By Serena Philipsen and Emily Kalata
After a short-lived hiatus beginning in 2023, emo-pop band Panic! At The Disco announced plans to return to the live stage for the 20th anniversary of their debut album “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out”. Longtime fans of the group have stood by as Panic! has circulated a plethora of members in and out over time with frontman Brendon Urie being the only consistency. This leaves unanswered questions regarding exactly who fans should expect to return for the festival next year.
Band’s Origins
The band was born out of a suburban neighborhood in Las Vegas in 2004. Drummer Spencer Smith and guitarist and vocalist Ryan Ross had been playing together for some time when they invited Brent Wilson to play the bass and Brendon Urie to play guitar. After hearing him sing, the band later appointed Urie to lead vocals over Ross. Originally named Pet Salamander, the group was discovered and signed by Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz. They changed their name while recording their smash-hit debut album; “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out”, in 2005.
What Happened To The Original Members?
Brent Wilson
Allegedly fed up with his lack of “responsibility”, the band dropped bassist Brent Wilson in 2006 and replaced him with Jon Walker. Wilson has stated that he was let go over a phone call and that it had come as a complete surprise to him. Wilson faced multiple drug charges and even one count of firearm possession since his departure from Panic!. He has not continued to pursue music.
Ryan Ross
In 2009 Ryan Ross along with Jon Walker departed from Panic! Due to creative differences. The pair went on to form the short lived pop-rock band The Young Veins.
Ross and Panic! frontman Brendan Urie are on awkward terms and have not spoken in many years. This is largely the fault of one Tumblr blogger and obsessed fan named Chelsey Lynn. In 2012, Lynn obtained Ross’s phone number by hacking Urie’s former roommate's facebook account. Pretending to be Urie, Lynn proceeded to catfish Ross for nine months until his manager found out. Lynn then took to Tumblr to brag about her crimes and even went so far as to post screenshots of her personal conversations with Ross as “Brendon”.
Ross and Urie ran into each other again in 2015 at Adam Levine’s Halloween party. Urie had attempted to reach out following the party, however it is alleged that the catfish situation made Ross rethink his actual relationship with Urie, and therefore chose not to respond.
Spencer Smith
Spencer Smith had what was probably the quietest leave from Panic! and the public eye. Smith departed from the band in 2015 due to struggles with drug addiction and has stated that he felt leaving was best for both himself and the band and had no ill will towards Brendon. He was then replaced by Panic!'s longest-running drummer Dan Pawlovich, who stayed with the band until its dismemberment. After getting sober, Smith decided to take a different route and became a talent finder at DCD2 Records and where he continues to work today.
Brendan Urie’s Solo Project
Following Smith’s departure, Panic! circulated about five other members over time including Nicole Row of Incubus and Dallon Weekes of The Brobecks and IDKHOW BUT THEY FOUND ME. However, Panic!’s last three albums; “Death of a Bachelor”, “Pray For The Wicked”, and “Viva Las Vengeance”, have essentially been Brendon Urie’s solo projects as he wrote and produced entirely by Urie with the other members of Panic! only serving as support for live shows. In 2023, Urie announced that the band would be dismantled following the end of the Viva Las Vengeance tour.
When We Young Fest
While Panic!’s discontinuation came at no surprise to fans, what was surprising was the group’s swift return. At the end of October, 2024, Panic! took to Instagram to announce that the band would reunite at When We Were Young music festival in 2025 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out. While it isn’t yet clear if this “reunion” will consist of the group’s original members or just Brendon Urie, fans are hopeful that Ryan Ross, who is credited with writing a majority of the debut album, will be there to perform alongside.
