Two years after Twenty One Pilots’ (TØP) last tour, the duo has finally returned to the stage with their newest music and lore.
As a long time TØP fan, seeing the boys again in person for their new album “Scaled and Icy” was an incredible and emotional experience.
TØP played three shows in their hometown Columbus, Ohio, and I was fortunate enough to attend their show on Saturday, Oct. 30. While super intense fans will arrive hours before showtime or even sleep overnight on the sidewalk for the best pit spots, I opted for a more on time arrival when doors opened at 6:30 p.m.
Because TØP puts a lot of significance on colors and symbols for different albums, it’s really special seeing fans dress up like the band’s different eras. Some people wore red beanies like lead singer and guitarist Tyler Joseph for “Blurryface,” others wore yellow bandanas around their necks like in “Trench,” the band’s previous album, and of course many people wore pink and blue, the colors of “Scaled and Icy.”
Once inside, one of my disappointments for the event was simply due to the unorganized and long nature of merchandise lines. Although I waited around an hour for a chance to buy merch, I barely moved a few feet forward and decided to bail when I heard the openers start.
The concert openers began around 7:30 p.m., starting with Jay Joseph and then Half Alive.
Finally, the anticipation swelled in the audience as Joseph and drummer Josh Dun slowly made their way to the stage, donning black ski-masks and ready to perform “Good Day,” the first song on the album. Although people have criticized “Scaled and Icy” for seeming more pop and shallow than other albums, many fans appreciate the lore the album adds to the story. The band performed “No Chances” next, giving the audience a feel for the darker undertone of the album.
What really made the concert experience incredible was the huge array of songs they played from not only “Scaled and Icy,” but their other albums. Songs like “Chlorine,” “Stressed Out,” and “Holding Onto You” were played from past albums. Hearing thousands of people around you singing the same meaningful lyrics word for word makes the world feel a little smaller.
As per usual, Joseph eventually found his way past fans to the small B-stage in the middle of the pit where he played a fun rendition of “Benny and the Jets” only to then make things more somber with “Redecorate,” the last haunting song on the album.
In the middle of the show, the lights lowered as Joseph, Dun and the accompanying band gathered around an artificial campfire on stage for acoustic and heartfelt versions of songs like “Formidable,” “My Girl” and “House of Gold.” This beautiful, smaller set felt like all of the audience were friends sitting around a campfire just singing and appreciating life’s lovely moments.
Soon the boys brought the energy back up with “Saturday,” the second most popular song of the album with 42 million Spotify streams. Let’s just say the energy was incredible in the arena, especially since it was a Saturday.
As the concert ended, TØP played the album’s biggest song “Shy Away” and ended as they always do with “Trees,” an older song of theirs. As the final chorus arrived, Joseph and Dun had fans in the pit hold them and their drums up as they banged their drums and pink and blue confetti released like rain over the entire arena.
Whether you are a lore-loving fan or a casual listener of TØP, experiencing them live will ignite a passion for live music in you. It’s more than just hearing it on the radio. It’s seeing Dun do the backflip off the piano and Joseph sing “Car Radio” on the tower in the pit and heck, even watching as the guys throw the live Ohio State Buckeyes game on the big screen throughout the show to check the score. Do yourself a favor and don’t shy away from the Takeover Tour.
