It all started with guitarist Ryan Ross and drummer Spencer Smith, teens living in the suburbs of Las Vegas, learning to play their instruments by covering Blink 182 songs. When they decided it was time to move ahead, they recruited classmates Brent Wilson, bass, and Brendon Urie, guitar/vocals, to form a quartet.
When the tracks came to his attention, Wentz was so impressed he traveled to Vegas to see the band. After attending one of their practice sessions, he decided to take a chance on the group that had never, up to then, played a live show.
Next stop for the PATD express was College Park, Maryland, where the group met up with renown producer Matt Squire and went to work on their debut album.
Following the release of their album in September of 2005, the group embarked on the Nintendo Fusion Tour along with Fall Out Boy, Boys Night Out, Motion City Soundtrack and the Starting Line. PATD introduced their music, including the single I Write Sins Not Tragedies, to sold out audiences around the country.
Next came a series of headlining gigs around the U.S. and overseas appearances in the U.K. Following the release of their second single, The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage, the group's momentum continued as their music received more play on the radio and they won Video of the Year honors at MTV's VMA show.
From the Las Vegas suburbs to the internet to the top of the billboard charts, it's been a meteoric rise for Panic! At The Disco.
Their second album, Pretty. Odd., was released in March of 2008. It marked a significant departure from the sound of the band's debut. Ross and Walker, who favored the band's new direction, departed because Urie and Smith wanted to explore further changes. They subsequently formed a new band, the Young Veins, leaving Urie and Smith the sole members of Panic! at the Disco.
Continuing as a duo, Urie and Smith released a new single, "New Perspective", for the movie Jennifer's Body, and recruited bassist Dallon Weekes and guitarist Ian Crawford for live performances. Weekes was later became a full-time member in 2010. The band's third studio album, Vices & Virtues (2011), was recorded solely by Urie and Smith and produced by John Feldmann and Butch Walker. Crawford departed once the tour cycle for Vices & Virtues ended in 2012.
As a three-piece band, Urie, Smith, and Weekes recorded and released the band's fourth studio album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, in 2013. Prior to the release of the album, Smith unofficially left the band due to health and drug-related issues, leaving Urie and Weekes as the remaining members. They recruited guitarist Kenneth Harris and drummer Dan Pawlovich for touring and live performances.
In 2015, Smith officially left the band after not performing live with the band since his departure in 2013. Shortly thereafter, Weekes returned to his role as a touring member leaving Urie alone. In April 2015, "Hallelujah" was released as the first single from Panic! at the Disco's fifth studio album, Death of a Bachelor (2016).
In December 2017, Weekes officially announced his departure from the band. He was replaced in March 2018 by Nicole Row. Later that same month, the band released "Say Amen (Saturday Night)", the lead single from their sixth studio album, Pray for the Wicked (2018), which was released in June. In September 2018, Harris was dismissed following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, and was replaced in October by Mike Naran.