The newest album from Twenty One Pilots, Trench, was announced first July 11th, 2018 along with the release of the first two singles, Jumpsuit and Nico and the Niners. The hype from fans was immediate as fans flooded the internet to see the new releases and already begin forming conspiracy theories revolving hints from the band, lyrics, and music videos. With the promotion and hype of the well-acclaimed bands newest project, the album hit number one in six countries and was second on the US Billboard 200 behind the A Star is Born soundtrack. Not only was the album a hit in perspective of sales, but the critics also gave it praise for production, musical diversity, coherence and lyrics. As a whole, this album has lived up to its promise after the band’s hiatus, and no one seems disappointed in what Twenty One Pilots has given us.
Along with the release of the singles, the band announced that October 16th, 2018, they would be returning to the stage with the Banditos Tour. As a longtime fan of the band, I was immediately buying tickets, going for tickets for a spot in the pit. If you’re not a fan of the band, I would first recommend listening to their newest album, and next, I would recommend checking out videos of their concerts. The band is renowned for their incredible performances. The visuals, stunts, audience engagement, and incredible live vocals all make for a spectacular show. Especially when in the pit, there is never a time when you’re not enjoying the show. But the show is only a portion of the experience.
While I was not able to camp, there were multiple people who had camped outside of the venue, the Fiserv Forum, since Wednesday night for the Saturday night concert. Other dedicated fans had come later nights as well, filling up the sidewalk with tents and sleeping bags. I got there about 6:30 in the morning of the concert and was already 198th in line, however, at the time I did not know there would be close to one thousand. While waiting in line for twelve hours in the freezing cold, it’s not hard to quickly make friends, especially with people who all share a love for the same band. I quickly got to know one of the people next to me, an aspiring YouTuber who vlogged the experience for his channel, Matthew Sieverin. He shared hand warmers, gloves and even his camera for a small photoshoot where we took pictures of our Bandito outfits in the street. Even though we were both freezing, we were able to make it an unforgettable experience.
It wasn’t only him though. No matter who you talked to that was waiting in line, they were all friendly, ready to talk, help and get excited about the concert with you. People shared props, such as yellow duct tape which has become a signature piece in outfits, as well as means of keeping warm while we saw the first snowflakes of the season. The entirety of the community coming together for one band we all loved making the wait not only bearable but enjoyable. After waiting for twelve hours, I finally got in and, of course, was not disappointed. I was surrounded by new friends as I watched one of the best performances I’ll ever get to see. So not only do I recommend getting involved with Twenty One Pilots for the music, performances, and friends, but I highly encourage getting involved in a similar fanbase. You will find yourself in places and situations you’d never imagined, and it’ll make for an amazing time.