After six years, Twenty One Pilots returned to Atlas Arena, and with Wednesday’s show, they once again proved that they know how to put on a concert. For two hours and fifteen minutes, the duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun treated the audience to a whirlwind of experiences: emotional, visual, and above all, musical.
Anyone visiting Łódź for the first time to see TOP live quickly realized why this Columbus-based duo boasts one of the most devoted fan bases. And we could see just how true that is hours before the show even began. Hundreds of people had already flocked to Łódź the day before the concert to line up first thing in the morning for the lowest possible number, ensuring the fastest possible entry to the front of the stage right after the venue opened. It was truly hard to remain indifferent to the morning sight of groups and small clusters sitting around Atlas Arena, clad in the silver-and-gold thermal blankets that are a must-have for such occasions. The outfits of Tyler and Josh’s fans also caught the eye—led by their distinctive yellow and red headbands.
Without a moment's rest
During the show itself, the fans—just like the musicians—gave it their all. Suffice it to say, it had been a very long time since I’d been to a concert where so many people in the stands didn’t sit down even for a moment, from the moment the curtain dropped at the beginning until the lights came on at the end. I won’t even mention the clapping, cheering, and screaming—surely, if we were to go back 60 years, similar applause could be heard during the legendary Beatles’ performances.
First up was “Overcompensate” from the band’s latest album, *Clancy*, released last year. This dynamic track, which lit up the interior of Atlas Arena in a fiery red glow, immediately brought out the audience’s singing talents and served as the perfect warm-up for the rest of the evening’s highlights. And we didn’t have to wait long for those, as the band followed up with “Holding on to You”—a song that holds a very special place in the hearts of die-hard fans. First, it appeared on no fewer than two of the band’s albums (in an indie version on 2011’s “Regional at Best” and on “Vessel” two years later—after signing with Fueled by Ramen, the label with which the group still collaborates today). Second, as their first official single, it was this TOP song that first found its way into the hearts of many listeners. Third, during this song, the lucky fans in front of the stage had the chance to personally lift the 36-year-old singer—whose face was still hidden behind his signature balaclava—with their own strength. And fourth, let’s add, this is a track with a message that is incredibly important to everyone—about fighting inner demons and finding the meaning of life.
Teleportation from the stage
During the subsequent performance of “Vignette,” Tyler and Josh didn’t let up. The former tirelessly covered dozens of meters across the stage with his microphone, while the latter meticulously maintained the song’s perfect rhythm on the drums. It’s worth noting that “Vignette” is another track from the new album on the setlist and another song that, dealing with struggles with addiction, fits perfectly into the band’s artistic style. Immediately after that, the band returned to the aforementioned album “Vessel” and played another track from it that can easily be described as iconic. It’s hard to imagine any Twenty One Pilots performance without “Car Radio.” There’s another concert ritual associated with this song, which was also carried out at Atlas Arena. Instead of the usual climbing up the stage structures, this time Tyler surprised the audience by first disappearing under the stage at the end and then, a moment later, appearing above the boxes right under the arena’s roof. Skeptics wondered for a moment if it was some kind of stand-in, but the singer removing his mask dispelled all doubts. At that moment, without a hint of exaggeration—literally and figuratively—one could say that this multi-talented musician had the entire crowd gathered at the venue at his feet. For an idea that was born spontaneously at the last minute during rehearsal, it turned out brilliantly!
As Tyler returned to the stage, the big screens showed unique video footage shot throughout the day around Atlas Arena. The stars of the video montage were fans (mostly female fans) who, while waiting for their idols, shared their stories about the band on camera and showed off their hand-decorated outfits. And just like that, there was a seamless transition into “The Judge,” one of the biggest hits from the album “Blurryface,” which was released exactly a decade ago. The chorus, danced and sung along to in unison with the unmistakable “Na-na-na-na, oh, oh,” was undoubtedly further proof that this evening was all about having a great time. It’s a wonder that this track was never officially released as a single… As if to calm things down a bit and gather strength before the next energetic moments, Tyler and Josh later performed “The Craving” in a ballad version (Jenna’s Version) using a ukulele. The audience instantly added thousands of lights from their phones, and as a result, we had another iconic image: the concert’s signature moment.
