Description

A discovery of pop-punk superstars Fall Out Boy, the Las Vegas emo band Panic! At the Disco (named for a Smiths song), stormed the charts in 2005 while its members were barely old enough to vote. Offering a highly danceable take on the emo formula of pop melodies, punk guitars, and heart-on-sleeve lyrics, Panic! are as much a symbol of the power of new digital media--download sites, blogs, DIY Internet outlets like My Space--as they are of the state of music in the early 2000s. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, the band's debut album, FEVER YOU CAN'T SWEAT OUT, sold almost 10,000 copies the first week of its release.

Biography

Just barely out of high school emo-pop outfit Panic at the Disco burst out of suburban Las Vegas in 2005 with their full-length debut A Fever You Cant Sweat Out Taking their name from a line in Name Takens Panic the group materialized when friends Spencer Smith drums and Ryan Ross guitar grew tired of covering blink-182 tunes together and thus recruited classmates Brendon Urie guitarvocals and Brent Wilson bass to complete the quartet Crafting pop-influenced songs with theatrical touches quirky techno beats and perceptive lyrics Panic at the Disco posted some demos online and soon caught the attention of Decaydance the Fueled by Ramen imprint headed by Fall Out Boys Pete Wentz Even though the band had yet to play a live show they subsequently became the first band signed to the label With their record issued in September 2005 the guys hit the road that fall on the successful Nintendo Fusion Tour alongside Fall Out Boy Motion City Soundtrack Boys Night Out and the Starting Line As their single I Write Sins Not Tragedies found its way into TRL hearts and the Top 40 by the early months of 2006 the band kept the momentum going on the road with the Academy Is Acceptance and Hellogoodbye Proving to be a popular lineup the tour consistently sold out venues across the country Wilson was fired from the group mid-year Panic pressed on with their friend Jon Walker on board for a full summer of headlining dates around the country that culminated with appearances in Chicago at Lollapalooza and overseas at the UKs Reading and Leeds festivals Their second single from Fever The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage also began making waves on radio and TV as the guys picked up Video of the Year at MTVs yearly VMA ceremony beating out heavy hitters like Madonna and the Red Hot Chili Peppers A collectors boxset version of Fever full of random Panic paraphernalia and a DVD came out just in time for the 2006 holiday season Corey Apar All Music Guide