By Georgia Riccobene
Walking into Gas South Arena on Sept 10th felt like stepping into another world. Twenty One Pilots fans were decked out head to toe in gear from various eras of their career. Most fans chose to portray the fictional world of “Dema”, the setting of the plot Twenty One Pilots have been crafting for the past nine years starting with the release of Blurryface.
Band members, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dunn, are currently on tour to promote their latest album and chapter in the Dema saga, Clancy. The show’s set kicks off with one of the most energetic openings I have ever witnessed, complete with Tyler making his entrance by jumping down from his piano and ripping the microphone out of the air, literally jumping into his rap in “Overcompensate”. The energy continued throughout the night with exceptional transitions between each song, explosive busts of flames & fireworks, and, of course, teleportation- and that’s only in the first half of the set.
While the music at the show was unbelievable, to say the least, I would say the most powerful component of Twenty One Pilots’ performance was their display of appreciation for their fans. The intro to the song, “The Judge” was a clip featuring Duluth fans waiting outside for the doors of the arena to open earlier that day. They sent their love and gratitude to Tyler and Josh and showed off their impressive Twenty One Pilots-themed outfits. The fans in the video started to sing the first verses of “The Judge” and Tyler picked up where they left off in real-time at the show.
Another moment for fan appreciation, and maybe one of my favorite parts of the show, was when Tyler invited a child in the audience to sing along with him during “Ride”. Bennett, the little boy chosen, won every heart in Gas South Arena that night when he politely replied “Yes sir” in his small, southern accent when Tyler asked if he was ready to go.
What Twenty One Pilots was able to accomplish in a nearly two and a half hour set is nothing short of sensational. The duo has mastered the art of stage performance and audience engagement creating one of the most dedicated and multi-generational fan bases I have ever encountered.
When leaving the arena, my friend Sarah and I were talking about the adorable little girl who sat right next to us during the show. Sarah said to me “Georgia, sometimes I would look over and you would both be doing the same dance moves and looking like you are having the time of your life.” I smile thinking about it now because there’s nothing like riding the high from the energy of a concert and knowing the person next to you is right there with you at the top of the world.
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