Twenty One Pilots formed back in 2009 in Columbus, Ohio and is a two person band consisting of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun. They rose to fame rather suddenly after their appearance at the 2013 MVAs, and since then, they've experienced sold-out arenas and have been headlining tours. I had the chance to see them for the second time in Houston, Texas, as they headlined their Emotional Roadshow Tour alongside Chef’s Special and Mutemath.
The first time I went to a Twenty One Pilots show, I was in general admission at The Revention Center in Houston, Texas. I didn’t know what to expect at all. I’ve been to over 30 concerts in the last few years, but each one is an entirely different and incredible experience. Twenty One Pilots was no exception. General admission meant being on the floor with hundreds of other people. It also meant extreme heat and little space to move. We spent three hours standing in the same spot until Twenty One Pilots came on, and although we didn’t have the best view until the end, it was well beyond worth it. There is a really specific feeling to a Twenty One Pilots show that I haven’t been able to find at other concerts and that is the feeling of camaraderie among the fans. These songs have different meanings to each and every one of us, and we all have our different favorite one, but we’re all singing together at the top of our lungs during the entire show, not caring about the heat or our feet hurting, solely living in the moment.
Last week, I got the chance to see them again at The Woodlands Pavilion in Texas. We had better seats and better preparation for what to expect, but it still managed to blow us away. A Twenty One Pilots concert is almost like a religious experience. Hearing the songs that you’ve heard a dozen times in your room or on drives in your car, performed to an audience of hundreds and thousands gives you an inexplicable feeling. There were goosebumps on my arms during the entire concert. There were times when you couldn’t even hear Tyler because the crowd sang so loudly and with so much passion that it’s hard to compare with other shows I’ve been to. They were tears from people who have listened to these songs as a life line. People who have heard these songs as a battle cry and have found meaning in the words to cling to.
Twenty One Pilots shows are safe places. They are places where you have young and old and all kinds of people from different walks of life in the same place, singing the same songs, feeling all the same feelings. Twenty One Pilots’ shows bring people together the way music is meant to. They bring a sense of closeness and connection that I have yet to find in other bands.
The Emotional Roadshow was exactly that; it was an emotional roller coaster of feelings throughout the entire set list, but it was well worth it. We withstood 100 degree heat and long lines to enjoy a couple of hours of life changing music. Chef's Special did an incredible job getting the crowd fired up for Mutemath. Though Mutemath and Twenty One Pilots seem like an unlikely combination, they created a really unique ambience.
By the time Twenty One Pilots came on, the crowd forgot about the heat and the exhaustion and proceeded to put on one of the most lively shows I've been able to attend. If you get the chance to catch them while they're on their Emotional Roadshow Tour, I highly recommend you check them out.
