Concert Review: Twenty One Pilots

Twenty One Pilots is the third and final of a trio of acts of amazing Ohio-based artists who have come through Northeast Ohio during a two-week span. (The National from Cincinnati and John Legend from Springfield, both played at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls during this stretch!). Twenty One Pilots, who hail from Columbus, made the most significant impact on fans with their killer performance. The duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun set off with a goal: to make sure that every single person inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse had a night they would never forget.

Tyler and Josh do everything they can to keep their music and shows unique. Controlling one’s image is difficult for an artist, but these two have hinged their career on it. As the show began, a stage-sized curtain covered the entirety of their setup, hiding everything behind it, much like the masks the guys had often worn on stage earlier in their careers. As the intro music played, the curtain dropped, and the gentlemen walked across the stage. 

Josh approached his drums and praised the audience before sitting on his drum throne. 

Tyler appears to be wearing a mask as he walks past the piano. An illuminated microphone hung from the rafters. Picked up by Tyler, he walks to the front of the stage and looks at his fans for support. Not emotional support, as one might think, but literal support. Tyler steps ONTO the audience, and as they brace his feet, he stands there with an illuminated mic in hand. Then…EXPLOSION. Twenty One Pilots jump right into “Overcompensate,” a song from their five-month-old album ‘Clancy.’ Every able-bodied person was up on their feet. The general admission floor was a sea of hands, waving and jumping to the sound waves from the stage.

The entire night was full of surprises, heartfelt moments, intense screaming (both from the audience and Tyler), and genre-defying music. Three songs deep into their set, the masking-wearing Tyler pulled a bait and switch. The masking-wearing, black-handed piano player wasn’t Tyler at all. As the band jumps into “Car Radio,” Tyler appears in the 200 sections of the upper level within seconds of finishing their previous song. Who was the guy playing the piano?! Now Josh and Tyler are in complete sync even though they are standing (literally) stories apart.

While together on the main stage, Josh and Tyler have always remained the only two members playing instruments. While everything else is performed with a backing track, nothing diminishes what the duo is doing on stage. The energy that two guys from Columbus are capable of bringing to a room of 20,000+ is amazing. Concertgoers enjoyed “Backslide” and “Heathens.” These songs and many more were performed on the main stage. Speaking of the stage setup, the B-Stage (or should I say, “stages”) was located by the soundboard. Barricades around the edge of the floor provide a pathway for Tyler and Josh to stroll out to their respected scissor-lifted individual stages. Josh, with his drums facing inward, and Tyler, with his standing piano, facing the far end of the crowd, we’re ready for a different perspective to view the audience and get up close and personal with a different set of fans! Together, they performed a medley of “Addict With a Pen / Migraine / Forest / Fall Away.” It’s always special for those with seats at the front of the house (that means the back of the room; yes, it’s confusing) to get to have group members, if not the whole band, come closer for a memorable experience.

The sold-out concert had all varieties: people dressed up, dressed in character, and even a few Waldos were running around. The age range and demographic for Twenty One Pilots are undefined. They are liked by all. Especially Ohioians! Many of them even helped update Tyler with the score of the Ohio State University vs Michigan State game throughout the night.

The stage was very appropriate for a band that had a lot to say. With a spotlight on the two main instruments, drums and piano, there was plenty of room for theatrics. However, according to Tyler, Cleveland was able to see the flame thrower we were supposed to because the Cleveland Fire Marshall wouldn’t sign off. That didn’t mean there wasn’t plenty of pyrotechnics and fireworks throughout the evening.

Twenty One Pilots had one more trick on their sleeves! (Tyler did; Josh had long tossed his Cleveland shirt in the audience!0 Sitting smack dab in the middle of the general admission floor was a red circle. Everyone was asked to clear the red circle as stagehands rolled out a smaller third setup. A reduced-sized drum kit and piano were set up, and once again, Josh and Tyler made the journey out to the floor, but this time, they walked through the sea of fans. As the band took their places, Tyler welcomed the crowd to enter the circle and surround the band. The rest of what happened next, you’ll need to see for yourself!

If you have not seen Twenty One Pilots during their Clancy Tour, you’ll want to watch this:

[videopress XpCikZjG w=3840 h=2160]

Twenty One Pilots put on a show that no one will forget. No one sat down the entire night. At times, it was hard to hear the band over the PA speakers, given how loud fans were singing. I don’t know what it is about Ohio, but it sure knows how to raise a two-piece band that the world loves to love.