Panic! At The Disco put on a fun yet interesting set when they played Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Saturday night.
Before the headliners took the stage, Jake Wesley Rogers opened the evening for the audience members who were still trying to find their way to their seats. What made Rogers’ set so memorable is that he was able to connect with the audience early into his performance. After all, the singer lived in Nashville, attending Belmont University just miles from the same arena where he played Saturday. In fact, Rogers made sure to point out different parts of the venue where he had sat during some legendary acts that came through Music City.
During his short time on stage, Rogers displayed his charismatic charm and obvious talent. Several crowd members compared his eccentric style to a young early Elton John, and it’s easy to see why with his piano skills and vocals. Even with all of those positives, that relatability earned him the most applause from the Music City crowd as the Nashville audience cheered for their neighbor.
After performing at Ryman Auditorium earlier this year, MARINA made her second appearance in Nashville. Like her earlier reception, the Welsh singer and songwriter was again met with ovations early and often throughout her set. While she received the applause, it didn’t feel like MARINA fully connected with the audience until later in her setlist.As she neared the end of her time on stage, she included her hits when she was with her backing band, The Diamonds. Fans instantly recognized the songs and loudly sang back the lyrics. She clearly fed off the excitement, coming to the front of the stage and interacting more with the audience. It made for a fun close to her set and just the right amount of energy needed before the headliners performed.
Even with a 30-minute lull as the stage set up, the anticipation for Panic! At The Disco was high. Ten minutes before stage time, a clock counted down and fans cheered wildly as the crowd eagerly awaited it to reach zero. The payoff was well worth it, and the set got underway with a fiery start, with the band appropriately opening their evening with their smash hit “Say Amen (Saturday Night).” The fun continued for a little bit while longer as Panic continued to play a slew of fan favorites.After six songs, the pace of the show changed, and the group made a bold call, playing their newest album Viva Las Vengeance in its entirety. Panic! At The Disco is not the first band, and certainly won’t be the last, to perform a record in full. However, the groups that choose to perform those full albums do so because those records are considered classics by their respective fan bases, honor an anniversary, etc. This decision wasn’t the case on Saturday, as Panic’s new album is less than two months old, making the performance even stranger and, in some ways, feel self-indulgent.
While the hardcore Panic fans knew every lyric from the record, it felt like most of the Nashville crowd was sitting back listening to the performance. It’s not uncommon for a band to play one or two newer songs that the audience may be unfamiliar with and hasn’t heard before. However, it was more like eight tracks on Saturday night that the majority of the crowd was unfamiliar with, making it almost feel like Panic! At The Disco was working extra hard to shove this record down people’s throats. Though lead singer Brendon Urie did his best to try to spark enthusiasm, and though the audience didn’t turn away, it was apparent that the crowd wanted the tunes that they were familiar with and had hoped to hear.
Thankfully for those fans, Panic! At The Disco did circle back to some of its more notable tunes as the night concluded with seven of their biggest hits. By that time, though, it felt like some audience members had lost their excitement, losing the luster of those tracks. Even still, fans did get to have a singalong to cap off the night, as the band made sure to perform “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” and “High Hopes.” However, to borrow a phrase that is the group’s title of their second album, Saturday’s performance felt “Pretty. Odd.” and here’s hoping the next time the band is in Nashville, it will dig into its discography a little more.
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