lisa" is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, released February 1, 2011 as the first single from the group's third studio album, Vices & Virtues...
", was released digitally on February 1, 2011, with the music video being released February 8, 2011. Vices & Virtues was officially released March 22, 2011 to relatively positive critical reviews.
The band began touring in support of the album, christened the Vices & Virtues Tour
Vices & Virtues Tour
Vices & Virtues Tour is a concert tour by American rock band Panic! at the Disco. The tour will be split into three legs. The first leg is called "An Intimate Evening With Panic! at the Disco". It began on January 23, 2011 and currently has twelve shows listed. The second part will be after the...
, in earnest beginning in February 2011. The tour has sported the same electric, over-the-top theatricality the band was known for during the Fever era. "I really miss wearing costumes and makeup," Urie told Spin. "I love throwing a big production. I've recently been reading about Tesla coils and I'm trying to figure out how I can get one that sits on the stage and shoots sparks without hurting anybody." They were scheduled to play the Australian Soundwave Revolution festival in September/October but the festival was cancelled and in its place is the Counter-Revolution mini-festival the band will play.
On May 12, 2011, the band collaborated with indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band Fun. for their US tour, releasing a new single named "C'mon". The group contributed a new song "Mercenary" to the soundtrack for the video game Batman: Arkham City.
In 2011, Panic! at the Disco played a month-long fall US tour with supporting acts Patrick Stump
Patrick Stump
Patrick Vaughn Stump is an American singer-songwriter, composer, record producer, and music critic. He is the composer, lead singer, and multi-instrumentalist of Fall Out Boy, an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, and is also a solo artist...
and Foxy Shazam
Foxy Shazam
Foxy Shazam is an American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, formed in 2004. The band is composed of lead vocalist Eric Sean Nally, guitarist Loren Turner, pianist Sky White, and bass player Daisy. Later, trumpeter and back-up vocalist Alex Nauth joined, and Aaron McVeigh became the band's permanent...
at club and theatre venues, and are scheduled to play a UK tour.
Musical style
Music critics named a number of different genres to describe Panic! at the Disco's music, including emoEmo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
, pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
, electro
Electro (music)
Electro is a genre of electronic dance music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 drum machines, Moog keytar synthesizers and funk sampling...
, vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
, and baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
pop. These labels were more of a reflection of the band's work on A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
A Fever You Can't Sweat Out is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Panic! at the Disco. Recorded primarily at SOMD! Studios in College Park, Maryland with producer Matt Squire, the album was released September 27, 2005 on Decaydance and Fueled by Ramen Records.Written and...
, as the stylistic shift on Pretty. Odd.
Pretty. Odd.
Pretty. Odd. is the second studio album by the American rock band Panic! at the Disco. Recorded at the Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas with additional production at Abbey Road Studios in London with producer Rob Mathes, the album was released March 21, 2008 on Decaydance and Fueled by Ramen Records...
made many of these claims insignificant.
Panic! at the Disco went on record many times saying that their second album would be completely different from A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, as Rolling Stone wrote in an article: "The group cemented its next direction with their first single, called "Nine in the Afternoon
Nine in the Afternoon
"Nine in the Afternoon" is the first single from the second album by Panic! at the Disco, Pretty. Odd. It is the band's first song release that did not include the exclamation mark at the end of the "Panic" in their name, and was also the first song written for the album. The video was filmed on...
". "It's influenced by the music our parents listened to: the Beach Boys, The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, the Beatles", says Ross. "Our new songs are more like classic rock than modern rock. We got older and started listening to different music – and this seems like the natural thing to do right now." Pretty. Odd.
Pretty. Odd.
Pretty. Odd. is the second studio album by the American rock band Panic! at the Disco. Recorded at the Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas with additional production at Abbey Road Studios in London with producer Rob Mathes, the album was released March 21, 2008 on Decaydance and Fueled by Ramen Records...
has been described as being like "[Panic] dropping the entire Beatles catalog into a blender, adding some modern alternative ice and the horn section from Sonia Dada
Sonia Dada
Sonia Dada is a Chicago-based rock/soul/rhythm and blues band, which tours with anywhere from six to eight members. The band formed in 1990, when founding member Daniel Pritzker heard three future members singing in a subway station...
, then churning out a new-millennium Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
smoothie." In his review of their live album
...Live in Chicago
-DVD content:*Live performance*In the Days – This is a documentary-like segment which includes a sneak-peek behind the scenes during the Chicago stop on the tour.*Music videos# "Nine in the Afternoon"# "That Green Gentleman "...
, Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted, "...Pretty. Odd. suggests that they're becoming that rare thing in 2008: a pop-oriented rock band. They might not be doing this knowingly, but the results are entertaining all the same."
Since the release of Vices & Virtues
Vices & Virtues
Vices & Virtues is the third studio album by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, released on March 22, 2011 on Fueled by Ramen. Produced by John Feldmann and Butch Walker, the album marks the debut of the band's two-man lineup, featuring vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Brendon Urie and...
, the band's musical sensibilities have returned to the theatrical pop rock of their debut, albeit more mature and restrained in the style of Pretty. Odd. Urie has gone on record several times claiming that this was not the band's intention, stating that Virtues is a rebirth for the band and indicative of a new identity following the departures of Ross and Walker.
