All you sinners stand up, sing halleluja!
HALLELUJA!!!
My father and I stood in the middle of the Pine Knob Music Theater screaming along to Panic! At the Disco, at the top of our lungs.
We were on the balls of our feet, jumping up and down, and head-banging to the intense drum beat, the amplified guitar distortions and the sick brass riffs of Halleluja, as Brendon Urie spit out his irresistibly passionate lyrics.
Somehow, Dad managed to work up some of his bargaining magic, and made a last minute purchase of two amazing seats to a concert I was dying to see, ON MY BIRTHDAY.
Let me reiterate.
Two hours before my shift at Starbucks ended, I was preparing to spend the evening of my 19th birthday without any Panic! excitement. To my surprise, by the time I was done working, Dad showed up with a change of clothes for me, a big smile on his face, and two tickets to the Panic! At the Disco Death of a Bachelor show at Pine Knob.
As if that didn’t already make him the greatest Dad a girl could ask for, he had also been listening to all of Panic!’s music to prepare for the possibility of going to the concert of a group to which he had never listened.
As it turns out, he totally loved the album.
To this day, he claims it was one of the most badass concerts he has been to.
Dad and I could be driving in silence together and as soon as one of us mentions listening to some music, Death of a Bachelor is put on shuffle and we are back at the concert, head-banging as goosebumps run up our arms and the amplified bass vibrates through our bodies.
There are few experiences in life we remember vividly enough that we can relive them in our daily lives, but for me, this concert is one of those distinguished memories. If ever I am missing home, or need to be transported into a different mindset, I simply plug in my ear buds, turn up the volume, and go back to that concert, with Dad at my side.
I cannot imagine having gone to the Panic! concert with anyone but him. There is no one I would have wanted to share such an incredible experience with, more than my dad.
While I admit that I enjoy a lot of today’s pop and indie artists, I owe my father a great deal for introducing me to many great musicians as a child. I think it has sincerely influenced my appreciation for good musicians and authentic artists.
Halleluja is still Dad’s favorite song on Urie’s latest album, but I must say that I am very partial to LA Devotee.
I am not sure I can describe why, but perhaps a listen will help you understand what it is about this song that makes me feel the need to jump up and down and conquer the world.
So plug in those headphones and join me while I revisit my favorite concert moment.