Twenty One Pilots gives heartfelt show, surprises hometown with live album recording
"Oh, it is so good to be home," Twenty One Pilots singer Tyler Joseph told fans at Nationwide Arena Friday.
Joseph and drummer Josh Dun have never forgotten where they came from . They love their hometown . And Columbus returns the love.
That was evident at their first of three nights at the arena.
Before the pair took the stage, a surprise message popped up on the arena screens that prompted deafening screams. The message said: "This show will be recorded for a live album . We have placed 40 crowd mics all around this place. So give us everything you've got? -Tyler & Josh"
The crowd delivered: singing lyrics at the top of their lungs through hits like "Heathens" and "Stressed Out" but also more obscure songs like "Addict with a Pen." That song first appeared on the band's self-released 2009 album, the only album with the band's original lineup and not featuring Dun. It was first recorded in a freaking basement. The fact that a decent chunk of the crowd knew some words tells you what you need to know about the band's deep connection with Columbus.
Midway through the concert, Joseph gratefully told the crowd they were exceeding all his expectations.
Joseph and Dun made the crowd's job easy by delivering a dynamic performance filled with pyrotechnics, lights, stunts and interaction with the crowd.
The show began with "Overcompensate," featuring explosions, Dun's signature backflip off of Joseph's piano and Joseph's signature standing crowd-surfing.
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The concert ended with the pair in the middle of the crowd performing "Trees," drumming on drums held up by their fans as red confetti rained down on them.
In between, there were a lot of sweet moments, like when Joseph had a young fan named Oliver join him from the crowd in singing part of "Ride." There was also the moment when the crowd got excited thinking Joseph was going to throw his jacket into the audience, but he was actually folding it up; he said he had to fold it like his parents taught him to because they were in attendance.
And maybe most heartfelt was the montage video of fans in the Arena District that appeared to have been filmed earlier Friday.
Columbus knew them before the fame: Twenty One Pilots' history in Columbus is lasting
Twenty One Pilots is currently touring the world to promote their seventh album, "Clancy," which wraps up a multi-album dystopian story arc about the character Clancy trying to escape the fictional city of Dema, which began with their album "Blurryface."
There's a lot of complicated lore the band has built up through their songs, music videos, online gimmicks and performances over a decade. But you don't have to know all the minutiae (I don't) to get the vibe (it's largely a metaphor for mental health struggles) or enjoy Twenty One Pilots.
A lot of the concert attendees probably knew way more lore than I do. The Skeleton Clique was out in full force and wearing the band's iconography: red and yellow duct tape on shoulders, red beanies or bandanas and the black stole Joseph wears as Clancy.
I've previously seen Twenty One Pilots live one other time: in 2018 on their Bandito Tour. I saw them in Uniondale, New York. There were stunts and explosions and fans in duct tape belting out lyrics at that show, too. Twenty One Pilots always puts on a good show but seeing them at home was special.
"You know, we've had some pretty good shows this tour," Joseph mused during the show Friday. The band is headed to Australia and Europe soon and next year, going to play stadiums in South America, he said.
"I just want you to know I mean it when I say we bring you with us wherever we go. Thank you for being our home."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 'Clancy' Tour: Twenty One Pilots rock for hometown fans at Nationwide
