Last week on Tuesday, March 20, 2018, it was released by multiple media outlets that Panic! At the Disco would be playing a surprise show somewhere in Asbury Park on Wednesday, March 21, 2018. The night before, they had played a surprise show in their hometown of Cleveland, Ohio at the Grog Shop. After the show was over, nuns were handing out these “cryptic” fliers:
The internet exploded, as well as the state of New Jersey as me and every other fan throughout the state scrambled to find out where in Asbury Park the show was going to take place. I found out about the show because my friend sent me a Facebook message that morning of a link to an Alternative Press article, talking about those fliers being given out the night before. We both flipped and decided we had to go to the show and were determined to figure out as many details as we possibly could to attend. Unfortunately, New Jersey was actually due for a huge snow storm on the day the show was supposed to take place. The internet was freaking out, begging Panic! At the Disco to reschedule the show for the following day, Thursday, March 22, 2018. Lucky enough for us, Panic! At the Disco heard their fans and rescheduled to Thursday, March 22, 2018, still without a venue announcement.
However, the day before the rescheduled show on March 21, 2018, Panic! At the Disco announced the release date of their new album titled, Pray for the Wicked, which is due out on June 22, 2018. They also released TWO new singles, “Say Amen (Saturday Night)” and “(Fuck A) Silver Lining,” both of which are AMAZING and complete bops. They both left me with an immense amount of anticipation for the surprise show the following night. The band did not play these two new songs live at their previous show in Cleveland… Maybe now that they were actually released, Asbury Park would be gifted with hearing them both played live for the very first time.
Finally, Thursday, March 22, 2018 came after we had a huge snow storm and at 12:00 pm that day, Panic! At the Disco announced that the surprise show was going to take place at the Stone Pony. Ironically enough, that is where I am currently interning, so excitement unlike any other ran through my veins to find out the show was going to take place there. At a capacity of 900 people, I knew this show was going to sell out in a heartbeat and the room was going to be overflowing with people. It was going to be a great night.
My friends and I met up and went to the Pony around 12:30 pm to get in line to purchase tickets for that night. The line was already wrapped around the entire venue and by the time we reached the box office, I would be number 386 to purchase a ticket for the show that day out of 900. All of us were overjoyed to have been fortunate enough to have gotten tickets and we were told to return to the venue around 6:30 pm for the doors. The excitement was real.
Like the box office suggested, we came back around 6:30 pm to see if they were letting anyone in yet and waited in the car until around 7:00 pm to start lining up. They put everyone in numerical order (which was something I had never experienced before, but I definitely respected that method). By the time we made it into the venue, it was PACKED. The 900-people-in-a-single-room kind of packed, but I was there for it and you could really see from anywhere. We waited for a good hour and a half until the whole entire room went black and Panic! At the Disco took the stage.
It was roughly 9:00 pm when the intro of, “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time,” started blaring throughout the room. My friends and I were ready to go. I was ready to let go of all of life’s stresses and just have a night full of screaming lyrics back to frontman, Brendan Urie, and dancing to the songs I have been listening to as long as I can remember.
The setlist was perfect. It was everything I could have asked for honestly. They played every feel good song in their catalog and so much more. Not to mention, THEY PLAYED BOTH OF THEIR NEW SONGS LIVE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. I can officially say I was there for the live debut of both and that in itself, is just incredible to me. Just thinking about it makes me smile. Both songs sounded amazing too, the whole crowd was dancing and screaming only the new words they could recollect in that moment of both those songs, since they were both still so new. They were both definitely two of my favorites of the night.
However, as far as old Panic! At the Disco songs go, I think, “Nicotine” and “Girls/Girls/Boys,” took the cake for my two favorite of the night. The whole entire day I was talking about how all I wanted them to play was, “Nicotine,” and you bet I screamed every word back to them. That has always been one of my favorite songs by them and it was just wanted I needed that night. As for, “Girls/Girls/Boys,” I think that song became one of my favorites just because of how ended. Brendan Urie started crying at the end of it because he basically said it was so powerful to hear the crowd sing along so loudly to it. The song is about gay rights and loving whoever you want to love and how it isn’t a choice. I wasn’t surprised that he got caught up in the moment and started getting emotional because when you think about, that is really powerful and beautiful. I was happy and proud to be a part of that moment for the band.
The last two songs the band played were, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” and “Victorious,” and that was the best way to end the night. I don’t think I ever heard a Pony crowd scream lyrics any louder than when they screamed the lyrics to, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies.” That was a special moment in itself. I will never forget it. Then of course, “Victorious,” is just a fun song and as Brendan sang, “All my friends are glorious,” I couldn’t help but think of how lucky I was to be in that room with four of my closest friends. Really, I am blessed. They are the best people I know.
Overall, it was a night I will never forget and I can’t wait to see them again with my best friend for her birthday at Madison Square Garden in New York City in July. But I will always remember how personal the Stone Pony experience was and it is something I will definitely be talking about for the rest of my life.
If you haven’t be sure to check out my vlog about the show below:
Until my next blog post, life starts with music.
-Kelli ♫
Myze Music 