Twenty One Pilots Come To Atlantic City
By Holly Fertsch
On June 8th, Twenty One Pilots descended upon Atlantic City. Fans decked out in yellow and camouflage, the color scheme of Twenty One Pilots’ new concept album, camped out on the Atlantic City boardwalk. The line to get into the venue, Boardwalk Hall, stretched back to Caesar’s Casino. Twenty One Pilots has dedicated fans. The two-man band from Columbus, Ohio has achieved significant success in the past few years, even winning a Grammy in 2017.
Their hits like “Stressed Out” and “Heathens” have received significant radio play. Yet the band remains experimental with bizarre songs matched with frenetic imagery and intense, yet contagious, energy. Twenty One Pilots songs can be enjoyed by anyone. They specialize in upbeat, catchy songs that are packed with symbolism and hidden meanings for die-hard fans to dissect. Their lyrics cover hard topics like anxiety and even celebrity suicide. However, Twenty One Pilots still defiantly manages to keep the mood light, even ecstatic. The band’s sound doesn’t fit neatly into any genre, but they utilize elements of rap, punk, pop, alt-rock, and even reggae to craft unique, attention-grabbing songs.
The night began with opening act Bear Hands delivering a indie rock performance. Twenty One Pilots handpicked the band as their opener, and they did not disappoint. When Bear Hands closed their set, curtains descended across the stage to conceal Twenty One Pilots’ crew setting up. You could feel the anticipation in the crowd. When the curtain went up, it revealed Josh Dun, the drummer of the duo, wearing camouflage and carrying a flaming torch across the stage. Twenty One Pilots often brings imagery from their music videos into their live shows, and this show was no exception. Dun took his place behind his drum kit as Tyler Joseph, the singer of the duo, emerged. The band erupted into “Jumpsuit,” a single from Trench. The theatrics did not stop with the first song. Dun’s drum riser ascended and descended throughout other songs, and Joseph crouched atop a flaming car and rapped. Yellow confetti rained down from the ceiling during other songs. Perhaps the most impressive stunt was Joseph falling backward out of sight while singing, only to emerge across the venue seconds later. The showmanship was excellent. Despite Twenty One Pilots only having two members, they filled the stage with their energy. The band donned several different costumes throughout their set, including Dun removing his jacket to reveal a shirt emblazoned “Atlantic City.” The duo also wore ski masks at the beginning of their set, which they dramatically tore off while performing. Before the band became famous, they wore costumes when they performed to try to gain the audience’s attention. The tradition of wearing ski masks has not faded since, and remains just as effective at grabbing attention.
The band utilized strategic audience engagement, including a karaoke version of their song “Truce” towards the end of their set. Joseph addressed audience members no matter where they were in the venue, checking in with those in the back and engaging with those standing in the pit. The band gave permission to audience members in the seated section to sit during their B-stage performance, where they performed slower and more haunting songs. This seated portion of the show was reportedly a concession to Joseph’s family, who were in the audience. Joseph announced he has relatives in South Jersey, and he frequented the shore as a kid.
Joseph told the audience how happy he was to perform in AC. He even changed the lyrics in the “Smithereens” to “everyone here looks so pretty/ for you I’d go sing you this song in Atlantic City.”
All in all, the show was more than I hoped for. The set featured songs that have been rarely performed live like “Legend,” a song written for Joseph’s grandfather, and “Cut My Lip.” Both new and older songs were played. Also, have I mentioned the show was family-friendly? None of songs in the set used profanity or innuendos. The duo also kept their language clean between songs. The band managed this without at all seeming juvenile, and captivated audience members of all ages. An enthusiastic kid behind me sang along during the show, while a college-age girl danced along next to me. Whether you’ve been a fan for a while or you’ve never heard of the band, I highly recommend seeing Twenty One Pilots live. Don’t despair if you missed out this time though: Twenty One Pilots said they will be back.
