Panic at the Disco

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It all started with two childhood friends, Ryan Ross and Spencer Smith, in a suburb of Las Vegas called Summerlin. At the age of thirteen, the boys played in various band formations that predominantly covered Blink-182 songs before creating a band of their own called Summer League. Two other friends soon joined the band, but one left and the other member, Brent Wilson, found a replacement by the name of Brendon Urie, who went to high school with him. Brendon was supposed to be the guitarist, but when the band heard his voice he was quickly upgraded to lead singer. The band soon decided on the name, Panic! at the Disco (later to become simply just Panic at the Disco), based on the lyrics of a song called Panic by the band, Name Taken. The band was now fully formed and all they needed was a label.Being resourceful, the guys contacted Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy through LiveJournal and sent him a link to their site. Pete was so impressed he took a trip to Vegas to see the guys in person and quickly signed them with his Fueled by Ramen imprint label, Decaydance. On September 25, 2005, Panic at the Disco released their debut album, entitled A Fever You Can't Sweat Out. The album did not get instant recognition but was a hit on MySpace's indie charts. In the beginning of 2006, MTV's hit show, Total Request Live, premiered the video for the band's first single, I Write Sins Not Tragedies. The single and the video became major hits and won Video of the Year at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. The band had third billing on the Truckstops & Statelines Winter Tour in early 2006, but their popularity soared so much during that time that they were moved up to second billing.In the midst of their newfound fame, the band announced the departure of their longtime friend, Brent Wilson. They had to quickly find a replacement, as they were about to embark on their first headlining tour through Europe. They hired their friend, Jon Walker, as a temporary bassist, but within a couple of months he became a permanent member. Panic at the Disco played to sold out shows in Europe and then, upon their return to the United States, they went on a two month headlining tour throughout North America. The tour included supporting acts, OK Go and The Dresden Dolls. By August, 2006, their debut album went platinum, selling over one million albums.In the later part of 2006, the band once again went out on the road, this time on a world tour. They kicked off their first ever arena tour with the bands, Bloc Party and Jack's Mannequin, with The Plain White T's later added to the lineup. The boys also appeared on the special edition soundtrack of Tim Burton's hit animated film, The Nightmare Before Christmas, alongside Marilyn Manson and Fall Out Boy. In May, 2007, the band performed a cover of the Smashing Pumpkins' classic song, Tonight, Tonight, for the Smashing Pumpkins Tribute LP.Since the summer of 2007, the band has been working on songs for the second album, and have even tried out some of their new songs on audiences at various festivals and gigs. Their new album, entitled Pretty.Odd. 3:25:08, is set to be released on March 25, 2008. A portion of one of their new songs, Nine in the Afternoon, was also featured on the NBC television series, Heroes. The band will also headline the Honda Civic Tour this year.In just a short time, these friends have seen their career soar to amazing heights. With their tireless energy and infectious beats, the band has been touring nonstop to promote their pop/electronica/dance/rock sound. Their debut album has become a smashing success and the Young Hollywood staff predicts their second album will go the same route. Check out Brendon, Ryan, Spencer and Jon on tour, starting April 10th in San Francisco, and see how far these boys have come from their adolescent days in garage bands. For more information about upcoming tour dates/venues and the band members, check out www.panicatthedisco.com.