In early November, Panic! At the Disco made their way to a New Jersey stage, five years, two albums and two band members later.

Brendon Urie, Spencer Smith, and replacements Ian Crawford and Dallon Weekes played Starland Ballroom in Sayreville on November 4, with support acts Foxy Shazam and Patrick Stump.

With Panic! being one of my favorite bands, I had to go see them; I was lucky enough to meet them. The four are some of the sweetest people I’ve had the privilege to talk to.

Before the early entry line was let in, everyone with a meet and greet pass stayed in the venue and got to pick where they’d be standing in the crowd (which meant almost everyone was at the barricade, including myself). After the early entry line came in everyone else, and soon a thousand people were crammed in the retrospectively small venue.

The first band that played, Foxy Shazam, was “that band.” They are by far the weirdest, scariest, yet entertaining band I’ve ever seen live. The highlight of their performance was when singer Eric Nally lit and ate four cigarettes right on stage.

After Foxy Shazam played Patrick Stump – yes, the lead singer for Fall Out Boy. Since FOB’s hiatus, drummer Andy Hurley and guitarist Joe Trohman started The Damned Things, bassist Pete Wentz created Black Cards, and Patrick has released his debut solo album “Soul Punk.”

Stump’s new music is very different from anything Fall Out Boy ever made, and unlike anything I’ve listened to before. Although it is no Fall Out Boy, I enjoyed his performance very much.

Panic! played a 19 song set, which included “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies,” “Nearly Witches,” “Camisado,” and even a cover of Foster The People’s “Pumped Up Kicks.” I was impressed with how good they sounded live.

After the show, Patrick Stump was outside the venue by the buses with a mob of fans hoping to get a picture and maybe even a conversation. I was lucky enough to be one of those people who got both, and what I picked up from our conversation is that he genuinely loves his fans and loves being able to play for us.

Overall, the night was a great one, and definitely not one I’d be forgetting any time soon.