The Execution Specht says the most unique aspect of the Death of a Bachelor Tour compared to the band ’ s previous outings largely came down to the set list . “ It ’ s definitely been a great progression , visually , over the past few years , but a lot of it was song selection . It was a really strong set of songs combining the new album with the older hits , and we could get really theatrical with it . Having the piano reveal and with all we could do with the video backdrop , it was a very dynamic show . There was always something different happening .”
The show opened with “ Don ’ t Threaten Me with a Good Time ,” the second track on Death of a Bachelor , and the accompanying visuals were based on the song ’ s music video – specifically the love-craving squid , which Lüz Studio recreated with 3D animation .
As Specht alluded to , the set was heavy on cuts from Death of a Bachelor , including the singles “ Hallelujah ” and “ Emperor ’ s New Clothes ”; however , the majority of the performance was comprised of hits spanning Panic !’ s four preceding releases , including favourites like “ Ready to Go ( Get Me out of My Mind )” from 2011 ’ s Vices & Virtues , the arena anthem “ Miss Jackson ” from Too Weird to Live , Too Rare to Die !, and the song that launched the band to fame over 10 years ago , “ I Write Sins , Not Tragedies ,” from their debut LP , A Fever You Can ’ t Sweat Out .
“ Nine in the Afternoon ,” the lead single from the Beatles and Beach Boys-inspired sophomore effort Pretty . Odd ., dials things down in the first half as Urie rises from the stage at a grand piano , accented by heavy beams from overhead and a visual design based on a clock shop .
The second half of the set is punctuated by “ Crazy = Genius ,” featuring a striking mental asylum motif accented with some deep reds .
Specht says he favoured his looks for some of the “ moodier ” songs from the catalogue , like “ The Ballad of Mona Lisa ” and “ Nicotine .” “ I really enjoyed the dark light , low contrast looks of those songs and the overall effect ,” he shares .
A true highlight comes near the end of the show with the song “ Girls / Girls / Boys .” As Larivée explains , Urie is a strong ambassador for LGBTQ + causes and people embracing who they are . “ So the content for that song used to be a bit more ‘ sexy ,’ but for this one , management pitched that we make it stronger to relay that message .”
( L-R ) IAN DUBOIS & MATTIEU LARIVÉE OF LÜZ STUDIO , P ! ATD LD ALEX SPECHT & LÜZ STUDIO ’ S DAVID RONDEAU
At the first show of the tour in Uncansville , CT , a fan brought in thousands of paper hearts of various colours and distributed them throughout the audience . When the band performed “ Girls / Girls / Boys ” near the end of the set , which touches on Urie ’ s personal experiences with bisexuality , the fans put the hearts in front of their cell phones and flashlights , creating a truly stunning multi-coloured display throughout the arena that matched the vibrant rainbow-themed onstage visuals .
“ After that , fans were doing it at every show , so if you go on Instagram or YouTube and check out some of the footage from the tour , that ’ s probably the moment you ’ ll see the most ,” Larivée says – again , another testament to Panic !’ s loyal following .
The Death of a Bachelor spectacle culminates with “ Victorious ” from the newest album – a favourite for both Larivée and Specht . “ It really ends the show off with a bang ,” says Specht . The visuals feature a surreal 3D scene with buildings and streets folding over , semi-inspired by Christopher Nolan ’ s visually-stunning blockbuster Inception . “ I was able to get really intricate on the programming and put a lot of tricks in it ,” the LD adds . “ It ’ s an explosive song , so when you bring it to light in an arena – no pun intended – it ’ s huge .”
The Death of a Bachelor Tour was a massive achievement for Panic ! At The Disco and their collaborators in a number of ways , hitting new highs for the long-running Las Vegas band in terms of venues , attendance , and overall production value . That included a sold-out show at New York City ’ s iconic Madison Square Garden .
Specht offers plenty of credit to Lüz Studio and the various members of its creative team that had a hand in bringing these shows to life . “ They ’ ve got a great , solid team between the animators and
20 • PROFESSIONAL LIGHTING & PRODUCTION