Diversity above all else
The next highlight of this musical feast turned out to be “Tear in My Heart.” It’s the second single from the aforementioned “Blurryface” and, at the same time, one of the few songs in TOP’s repertoire with a positive message. Following the song the American singer wrote for his wife, a truly hip-hop atmosphere took over the Atlas Arena. This was thanks to “Backslide,” a track from the latest album, filled with melodic recitations that even the masters of the genre would be proud of. In turn, with the next track, Tyler and Josh took us back in time to the 1980s. Both musically (with its synth-pop sound) and in terms of lighting, “Shy Away” perfectly evoked that decade. It’s worth noting that in this song—which is about breaking down barriers and taking action despite fears—we again saw a connection to the Joseph family (Tyler composed it for his younger brother, who is taking his first steps in music, as a kind of encouragement to express himself and pursue his passion).
If we’ve seen nothing but hits in Łódź so far, the top ten of the Łódź setlist was rounded out by a true megahit. After all, “Heathens” is the duo’s second most-viewed music video on YouTube (it has long since surpassed two billion views), and the song itself—featured on the soundtrack for the movie “Suicide Squad”—earned the duo three Grammy Award nominations. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it turned out that the phrase “Watch It” in the lyrics was shouted so loudly that travelers at Kalisz Station could hear it. The whole performance was complemented by spectacular laser beams—as if they were meant to protect the fans from the titular “heathens”…
In the spirit of the Sex Pistols
The musical express train bearing the Twenty One Pilots logo was in full swing, and the next “stop” on its route was the song “Next Semester.” And that inevitably meant that the Atlas Arena had once again turned into a giant garage dominated by punk riffs. Josh was working wonders behind the drums, and Tyler—with his guitar slung over his shoulder and at the microphone—had no intention of being outdone. The lighting crew also deserved applause once again, as the spectacular lighting design only amplified the power of this song. That was the case, however, until the very end, which took on a totally ballad-like character, and instead of stage lights, the incredible atmosphere was once again created by smartphone flashlights.
During the next song, the arena remained in darkness for quite some time, broken only by a single beam of light moving from the stage along the stands. This was, of course, no accident, as Josh was making his way along that very path to his drum kit, which was positioned roughly halfway across the floor. A moment later, Tyler followed the same path from the other side of the stage to his mini-stage. From the perspective of the stands, the sight of so many people moving across the stage first in one direction and then the other immediately evoked the image of a massive wave surging from one side to the other. It’s worth noting that while walking across the field, both musicians were more than happy to high-five and pat people on the back. We can only guess how many priceless selfies and videos were taken during that time…
Bright and Cheerful Antics
Amid an ecstatic audience, the band first performed the deeply nostalgic “The Line,” followed by the much more upbeat “Mulberry Street.” During both songs, the lights from smartphones came on again, though the effects turned out to be quite different. During “The Line”—as befits a proper ballad—the lights were replaced by the flames of lighters, while during “Mulberry Street” they complemented the stage lights and mimicked the entire elaborate LED sequence, which Tyler skillfully controlled.
Before we heard the next song, the duo had another surprise in store—and by no means the last one of the evening. A mysterious figure holding a burning torch suddenly appeared on the arch of the stands at the far end of the arena, opposite the stage. A sense of uncertainty grew, and it wasn’t until the hood was removed that it became clear that this time, Josh had decided to get a closer look at the structure of the Atlas Arena. Accompanied by deeply unsettling music, the 36-year-old drummer marched very majestically toward the stage, where Tyler was already waiting for him with an energetic performance of “The Navigating.” Judging by the reactions, this entire unexpected sequence of events evoked associations with the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
A nod to Łódź
Of course, there was no competition for medals, but the games—the musical ones, naturally—were in full swing, thanks to the, as it were, Olympic form of the duo Joseph & Dun. “Nico and the Niners,” “Heavydirtysoul,” and “My Blood” were the next tracks we got to enjoy at Atlas Arena. And not just with our ears, because the lights bouncing all over the venue during “Heavydirtysoul” were joined by pillars of fire on stage, fireworks, and clouds of smoke…
“Most people will probably remember “My Blood” for two reasons—the giant skulls that appeared regularly on the big screens and… Josh’s T-shirt. Unable to bear the heat on stage any longer, he took off his vest and revealed a T-shirt emblazoned with four huge letters: ŁÓDŹ. This gesture, of course, delighted the several thousand fans in attendance—including even those who don’t live in Łódź on a daily basis and had traveled to the concert from even the farthest corners of the country (and judging by the license plates in the parking lot, there were quite a few of them).
