Down in the Trench with Twenty Øne Piløts

Over a year-long hiatus has passed since twenty øne piløts’ electrifying conclusion to their EMØTIØNAL RØADSHØW WØRLD TØUR, and their highly anticipated return to the stage has absolutely delivered. Complete with 2 stages, a suspended ramp, strobe lights, confetti, smoke, and even fire, TØP somehow managed to make a sold-out venue of 20,000 people an intimate yet thrilling experience. On November 11th, I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to photograph one of my favorite bands, and though I was intimidated by the magnitude of Oracle Arena, each moment was exhilarating from beginning to end.

The show began with the drummer, Josh Dun, carrying a torch across the stage—which looked so damn cool up close—and quickly jumped into “Jumpsuit,” the first single off of Trench (2018). The first two songs are a bit of a blur seeing as photographers were restricted to a two-song limit, but lead singer Tyler Joseph jumping on a burning car while performing “Levitate” is not something one forgets. I also can’t forget the fangirl moment I had when Tyler came forward on the stage to touch the hands of screaming fans. I too, out of instinct, reached out for his hand. Yikes. But who am I to resist the fangirl urges that come up while I’m two inches away from my favorite band?

Once the first two songs were performed the photographers were escorted out of the photo pit, but I came prepared with a ticket so that I could stay and enjoy the rest of the show. Unlike many bands I’ve seen, TØP is unafraid to interact with fans while performing. I’d seen TØP perform in San Diego in 2016 and I was ecstatic to see what they would come up with for this year’s Bandito tour. I appreciate that their performance does not only privilege those in the front row, but everyone in the crowd. The B stage was different from the previous tour because a transparent box was lowered from the ceiling and projected a beautiful light show depicting various TØP symbols as well as a close-up of Tyler singing. By taking advantage of the space between the floor and the ceiling, this element made me forget how small the B stage was and allowed their performance to be embraced from every angle.

Bringing back a rush of nostalgia and adrenaline, twenty øne piløts concluded the show with their song “Trees” like they did with EMØTIØNAL RØADSHØW in 2016. Tyler began with an emotional vocal solo while the arena darkened and gradually built up to the bass-driven beat that got everyone jumping. With a final blast of confetti, Tyler and Josh made their final bow while the crowd scrambled for tiny paper souvenirs. As the final cheers from the crowd faded, I could only watch, in awe of the fan culture twenty øne piløts had created, and wonder when they would be back.