Panic! at the Disco break up: ‘Sometimes a journey must end’
The iconic pop rock outfit will call it quits after their upcoming European tour
By Jon Blistein
After an impressive 19-year run, Panic! At the Disco will disband following their upcoming European tour, Brendon Urie announced Tuesday, Jan. 24.
“Well, it’s been a hell of a journey… Growing up in Vegas I could’ve never imagined where this life would take me. So many places all over the world, and all the friends we’ve made along the way,” Urie wrote in a post shared on the band’s official social pages. “Sometimes a journey must end for a new one to begin.”
Urie cited the impending birth of his first child as one reason for breaking up the band, adding: “We’ve been trying to keep it to ourselves, though some of you may have heard.. Sarah and I are expecting a baby very soon! The prospect of being a father and getting to watch my wife become a mother is both humbling and exciting. I look forward to this next adventure.”
The post continued: “That said, I am going to bring this chapter of my life to an end and put my focus and energy on my family, and with that Panic! At The Disco will be no more. Thank you all for your immense support over the years. I’ve sat here trying to come up with the perfect way to say this and I truly can’t put into words how much it has meant to us. Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or are just finding us, it has been a pleasure to not only share the stage with so many talented people but also share our time with you.”
Panic! At the Disco will kick off their final run of shows on Feb. 20 in Vienna. Their last gig is currently scheduled for March 10 in Manchester, England. “I am looking forward to seeing everyone in Europe and the UK for one last run together,” Urie shared. “I love you. I appreciate you. Thank you for existing.”
Panic! At the Disco formed in 2004 in the Las Vegas suburbs when Urie linked up with guitarist/songwriter Ryan Ross and drummer Spencer Smith while they were all still in high school. Success came almost immediately when Panic! At the Disco released their debut album, Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, in 2005, the album’s rise was driven by its hit second single, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies.”
Panic’s second LP, Pretty. Odd., arrived in 2008, though about a year after its release, the band underwent its first major lineup change with Ross and bassist Jon Walker (who replaced founding member Brent Wilson) announcing their departures. From there, Panic! At the Disco proceeded as a trio with Urie, Smith, and multi-instrumentalist Dallon Weekes, the band’s third LP, Vices and Virtues, arrived in 2011, while their fourth Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, dropped in 2013.
Eventually, Smith and Weekes left the band as well, and by 2016, with the release of Death of a Bachelor, Panic! At the Disco was effectively Urie’s solo project. Over the next few years, Panic enjoyed more sustained success, with singles like “Hallelujah” and “High Hopes,” the latter of 2018’s Pray for the Wicked. Last August, Panic released what will come to be their final studio effort, Viva Las Vengeance.