Twenty One Pilots @
The Staples Center
Twenty One Pilots enthralls the Staples Center with fiery performance and production
Twenty one thousand people is the capacity at the Staples Center, one of the biggest and most iconic venue in the heart of Los Angeles. That number is especially fitting for the dynamic duo Twenty One Pilots as they brought their Bandito Tour for the first time to this venue, filling up the seats with their beloved supporters. If you know the reputation of Twenty One Pilots show, it is not a surprise that their fans are dressed accordingly for the night. Streets leading to the venue were filled with fans dressed in outfits resembling the band — red beanie, yellow tapes and bandana, and camo printed clothing. Los Angeles was ready to witness what this iconic duo had prepared for the night.
Misterwives
Misterwives opened up the night, priming the crowd ready for Twenty One Pilots. Six man band entered the stage with energy as the lead singer Mandy Lee started singing one of their latest released “the end.” Performing on a floral themed stage, three frontman sang into their flower covered mic stands with such energy that they had the crowd on their feet dancing. Talented with playing various instruments, the band showcased their musicality with trumpets and guitar as they performed “Coloring Outside the Lines”, “Find My Way Home”, and another one of their latest track “whywhywhy”. They covered Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” which the crowd did not hesitate to sing along to and ended their set with “Our Own House”, leaving the audience pumped for Twenty One Pilots to take over.
Audience count: Twenty One Thousand. For Twenty One Pilots
As the production team laid out a black sheet covering all sides of the stage, the crowd screamed in anticipation of the night to begin. The entire venue went dark as eerie sounds of birds and rustling trees echoed when the curtain finally dropped to show Twenty One Pilots standing on a car, covering their faces with bandana and ski mask. The drummer Josh Dun lit his flame torch and walked over to each side of the stage as if it was an initiation for the night to begin. As the car lit on fire, the beat of the drums kicked off their show with “Jumpsuit”, first song off of their newest album Trenchwhich led to their second song “Levitate” just like the album. While rapidly singing away his lines in this rap track, Tyler Joseph heightened the crowd’s energy one line at a time. It was not until their third song “Heavydirtysoul” that Twenty One Pilots decided to show their faces at the last chorus when the entire room roared in cheers.
Twenty One Pilots continued the set with their hits “Stressed Out” and “Heathens” as well as their newer tracks such as “Nico And The Niners” in which Tyler asked the floor audience to split in the middle to make way just like Moses from the Bible parted the Sea. Tyler, then, proceeded to walk down this aisle while rapping to the bridge of the song and arrived at B-stage where they sang “Smithereens”, “Migraine”, “Tear In My Heart”, and “Bandito”. During the show, Tyler shared with the crowd his thoughts and emotions regarding their music, the night, and their experience, adding intimacy between them and the audience, despite the venue being filled with thousands of people. One of the memorable stories that he shared is the piano that they have at every one of their show. Filled with emotion, Tyler spoke “We used to bring this piano everywhere — at bars and shows. And here we are now at Staples Center.” This piano has been part of them since the very beginning of their journey, and it was a momentous night for them to now be playing the same piano at one of the biggest venue in Los Angeles.
The night consisted of various ensembles, including a drum solo by Josh Dun and even a trumpet solo by Misterwives’s Jesse Blum which led to “Cut My Lips” joined by rest of the members of Misterwives. Harmony by Tyler Joseph and Mandy Lee matched perfectly, creating an absolutely beautiful melody. The crowd went wild when they all danced in synchronized choreography during the bridge.
What is so striking about Twenty One Pilots and their audience is the bond that they have with each other. It’s not your typical, ordinary concert where the crowd cheers loudly to call the artist back on stage for an encore.
After performing “Car Radio” and stepping off stage, Twenty One Pilots fans also known as “The Clique” began to hum along to their encore chant. Then, the stage’s screen showed the lyrics to their song “Truce” as the entire room — 21,000 people — sang the words to the song. At last, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun returned on stage to perform their final two songs of the night “Chlorine” and “Trees”, ending this special night with epic drumming with confetti.
As Twenty One Pilots bowed to the venue packed with their hardcore fans, we saw genuine gratitude as they thanked their listeners for supporting them in their music. It is amazing to see how closely they interact with fans, sharing their stories and journeys, not only through social media but especially through their music and lyrics. “The Clique” awaits to hear more from this amazing band and Los Angeles cannot wait to have them back on their next tour.
Congratulations to Twenty One Pilots for a momentous night and thank you for putting on an incredible performance!
(5 / 5)
Review and photos by Shion Uza
