Panic! At the Disco made their return to Milwaukee for the 3rd and final night of Kiss FM’s KissMissBash and was a fantastic display of fan loyalty and perfectly executed showmanship on lead singer Brendon Urie’s part.
The Bash started with Charlie XCX who played a montage of her favorite popular songs, such as “Break the Rules”, which was featured on her 2014 album, Sucker, and “Boom Clap”. In promotion for her new songs Charlie played “After the After Party,” and also covered a version of Fancy. Her set was a mix of pink lights and three large balloons that made XCX stand out on stage. Her slick dance moves and dance beats warmed the crowd up quickly from the chilly Wisconsin air.
Kungs, a French DJ, played after Charlie XCX, remixing older songs with extravagant beats. The first 30-minutes were fun, until the crowd lost its energy, despite Kungs trying to keep them awake. The nearly 60-minute set felt long and dragging after the first few songs, only to have the crowd slowly shake awake again for his final remix.
Riggs, Alley and the Judge thanked the crowd for their continued support through the three days of shows featured in the KissMissBash. The first artist for Kiss FM’s 2016 Bash was Martin Garrix, a popular EDM artist, while the second night featured Jon Bellion. Finally, the third show featured Panic! At the Disco, which sold out the Eagles Ballroom at the Rave.
Brendon Urie took the stage in his red blazer and black attire and with his impressive range of vocals. While rarely taking to the crowd, Urie was greeted with fans who nearly sung over his vocals for songs like “Death of a Bachelor”, and the fan-favorite, “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies”. Panic! also covered “Bohemian Rhapsody” from Suicide Squad’s feature album.
The set was fully entertaining, and while Urie sang crowd favorites, he made the show interesting with flips and tricks, and even a little dancing. His change of vocals ranged from base to a soprano that could rival any choir. Panic! may seem like an over-rated group, but instead feature the best parts of a concert: a lead singer who knows how to entertain, songs that get the crowd jumping, and a relatively behaved crowd (which is hard for any show to have). The experience was worth the wait from middle school days.
Overall, the concert was a splash of summer pop, old middle school melodies, and as much dancing as one could muster while the crowd pressed closer to Brendon Urie and his sly dance moves. Despite the crowd full of cell phones, the most memorable part was how the concert was more for the crowd rather than the performers as they sang back louder and stronger to their favorite music.
This is the second year in a row that Panic! has been a part of the Kiss FM Bash as well as sold out the venue.