I should start by saying that I was never indeed a mega fan of Panic! at the Disco unlike one of my best friends who could recite lyrics from any one of their albums. Naturally, when "Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die" came out, she obsessively sang their greatest hit from that album, "Miss Jackson." Before long, I too had fallen madly and obsessively in love with Panic! at the Disco and even resorted to purchasing my first ever concert tickets for their show at the Tabernacle.
At around 7 p.m. that night, we arrived at the Tabernacle, and it quickly became my favorite concert venue though it was the only I had ever been inside of. I remember my eyes immediately scanning the giant pipe organ that served as the backdrop of the stage and the ornate decorations that lined the wall and ceilings filled with graffiti. I knew quickly that the majestic old building had a very apparent charm.
I'll admit though, the Tabernacle is one of the worst places to be if you're claustrophobic. As my friend and I made our way to the mosh pit, our shoulders touched with our fellow music lovers as the opening band, the Colourist began playing. Soon enough, however, it hardly mattered as we sang along and danced to each and every song. I remember idly trying to rack my brain for any incidents in which I truly felt content or a part of something bigger than me, but I couldn't.
Alas, Brendon Urie stepped on stage dressed in all black and immediately began singing "Vegas Lights" as colorful lights bounced all over the stage and walls. I looked over to my friend who was swinging her arms around and mouthing every lyric. I followed pursuit and for a few more seconds, I felt complete and utter bliss.
Two minutes into "Vegas Lights," the song abruptly stops playing, which seemed to halt time.
"You guys are breaking the actual building! The floor has cracked, apparently, you guys." Brendon Urie exclaimed. Everyone around me began screaming in response.
"It'll take us a second to duct tape the floor I'll be back." I watch as Brendon Urie walks off stage, and I nudge my friend besides me. She shot me a glance that said, "Is this a joke?"
Before I knew what was happening, chaos erupted from the crowd demanding where Brendon Urie had gone. I almost couldn't believe he had been standing before me on stage as now he seemed like a phantom. Security guards began dragging people away from the mosh pit and towards the exit, and soon enough, I was dragged out along with my friend too.
I felt shocked and confused as I had no idea why the concert had been cut short, but I heard others around me say that we broke the mosh pit at the Tabernacle and that security was digging the merchandise booth out of the basement. In less than a minute, people around me chanted, "I chimed in, haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn floor, no?" Immediately, I burst out laughing along with my friend. I guess the concert high lingered in us for longer than usual as we waited around 45 minutes until we finally decided to call her mom to pick us up.
It's true that I never got to see Panic! play their whole set, yet that night at the Tabernacle was one of the best nights of my life. It wasn't because it was my first concert ever or the fact that we made the news, but simply because of the electricity of passion that vibrated off the walls as the floor broke. To be surrounded around such passionate individuals is truly priceless.