After nearly five months of waiting since the day we had ordered the tickets, the time had come to go see one of our favorite bands in concert. We drove almost four hours to get one of my friend's houses in New Jersey, since she would be coming with us to the concert. We hung out that afternoon, went to Chick-fil-A for supper, then headed to Philly an hour and a half before the concert started.
Even with the extra time we had given ourselves, people were still lining up on the sidewalk. That afternoon had been warm, with some clouds overhead, but by six o'clock, it was overcast, drizzling, and windy. There was some confusion for a moment as to where to go. Lines were forming in both directions and there was a small group waiting for the VIP door. Eventually the doors opened and the lone moved slowly towards the entrance.
Everything was a mess inside, with people lining up to get merchandise or food. Some people, like us, were just trying to get to the escalators heading upstairs. We had to hang onto each other, just so we didn't lose one another in the crowd. We eventually found our seats, even if looking down at the stage made us dizzy. The seats and steps were tall and narrow, making the stadium able to it a lot of people, even if one step too far would send a person falling down the rows of seats.
The first opener was Saint Motel. They were good to listen to, but not exactly appealing to my taste. Their style is more indie than alternative so that may the reason. They gave a really good performance though.
The next band, MisterWives, was really great. They're an alternative band, which meant they had a pretty good chance with my music preference. They started their introduction with a audio clip from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Pure Imagination). Which made me skeptical at first, but then they started singing their first song and I fell in love. They had amazing energy, the lead singer has an amazing voice, and their stage set-up was really good. I would go to a concert just to see them any day.
And of course, around nine o'clock, the band that we had been waiting to see had finally come onto the stage. Brendon Urie, the lead singer, came in with great energy, launching immediately into the song "Don't Threaten Me With a Good Time" from the new album "Death of a Bachelor". Up until that point, my friends and I had remained seated, terrified of trying to stand and dance along to songs at such a vertical height, but as soon as PatD came on, we were all dancing and singing along.
They played songs from all of their albums, including the one that really started it all "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out". I wish I could say which songs were performed, but I don't want to include any spoilers for someone who might be seeing the band later in the tour. (However, you can message me and I will be more than happy to gush!). They even did covers of songs (I won't say who) that were just as great in performance as their other songs. I will say that some of the songs were welcomed surprises, and I was literally screaming (as well as the rest of the full stadium).
Urie had really good energy, and you could still hear him over the deafening crowd that was singing along. The stage set-up was amazing, with pyrotechnics, lights, and videos and graphics playing on back screens. For those that were really far away, there were screens that would show Urie and the band up close.
Hint: If you're on the ground floor, you may get closer to Urie than you expected!
One of the greatest moments of the night for me was the montage of LGBT+ members in rainbow color display on the screens during one of the songs. This was just after Brendon called out the government, and Donald Trump, for all of the policies, and attacks against communities. He included immigrants, muslims, LGBT+, the sciences, and the arts on the list of the communities attacked. This made me love Urie and the band even more than I already did.
"We're going to change the f*****g world!"
I guarantee that if you have tickets to go see PatD, you will not be disappointed. The show has surprises from beginning to end. Honestly this concert was three and half of the best hours in my life. I can't wait to go see them again. Urie proves that he, and the band, still has what it takes after nearly thirteen years of performing. They still have a super fan here!
I'll include a few more pictures that I took in the article, but I also have some video clips on my Facebook page if you can stand my screaming voice in the forefront, haha.
If you haven't bought tickets yet, and they're coming to an area near you, please, get those tickets. You will not be disappointed!!!
