I have been listening to twenty one pilots for about four years now and have had the pleasure of seeing them live six times, and let me tell you, the band as a whole (live performance included) has been a life changer. This blog post isn’t as much of a review as it is an appreciation/experience post. I want to share my experience because I believe that twenty one pilots has been able to give me a feeling no other band has before. A feeling of being understood, accepted and heard. In my opinion, music is one of the most powerful things out there, but it’s not often that a band makes me feel the way twenty one pilots does.
I remember the first time I heard “Car Radio.” At the time I was driving an older car that literally had no car radio in it and a friend of mine picked me up one day and said, “I have a song to show you. It’s appropriate because you don’t have a car radio.” He laughed and played the song for me and at first I couldn’t help but find it to be somewhat of a funny track, but that’s because I wasn’t really listening. The day I actually listened to the lyrics of “Car Radio” was the day my life changed. Tyler Joseph got me and he understood the struggles I had been going through. The struggles I thought I was going through alone. All of a sudden I didn’t feel like that weird kid who was always sad and confused about it.
Over the years I have connected on such a deep level with Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun through the amazing music that they produce. My brother and I even got matching tattoos from their song “Truce” because the line “Stay alive for me” meant the world to us and brought us both comfort.
Shortly after getting the tattoo, we attended another twenty one pilots show where we were lucky enough to get to meet Josh Dun. I remember the moment I showed him the tattoo and explained what it meant to me and my brother. He had a very surprised look on his face and immediately told me how much it meant to him that we would want that to be with us forever and then he thanked me. I had never felt so connected to an artist in my life as I did that night, standing on a street corner in Denver, CO.
Fast forward a few years to twenty one pilots being big enough to play places like Red Rocks Amphitheater. They might have increased in fame, but the special feeling and connection they had with their fans years ago still remains. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a band perform with as much heart and passion as twenty one pilots. It truly is an honor to get to see them live.
Tuesday night was one of the best nights of my life.
I wasn’t as close to the stage as I normally am and I didn’t get to meet Tyler or Josh, but that didn’t matter. I still felt the feeling I’ve always felt at any twenty one pilots show. A feeling that is almost impossible to put into words. I danced my heart out, screamed all of the lyrics at the top of my lungs and almost cried a few times.
There’s something about the messages in their songs that just help me forget about anything and everything that may be weighing on my mind and just feel free and accepted. I love that about them.
From start to finish, there wasn’t a moment where I wasn’t in awe of how amazing they are as a duo. I continue to see them live because they continue to amaze me. I know that they make music because they too believe that it is very powerful, but I’m not sure they fully understand everything their music has done for people like me.
I got chills when they performed “Heathens.” I thought of old friends when they played songs from “Vessel.” I closed my eyes and took it all in when they performed “Addict With A Pen.” I was amongst friends during the entire show that were feeling the same things I was feeling. Each song brought up an important feeling or memory in my life. All of this is so unique and happens at literally every twenty one pilots show.
The only bad part of the night was having to see them go. I wished so badly that I had gotten a ticket for night two at Red Rocks the entire drive home. After a twenty one pilots show I’m always left wanting more from them.
Many people have asked me why it is that I want to spend my life writing articles about bands, and my answer is always that I want people to know that music can and does heal people. twenty one pilots showed me that four years ago and I thank them for that.