Band members
Current members- Brendon UrieBrendon UrieBrendon Boyd Urie is an American musician and the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, pianist and singer-songwriter of Panic! at the Disco. He also plays drums, bass guitar, accordion, organ, cello, violin, and trumpet.-Early life:...
– lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
(2004–present) - Spencer SmithSpencer Smith (musician)Spencer James Smith is an American musician. Smith is a founding member and drummer of American rock band Panic! at the Disco. With the band he placed two studio albums, Pretty. Odd. and Vices & Virtues , in the top ten of the US Billboard 200 chart with the band's debut effort "A Fever You Can't...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(2004–present)
Current touring
- Ian CrawfordIan CrawfordIan Crawford is a musician from Auburn, Washington. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of American pop rock band The Cab, as well as for his involvement in various side projects such as Stamps. On June 1, 2009 The Cab's lead singer Alexander DeLeon announced on his blog that guitarist...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
(2009–present) - Dallon WeekesThe BrobecksThe Brobecks is an American indie rock band, and a project of singer/songwriter Dallon Weekes. The band is unsigned and is based in Salt Lake City, Utah and Los Angeles, California. The band's sound uses a wide variety of instrumentation and attributes its influences to artists such as George...
– bass guitar, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, backing vocals (2009–present)
Former members
- Ryan RossRyan RossGeorge Ryan Ross III is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter most known for his work as the lead guitarist, backup vocalist and main songwriter for the band Panic! at the Disco, before his departure from the band in 2009...
– vocals, lead guitar, keyboards (2004–2009) - Jon Walker – bass guitar, guitars, backing vocals (2006–2009)
- Brent Wilson – bass guitar (2004–2006)
Former touring
- Eric Ronick – keyboards, backing vocals, percussion (2006–2008)
- Bartram Nason – celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, keyboards, electronic drumElectronic drumAn electronic drum is an electronic synthesizer which mimics an acoustic drum kit.The electronic drum usually consists of a set of pads mounted on a stand in a disposition similar to an acoustic drum kit. The pads are discs with a rubber or cloth-like coating. Each pad has a sensor which generates...
s, percussion (2006–2007) - Bradley Potter – lead guitar, backing vocals (2006)
Discography
- A Fever You Can't Sweat OutA Fever You Can't Sweat OutA Fever You Can't Sweat Out is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Panic! at the Disco. Recorded primarily at SOMD! Studios in College Park, Maryland with producer Matt Squire, the album was released September 27, 2005 on Decaydance and Fueled by Ramen Records.Written and...
(2005) - Pretty. Odd.Pretty. Odd.Pretty. Odd. is the second studio album by the American rock band Panic! at the Disco. Recorded at the Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas with additional production at Abbey Road Studios in London with producer Rob Mathes, the album was released March 21, 2008 on Decaydance and Fueled by Ramen Records...
(2008) - Vices & VirtuesVices & VirtuesVices & Virtues is the third studio album by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, released on March 22, 2011 on Fueled by Ramen. Produced by John Feldmann and Butch Walker, the album marks the debut of the band's two-man lineup, featuring vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Brendon Urie and...
(2011)
Awards and nominations
At the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards a random audience member who identified himself as Sixx jumped on the stage while they were giving their acceptance speech for winning the award for Music Video of the Year.- MTV Video Music AwardsMTV Video Music AwardsAn MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
: - Nominated: Best Direction in a Video (2008) for "Nine in the Afternoon"
- Nominated: Best Pop Video (2008) for "Nine in the Afternoon"
- Won: Video of the YearMTV Video Music Award for Video of the YearThe MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year is the main award handed out at the yearly MTV Video Music Awards. It was first awarded in , when The Cars won it, and has been given out since. Eminem has been the most nominated solo artist, male solo artist, and act in this category, having been...
(2006) for "I Write Sins Not TragediesI Write Sins Not Tragedies"I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, and is the lead single from their debut studio album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out . It was released on April 27, 2006 on both compact disc and 7 inch vinyl. The song was written by guitarist Ryan Ross. The song...
" - Nominated: Best Group Video (2006) for "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
- Nominated: Best Rock Video (2006) for "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
- Nominated: Best New Artist in a Video (2006) for "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
- Nominated: Best Art Direction in a Video (2006) for "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
- Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica:
- Nominated: Best International Rock Group (2007)
- Nominated: Best International Rock Group (2008)
- MTV Asia Awards 2008MTV Asia Awards 2008After a one-year hiatus, the MTV Asia Awards 2008 returned on August 2, 2008. The event was held at the 6,000-seat Arena of Stars in Genting, Malaysia. This was the first time the award show was held in Malaysia. This was the sixth MTV Asia Awards.Nominees were announced on June 14, 2008 via the...
: - Won: edc Style Award
- TMF AwardsTMF AwardsThe TMF Awards are an annual television awards show broadcast live on TMF .The first Dutch TMF Awards were held in 1995, as a brand extension to the recently launched local Dutch music channel TMF. The show was very small and held in the company cafeteria...
: - Won: Best Video International (2006) for "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
- Grammy Awards:
- Nominated: Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package (2008)
- Nominated: Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package (2009)