A long-awaited premiere
If anyone was still craving more concert surprises, they were in for another one shortly after “My Blood.” For the first time in nine years, Tyler and Josh performed a demo version of “Doubt” right there at Atlas Arena, and as promised, it was released simultaneously on major streaming platforms. Joy? Pride? Happiness? Emotion? Here, let everyone insert their own synonym for positive emotions in response to the question of what TOP’s most die-hard fans were feeling at that moment.
So when, right at the start of “Guns for Hands,” Tyler urged everyone to jump along with him, no one needed any further convincing. The upbeat rhythm combined with special effects created a perfect synergy, and it was under these circumstances that the second set of ten songs on the Łódź setlist came to an end. The third set of Twenty One Pilots hits—unfortunately the last (and incomplete) one—began with the song “Lavish.” Its style again brought to mind strictly hip-hop battles in the Bronx rather than the work of a group that receives most of its nominations and awards in the rock or alternative categories. But isn’t that exactly what makes TOP so charming?!
The Mascot Invasion
The concert was clearly drawing to a close, as evidenced by Tyler’s thanks to everyone who had worked to make “The Clancy World Tour” a success. Fortunately, the band still had a few musical aces up their sleeve, and without hesitation, they immediately played one of them. “Ride,” which has been viewed over 1.5 billion times on YouTube, is, after all, an absolute must-have at every concert. And to think that this track almost didn’t make it onto the “Blurryface” album at all, since it was written at the very end of the recording session and there was a real risk that the musicians simply wouldn’t have enough time to polish it…
However, the performance of “Ride” in Łódź was more than just a group rendition of one of his biggest hits. First, dozens of Pokémon flew onto the stage toward Tyler, intended as a birthday gift for his one-year-old son. And since material gifts aren’t everything, the audience sang a thunderous “Happy Birthday” to the youngest member of the Joseph clan! The Americans’ response wasn’t long in coming. Even during that same song, they returned to their platforms located by the stands in the middle of the arena, and after a moment, the singer invited one of the likely youngest attendees of the concert to join him. Little Laura—for that was her name—had the honor of singing the chorus and instantly won the hearts of both the entire TOP crew and the audience gathered at Atlas Arena. A memory to last a lifetime? That’s an understatement!
No distance
Right at the end of their main set, Twenty One Pilots performed “Paladin Strait,” the closing track of their latest album and the longest song in their entire discography (the studio version runs nearly six and a half minutes). It was another chance for us to see just how important direct contact with the audience is to TOP. During the song, Josh—with a smile that could be seen from a mile away—moved to a special drum set located among the fans at the front of the stage. And despite his growing fatigue, he drummed flawlessly right up to the final note. Class is class.
Before the encores began, the crowd at Atlas Arena decided to pass the time while waiting for the artists to return, and to the accompaniment of birdsong blaring from the speakers, they sang along to excerpts from “Leave the City” over and over again. It was flawless, as if this motif had been rehearsed dozens of times, even though this one-of-a-kind choir had gathered for the first time in this particular lineup. But apparently, for Skeleton Cliques—as fans of the American duo are commonly called—nothing is impossible.
The excitement lasts right up until the end
There were no major surprises during the encores. Instead, both on stage and in the audience, the desire to make the most of the concert’s final minutes was almost palpable. First up was “Jumpsuit,” followed closely by “Midwest Indigo.” As the penultimate song, Tyler and Josh played the timeless “Stressed Out,” which has already surpassed three billion views on YouTube. That number is simply unimaginable when compared to the less than two billion views for Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which, after all, regularly tops various international lists of the greatest songs of all time.
BBefore their final farewell to Łódź, the guests from across the ocean traditionally played “Trees” one last time. To honor this beautiful tradition, they first asked the crowd gathered in front of the stage to spread out a bit and form an empty circle in a designated spot, and then they stepped into it themselves and, surrounded by fans, performed the metaphor-filled song. There was also no shortage of the song’s signature “extras” in the form of a dazzling light show, evocative visuals, and an impressive amount of confetti. Only the greatest say goodbye like this!
Will they come back? I’d bet my bottom dollar that we’ll see them here again. Hopefully with a batch of new material, because by creating and performing songs from “Clancy” live, the guys from Columbus proved that they’re still up for it, that their heads are full of new ideas, and that they don’t intend to rest on their laurels just yet…
