Twenty One Pilots The Icy Tour Review
By: Madalyn Schaller
Beginning on August 31, little did I know that I was going to start one of the craziest weeks of my life. The Columbus-based band Twenty One Pilots made a stop at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. After many years of continuous support, their fans were ready for the show––some had even camped out three days prior to secure a spot as close to the stage as possible while others arrived at the break of dawn. But despite the long wait and collective build up of pre-concert nerves, it was a great line experience because these people were some of the nicest, coolest, and unique fans a band could have. Most of them traveled from other states, and many were even following the band on tour.
As a fan myself, I was also planning to see them twice for the Icy Tour––Pittsburgh and Washington D.C. My closest friend scored us pit tickets, and with how quickly those tickets sell out, never in a million years did I think I’d get to see them in the general admission pit. Prior to this tour, I had seen them five times and was always in a seat. But don’t get me wrong, they were amazing every time! I always say their shows are more than just a concert. It’s a whole experience. The entirety of their production is something other artists have never done before. Even if you’re not a fan of them, you could see them live and still have the time of your life.
On top of being thrilled about seeing Twenty One Pilots again, one of the most exciting parts of this experience was having the opportunity to photograph them. Once the show started, it was such an emotional realization for me as I thought back to my middle school-self who never would’ve thought that this was possible.
Opening up the show, an introduction video played where you see lead singer Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun walking on a cold mountain before coming across a mysterious blue door which ends up being the gateway to the stage. The two entered with snow falling from the sky, making it a chilly start and very theme appropriate if you ask me. For their first song, they played “Good Day,” and moments into the song, the crowd went completely ballistic. Then, they transitioned into “No Chances,” which for me is a personal favorite. Due to an injury the night prior, Tyler did not do a stunt where he jumps off the stage at the end of the song, but that did not change the energy of the performance he put on. They switched it up for the third song and brought back an old crowd pleaser “Guns for Hands”. For many in the audience, it was a tearjerker moment and I may have shed a tear or two in the photo pit realizing what a dream this was for me.
The crowd was full of infectious energy, which spreaded itself across the large arena from the floor to the very top row. In their set, Twenty One Pilots played many classic fan favorites, while also incorporating older songs. Joseph made his way onto the B-Stage for some of the set, which is the smaller stage on the other end of the arena. This was the time when Joseph asks everyone to take a moment and sit, allowing the floor audience to catch their breath. He then got the entire room to be a part of the performance. For the song “Mulberry Street,” he split the seated crowd into sections and told them to hold up their flashlights on specific lyrics, making for a cool light show. Afterwards, he then played a compilation of songs from each album to show how much we have all grown. This mash-up consisted of “Addict With a Pen, Forest” , “Ode to Sleep”, “Hometown”, “Bandito”, and “Choker.” Continuing with the song “Migraine,” Joseph let the fans do most of the singing. Then, Tyler traveled back to the main stage for a Campfire Jam Session with Dun, along with accompanying band members to perform another mash-up of songs. It included “The Hype,” “Nico and the Niners,” “Tear in My Heart,” “House of Gold,” and “We Don't Believe What’s on TV.”
Following the campfire, it was now back to show time. Bringing the energy back up, the duo revived the atmosphere with some tracks from the albums Trench and Blurryface. “Jumpsuit” transitioned into “Heavydirtysoul,” and it did not take long before everyone was immediately jumping again. Circling back to some hits off their newest album Scaled and Icy, they performed “Saturday” and “Shy Away.” To close out the show, they started with the hit song, “Car Radio,” during which Joseph made his way back into the crowd, stopping at certain sections of the seats to sing to fans. To me, this best shows Joseph’s showmanship, as he knows how to include as many of the fans as possible at their concerts. He then made his way back to the B-Stage to end the song and start another iconic hit, “Stressed Out,” with the iconic red beanie and bass guitar appearing next to him.
Finally returning to the main stage, Twenty One Pilots ended with “Trees.” The start of the song signaled to fans that the night was coming to an end. They thanked the crowd for the wonderful night, even asking if they could come back, and the crowd of course cheered loudly in response. Joseph and Dun finished out the song with their iconic drum sets, both being held up by dozens of eager fans, including myself, in the pit. And to top it off, pink, blue, and yellow confetti completely coated the crowd as everyone cheered. It was all so breathtaking. After watching this entire spectacle from the seats for years, it truly is a whole different experience once you’re in the pit. So if you do find yourself seeing Twenty One Pilots soon, I can guarantee that no matter where you are in the venue, you will enjoy every moment of the night.
