Panic! at the Disco + Hush Sound - Roseland Ballroom (New York, NY; May 8, 2008)

Sans address, I find myself wandering along 52nd Street searching for the Roseland Ballroom. Never having been to this landmark venue before, it wasn’t long before I spotted the telltale signs of a packed show: a line extending down and around the corner. Dozens upon dozens of squealing girls line the block, eagerly awaiting their favorite angst-ridden band that truly understands their trauma-filled youth. Reaping the benefits of the press pass, I ease past the multitude of youngsters, who make me feel my ripe old age of 22 like never before.

But the evening is an ode to the old: Phantom Planet’s music instantly has me in high school, about to graduate and move across the country for college; The Hush Sound immerses me in the 1920s jazz and swing era; Motion City Soundtrack reeks of middle school/high school tormented-alternative rock; and Panic! at the Disco combines multiple music: folk, jazz, alternative rock.

My teenage years of anguish behind me, Phantom Planet and Motion City Soundtrack don’t offer anything new for me. My time of of listening to alternative rock belted by high, screechy, and oddly feminine male voices (Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional, Blink-182, The All American Rejects, Good Charlotte, and Sum 41) has come and gone . Seemingly all variations of this particular genre have already been done. But instead of offering anything new, Phantom Planet and Motion City Soundtrack hardly change their repertoire, playing song after song that sound exactly the same.

Sandwiched between the two aforementioned monotonous acts is The Hush Sound. I came in with high hopes, and they do not let me down. The Hush Sound marries Bob Morris’ raw, powerful, belting vocals and rocker guitar with Greta Salpeter’s sweet, anything-but-weak, voice and classical pianist skills. Fusing blues, jazz, folk, swing, and rock, The Hush Sound brings some much-needed variety and originality to the Roseland. Primarily reminiscent of ‘20s jazz and swing, their newest work combines toe-tapping, upbeat songs with trickling piano notes, and big band background vocals, demonstrated best in “The Boys Are Too Refined” and “Honey”. Salpeter rocks back and forth on her keyboard bench, Morris’ foot tapping shakes his entire body, drummer Darren Wilson’s arms fly with barely comprehendible speed, and Chris Faller (on bass) plays with unbreakably earnest concentration. Energetic and playful, The Hush Sound have the feel of a band that is fast-maturing, and enjoying every moment of the experience.

Having not listened to (The Hush Sound labelmates) Panic! at the Disco’s latest album Pretty.Odd, their divergence from the pop-punk formula that brought them fame and riches with their 2005 debut caught me off guard. Instead, they seem to have taken to channeling Sgt. Pepper’s era Beattles - an odd choice. But, judging from their live show, it works. Far from the extravagant, over-the-top circus concerts of the past, Panic at the Disco’s performance embraces the tour’s mellower theme of environmental activism (part of the tour proceeds go to Reverb and Global Inheritance - although perhaps not as enviro-conscious as Cloud Cult’s touring) by transforming the stage into a forest; flowers wrap around the microphones, climbing from the base all the way up the stand; a backdrop displays images of flowers and leaves; and lights along the side of the stage periodically light up, glowing like fireflies. The boys have changed their looks as well - sporting mop-topish dos, to go with their conservative button-up shirts and vests. Brendan Urie’s unique vocals and creative lyrics draw in the audience in no time, although the crowd shows a noticeable preference to the older material than the new.

It is an evening of hits (The Hush Sound and Panic! at the Disco) and misses (Phantom Planet and Motion City Soundtrack). The misses aren’t horrid, just lackluster and undistinguished. Thankfully they are outweighed by the hits, which are inspired and dynamic.

[For another perspective of this same tour you can view this insightful video review]

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