Before Jan. 21, I’d never seen a live concert before. That was the day Panic! At The Disco performed at the Skyway Theater in downtown Minneapolis, alongside The X Ambassadors and The Colorists. Here’s my hour-by-hour experience:

4:00 p.m.: I showed up to the Skyway Theater and joined the frozen, huddled line of die-hard Panic! fans. Asking around, some of the first people in line were there since 9:00 a.m., and the doors were scheduled to open at 6:00 p.m. With the temperature at around five degrees Fahrenheit (not including wind chill), it truly showed the dedication of band’s fan base.

6:00 p.m.: Thawing time! After the two hour wait in frigid temperatures, the crowd was let into the Skyway theater to wait in even more lines. After passing through the ticket check, coat check, and the merchandise line, we were finally ready… to wait some more.

7:00 p.m.: The X Ambassadors took the stage as the first of the night’s three bands. I’d never heard of them before, but they were a great opener and chose a great setlist to pump up the audience. The lead singer even pulled out a saxaphone mid-song!

After they played six songs, The Colorists took their place. It may have been the anxiety to see the main act, but The Colorists seemed far more warmly received as they powered through their set. They had recently released an EP and their new songs were a beautiful mix of soft lyrics and a harder punk vibe. Also, they featured the only female performer of the night.

9:00 p.m.: As soon as Panic! At The Disco set foot on the stage, the extreme fangirling began. I was lucky enough to be one of only three people behind the stage, so Brendon Urie (the lead singer) was standing there before my very awestruck eyes. The band powered through almost every song in their repertoire, only stopping for split seconds at a time to catch their collective breath.

A highlight for me, and, according to the shrill screams of the other girls in the crowd, was when Brendon did a trademark backflip during a new song, “Miss Jackson.” Panic!’s new record, “Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die” was the reason for this tour, and all of the new songs fit well with the old.

All in all, the concert went off without a hitch and I can truthfully say that standing on my feet for a full eight hours was well worth it. I left the concert that night with a new Panic! t-shirt, two sore legs, and a sense of accomplishment as my first concert experience came to a close.