This past weekend I traveled to Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center to see Twenty One Pilots on their Bandito tour.
This is the third show from this tour that I have seen; the other two were in Cleveland in July and Buffalo in June.
While I have dropped a considerable amount of money seeing this band live, there is a good reason behind it.
I’m a glutton for good showmanship and professionalism.
Each show that I’ve been to in the last year has been different from the last in some aspect.
With each show there was a different opener, but I didn’t spend my money to see the opener. Also, the song lineups were altered with each show.
“Trench,” their most recent album, was released at the beginning of the tour. As the tour progressed, Twenty One Pilots altered their set list to accommodate what was popular at the time.
For example, their song “Chlorine” was not featured as part of the set list for the first leg of the tour but was added later on as it gained popularity.
I also sat in different sections at each concert, so I was able to interpret the show from different angles. I’ve been in the seats, I’ve been at the back of general admission on the floor, and I’ve been at the main stage.
While my orientation to the stage changed, I was still impressed each time.
Although, when I went to the concert at Penn State, I was a little disappointed. At the previous two shows Twenty One Pilots had a walkway that lowered above the audience.
During that point in the show, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, the band members, would walk across to the B-stage to perform songs. At Penn State, they were unable to do that.
Joseph also has a tendency to keep the audience on their toes by showing up randomly somewhere around the stadium. At the shows that I’ve been to, this stunt reminded me of Michael Jackson’s Super Bowl performance.
The two artists both stand and wait while the audience cheers for them to start singing.
That waiting creates the anticipation that something is about to happen and we better be ready for it.
Unfortunately, this also did not happen at Penn State. I can’t really be mad because the location did not allow for such theatrics.
I believe this hindrance on their normal performance level also caused the band to be less enthusiastic than they were at the other shows.
Still, I can’t really compare any show energy to the one I experienced at Cleveland, since that was their hometown show. Although, at Penn State they did make up for it by including indoor fireworks.
Obviously, I’m able to enjoy the show because I know their songs, but I would make the case that their shows could be enjoyable for all.
It shows that Twenty One Pilots puts a lot of effort into their shows and making sure that they are properly thought out.
Each show is filled with an electric energy that is fueled by their willingness to perform and put on a good show. Sure, artists can put out a good album, but if their live performances are lacking, then I become less interested in their work.
Personal examples for me that fall into this category are Post Malone and Two Door Cinema Club, but I won’t get into that right now.
In conclusion, Twenty One Pilots are stunning performers, and I would highly recommend seeing them live if that’s possible.
As always, knowing an artist’s work before going to the concert is an advantage, but Twenty One Pilots still does a considerable job with their live performances so that all can enjoy them.

RACHEL MACKOWIAK
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