ROCK MUSIC Panic! At the Disco takes right steps

Keyboard melodies define many of the band's songs.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
The freshman year of college can be tough on anyone -- discovering new surroundings, as well as new friends, and attempting to find your place in the world.
For 18-year-old Spencer Smith, his freshman orientation has been different from most. Eschewing an academic scholarship from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, the drummer decided to pursue a degree from the college of rock 'n' roll, with his up-and-coming band Panic! At the Disco hitting the road this fall as opener on the Nintendo Fusion Tour, which plays Thursday at Pittsburgh's A.J. Palumbo Theater.
"It's definitely been a blur," said Smith, calling from a tour stop in Washington, D.C. "Everybody in the band has talked about how they feel they've done more in the past 11 months than they did in their entire life. It's like kind of ridiculous and we're so grateful that it's happened to us and we know it's a privilege at our age. Most kids are graduating high school and starting college right now and we're getting to go around the entire country."
The stars were aligned early on for Panic! At The Disco, with the group getting signed to Fall Out Boy lead singer Pete Wentz's label based off an Internet buzz from the band's three-song, home-recorded demo. These things just don't happen. Most bands spend years crafting their sound and honing their live show just to get a shot at a label contract.
Album on the fly
Adding to the Las Vegas quartet's absurd story is the fact that up until this past August, it had never played a live gig. Nothing. Not even a high school rock off or battle of the bands. Once the outfit was signed, it wrote an album on the fly, the recently released "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out," before leaving Sin City for a late summer outing on the "Take Cover" tour with Acceptance. Smith said the members of Panic! At The Disco have risen to the occasion, learning all about stage presence and live performance one gig at a time.
"Yes, there were some rough performances in the beginning and luckily we had five weeks of touring to work out anything before we went on this tour," Smith said. "So far it's been great. There hasn't been one bad show."
Whether that's a case of ignorant bliss or natural born stardom remains to be seen. However, what can't be denied is the keen and diverse songwriting found on "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out." An alluring combination of complex and creative tunes, including electronica influences delivered within a punk mindset, the album is filled with catchy melodies that seemingly fit into today's emo/punk rock world.
The edifying of new fans to Panic! At The Disco continues. Standing out is the band's use of keyboard melodies to define many of its songs.
Comparisons
Inevitably, there are instant comparisons to another Las Vegas band, the Killers, who also employ a similar sound. This is something that Smith and his cohorts didn't see coming.
"We kind of got that whole thing at the beginning and it was really strange because you happen to be from the same city," Smith said. "It's just kind of weird. But now that the record is out and I've talked to people [who said] that once they listen to it, it doesn't sound anything like the Killers' record. Hopefully, that will fade away."