I don’t know if it’s just me, but concerts are on a whole different level when they involve bands from my younger days. I’ve been an avid fan of Panic! at the Disco ever since I was a senior in high school. I still remember how obsessed I was with their album ‘A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out’. Aside from memorizing all of the songs, I also did a lot of research on the meanings behind their songs, their inspirations, the band members, and everything I could find on P!atD. That was in 2005.
Today, 13 years later, I found myself watching them in concert for the first time, and I simply couldn’t contain myself. Blame it on the seemingly unlimited supply of Red Horse beer at the venue or just my nostalgia running high, but I found myself in tears near the end of the concert for having finally witnessed one of my favorite bands live.
Panic! at the Disco chose their songs well. And while they may not have played enough old school songs to satisfy my emo heart, they definitely kept the energy and the emotions high all throughout the Mall of Asia Arena.
The band played a beautiful mix of songs, some from older albums and a lot from newer albums, and even some covers that made Titas like me happy.
The ultimate highlight of it all, though – for me, at least – was being able to witness them sing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ live. I still remember watching a video of them performing the song live before and I got chills up and down my spine. Being able to actually hear them sing it live was absolutely surreal.
Naturally, I’d put their choice of encore songs into the second favorite list of songs that they played that night. After all, not only was their current hit ‘Say Amen (Saturday Night)’ one of the songs sung during the encore; their very first song ever was sung, as well: ‘I Write Sins, Not Tragedies’, baby!!!
The entire concert hall went absolutely crazy during the encore and it was interesting to see such a wide array of fans in the crowd.
From the Titas of my generation to today’s millennials, Panic! at the Disco continues to wow people with their music, clearly evolving with the times and making sure that they keep each generation fulfilled in some way. To this day, listening to Panic’s first album gives me a high I can’t really explain. I hope that’s what their music does for you in some way.
(ALSO READ: These 13 Panic! at the Disco Songs Will Remind You of Your Emo Days)
Special thanks to MMI Live for the Panic! at the Disco Pray for the Wicked Tour in Manila.
