Before seeing Panic! at the Disco last week I only really knew about Brendon Urie. I knew the past members first names, but that was really it. Understandably so, since the band is just Brendon Urie now. When I get into a band however, I get invested. I research. I look at their old music, or music not in the limelight, and within that past weekish, I discovered quite a lot. It's so easy to celebrate the band member in the limelight, or like the songs from the band that are popular on the radio, but there's much more to it than that. Most of a band's best songs, don't actually ever end up on the radio. Maybe you have not discovered a potential favorite song, due to only hearing/knowing the songs on the radio. (I'm not saying that all of the songs on the radio suck, and it's okay if one of the songs is your favorite from an artist, but it's likely not.) Most bands have over 50 songs.
Okay, but what did I discover in my week. I found Ryan Ross, the past guitarist and backup vocals of Panic! at the Disco. A master lyricist. A man with a great passion, and excellent harmonies. After watching live performances with the past members I felt I struck gold. (One song in particular which I probably have listened to about 100x by now, being "Time to Dance" specifically the Live in Denver version.) Yes, Brendon Urie is a really amazing singer, but with Ryan Ross doing harmonies in the background made it all that much better. So did the lyrics he wrote, which had a lot of depth to them, which some of Brendon Urie's lyrics lack today.In the recorded versions of the songs, on the Panic albums you can only distinctly hear Ryan's voice, and I think people are really missing out on what he brought to the band. (Brendon Urie was put in the limelight, and really never left.) The fans focused on him, since he was the lead singer, and arguably the best-looking.) This is one of the reasons Ryan ended up leaving. (He saw Brendon's potential, and asked him to be the lead singer instead of himself, and after that it seemed people only focused on Brendon.)
This is not to say that people need to ignore Brendon Urie. Brendon Urie is multi-talented, if I didn't think so, I would have never went to see him. I'm saying that I wonder what Panic! would have turned into if Ryan had remained in the band. How different everything would have ended up. I truly think greater things would have happened then what did. Just remember that a bands not just the lead singer, the other band members all have something to offer. In my case this means listening to Panics! first two albums on repeat, when all the pieces were brought into one, and following Ryan's new musical career. (What I've been really grateful to see is on YouTube clips of their old music people really do appreciate the other members, and it isn't all just about Brendon, it's wishing that they were all still together in the band, mostly, which warms my heart, that even when they're no longer in the band, the fans of Panic! still really appreciate them.) I do like Panic's presplit music, but I've found I am really attached to the first two albums now.
I give mad props for Brendon Urie producing two albums all on his own, and I am proud of his successes of course. I'm not bitter, I still keep up with how he's doing. His voice is seriously incredible, being able to sing low notes, and the really high notes as well, but yeah please don't forget about the other members of your favorite bands. :) Even if the lead is your favorite member, appreciate the others in the bands talents as well, and what they bring. Encourage them. :)
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