Article by Brittany Ormiston

“We’re Twenty One Pilots, and so are you.” Alt-rock musical duo Twenty One Pilots (TØP) made a life-long imprint on a crowd of nearly 20,000 people during their tour stop in Indianapolis. It was a brisk, fall evening as fans made their way into Gainbridge Fieldhouse for a night they would never forget. Large flags from various TØP eras were draped across shoulders, and a sea of band t-shirts could be seen for miles. The most important detail was the red and yellow duct tape carefully placed on clothing, and wrapped with extra care.

Wearing yellow duct tape became a fanbase-wide trend after TØP released music videos to promote their album Trench in 2018. The rebel group of Banditos in the videos wore yellow tape as they fought against the bishops to escape DEMA, the city of pain and despair. A Bandito can represent anyone who is struggling, and trying to get to a better place in their lives. TØP lore as a whole is “a movement that blends music, narrative, and visual art to engage fans in a conversation about identity, resistance, and mental health.” The use of duct tape is accessible for all fans, and has created a sense of connection with TØP and with each other. The fan base feels dedicated to the band’s message and purpose, and TØP have proven time and time again that the fans are a fundamental part of their creative process. Every fan in the arena in Indianapolis proudly wore their yellow duct tape, and added red duct tape to represent the newly added Clancy era.

TØP and their fanbase are a family that supports each other through thick and thin, and this unity was present as they showed a video of Indianapolis fans on the big screens. The fans were singing in unison to ‘The Judge,’ and truly living in the moment. The video cut to TØP singing the remainder of the song on stage to end the emotional encounter. The band certainly did not stop there. Tyler Joseph (lead vocalist and frontman) and Josh Dun (drummer) took to their own raised platforms in the back of the pit during a compilation of ‘Addict With a Pen / Migraine / Forest / Fall Away’ to interact with the other half of the crowd. The simplicity of the grand piano and drums, and the involvement of the crowd was incredibly touching. “Indianapolis you’re crazyyyy,” stated Tyler before starting ‘Ride.’ A member of “the new generation,” Bryce, was invited on stage to sing with Tyler to finish out the track to make for a wholesome memory. During the encore, fans in the pit area held Josh and the platform in the air as he finished out a track. The level of trust TØP has in their fans is extraordinary.

Aside from TØP having an unbreakable bond with their supporters, they know how to put on a jam-packed show. The seamless transitions between songs, rapturing light patterns and visuals, and exquisite production had hearts racing and adrenaline rushing even hours after the show was over. Tyler, aka Houdini, would pop up in various places at times, which left the crowd with many questions. After effortlessly rapping ‘Car Radio,’ he jumped into a hole on the stage and reappeared in section 224 within seconds. As the track ended, he ripped off his mask and the crowd erupted in cheers. For visuals, the spinning carousel of skeletons during ‘Stressed Out,’ and the spider web design accompanied with purple and green lighting during ‘Heathens’ amplified the spooky vibes to perfection. To add to the mysteriousness, Tyler let the rolling fog on stage “take him away” as he lied down and sang the outro of ‘Heavydirtysoul.’ Josh flexing his muscles after the track ended snapped the crowd back to reality quickly.

After an already eventful evening, TØP had one more surprise in store for the crowd. Tyler respectfully requested the pit move away from the middle to reveal a large red circle. Tyler and Josh stood on their platforms in the pit, and performed ‘Trees’ amongst the people they love the most. “I want to know you // I want to see // I want to say hello,” sang Tyler. At the end, they both poured water on two large drums with the symbol representing Clancy as the drum heads. As the mallets made contact with the drums, the confetti cannons exploded and The Clancy World Tour appeared on the screen in all its yellow and red glory. “Stay strong. Live on. Pass on these songs.” - TØP