Twenty One Pilots came to Boston last week and played at four different arenas as a part of their “Takeover” tour. They ended the Boston leg of the tour on Saturday, Oct. 23 by playing a sold out show at TD Garden. Earlier in the week they played Paradise Rock Club, Agganis Arena and House of Blues. Each venue is a significantly different size, offering the perfect size concert for any fan.
This was my third time seeing Twenty One Pilots live. I was able to score tickets because a friend of mine was kind enough to offer to get us some. We arrived at the show a bit past 8 p.m., so we missed the opener, which neither of us minded. We were sitting in the front row of the lounge seating when my friend overheard an older couple in the pit telling a worker they wanted somewhere to sit. My friend immediately offered our seats so we could try to get into the pit. The worker thought my friend was so kind as to offer her seat that she snuck us into the pit. Going to a Twenty One Pilots show without floor seats is, personally, not an option. I’m sure people say this about a lot of concerts, but for me, Twenty One Pilots truly is such a different experience when you are in the pit with all the other fans versus having a seat. When they perform, there are so many components that interact with the crowd, it’s exhilarating and you have no idea what’s going to happen next.
Lead singer Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun are the type of musicians that have such a profound impact on their fans lives that seeing them live is an emotional rollercoaster for both the fans and the performers. There were moments of tears being shed as Tyler belted out the lyrics and fans gave the band a standing ovation while screaming the lyrics back. I’ve never been to a concert where the singer literally does not have to sing whatsoever; the crowd was so loud and knew every lyric that with each breath they took away from the microphone, we made up for the lost words.
The set was over two hours long and consisted of flower petals and confetti falling from the sky, Tyler disappearing from the back stage and appearing suddenly at the main stage (using an underground system they have at TD Garden), Josh being held up to play his drums on a pallet held by fans, starting a fake campfire, and many moments where they got close and intimate with the crowd. Being so jam packed, the two hours felt both infinite and short-lived. It was over so soon, but there were so many moments and emotions to experience that it felt like a lifetime was spent in that arena. Over twenty songs were played, ranging from one of their oldest albums, “Vessel”, to their newest, “Scaled and Icy”. Because there were so many songs to play, they shortened some of their old ones and mashed them together, creating something new that fans could still sing along with.
Overall, the set and performance was nothing short of breathtaking and amazing. Perhaps I had such a great time because I’ve missed the rush of seeing live music performed, or perhaps this band is simply so talented that every fan leaves there feeling like they’re on cloud nine. I’ll be riding this high for a while and watching videos of their performance to relive those moments as much as I need to, now that it’s over. Sometimes music is all we need; I know I feel better after last night.
