Twenty One Pilots at T-Mobile Center, Kansas City MO (2022-09-09) review

They can call it “icy”, come out in parkas, and blow snow on stage… but the truth of the matter is that the show was nothing but straight fire-–

Columbus, OH duo Twenty One Pilots arrived in downtown Kansas City at the T-Mobile Center, for their latest stop on The Icy Tour– what is very likely the most entertaining and energetic arena concert of the year.

The pair (Tyler Joseph- vocals, guitar, keyboards and Josh Dun on drums) are out in support of latest full-length, Scaled and Icy (on Fueled by Ramen/Elektra) and since forming just over a dozen years ago, have built a huge and very loyal fan base, which turned out in droves (many general admission ticket holders had camped near the arena days in advance and raced to be in line at 9am that morning, for a choice spot on the floor that evening).

In addition to their sterling reputation for interactive and compelling live performances, the band’s still-growing success can also be attributed to catchy songs and broadening over several genres – indie/alt rock, some jazz (particularly trumpet), hip hop with hyper speed lyrics, reggae fusion, straight unabashed pop, and even beat-heavy electro and EDM.

For this two-hour performance, there was even a conceptual theme- an intro video intro had the pair walking through a blizzard, to emerge through a blue door in the stage floor, donned in facemasks, goggles, coats, and with a blast of snow showering the stage and front audience (and all photographers).

The feel-good sunny harmonies of the new “Good Day” quickly gave way to the much darker, “No Chances” and Joseph dramatically unmasked during “Guns for Hands”. The crowd sang the corresponding verses back on 2011’s “Holding on to You” that began as a slower piano-driven version but enlarged into an electro, loud wall of sound with Joseph screaming the last lines.

What began as just the pair playing, soon tripled in size, as the rest of the live band members joined in to play, with 2015’s “Lane Boy” even showing some flourishes of reggae before moving to high BPM EDM, then back to a slower tropic vibe to end. 2018’s “Chlorine” had its dystopian lyrics contrasted by some punchy jazz trumpet and upbeat piano chords.

Joseph donned some blue-tinted Elton John-style glasses for the bouncy new “Mulberry Street” starting the song on the main stage and continuing as he made his way to the smaller B stage, located near the back soundboard.

Joseph even took advantage of the wave the crowd was practicing before the show start, getting each side and the floor of the arena to raise and lower their cellphone lights on cue (like the wave), to help complete the song.

A six-song medley (one from each record) would continue the solo set and as Joseph then made his way back to the main stage where an actual fire was burning at center stage.

“A little fun fact for you…” Joseph said, “…not every arena allows you to do a campfire…but here in Kansas City, they were like, ‘Sure!’”

Joseph seemed to have “forgotten” to bring his ukulele back with him, so employed an air mattress for it to rest on, as fans carefully passed it all to the front – “If you drop her… the show is over!” Joseph remarked, but all was successful, and the band gathered around the fire for several songs (that actually had the crowd singing more than the band).

Segueing out of the campfire session was an impressive Jesse Blum trumpet solo that incorporated a video game theme and for “My Blood/Saturday”, drummer Dun mounted a small kit that audience members held upright as he played. “I like to put this song in the setlist”, Joseph said of the pandemic-era anthem, “Level of Concern”, “because it reminds me of a time when I thought live music was dead…but tonight, we celebrate!”

For 2015’s “Ride”, Joseph was in the crowd on each side for the verses, making his way back to the B stage to end up diving down to the air mattress, then crowd surfing his way back up front. Joseph returned to the back, this time on a high pedestal for “Car Radio” and “Stressed Out”, before heading back up front to finish the song and main set.

The two-song encore began again with the conceptual footage of the blue door and the pair emerged for 2016’s radio hit, “Heathens” and their closing song was (per tradition), 2011’s classic “Trees” which built into a full-fledged electro dance party crescendo, and the band saying “hello” and goodbye at the same time.

“We’re Twenty One Pilots and so are you!” Joseph ended by saying, and that simple sentiment succinctly sums up both this show and the interactive and extremely loyal connection the band enjoys as a musical symbiosis with their truest supporters. And, for even the mildest of fans, the spectacle and pacing of The Icy Tour was just plain hot.

TWENTY ONE PILOTS TOUR DATES

• SEP 10 ENTERPRISE CENTER ST LOUIS, MO
• SEP 13 AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER DALLAS, TX
• SEP 14 TOYOTA CENTER HOUSTON, TX
• SEP 16 FOOTPRINT CENTER PHOENIX, AZ
• SEP 17 HONDA CENTER ANAHEIM, CA
• SEP 18 CHASE CENTER SAN FRANCISCO, CA
• SEP 20 VIVINT ARENA SALT LAKE CITY, UT
• SEP 22 MODA CENTER PORTLAND, OR
• SEP 24 CLIMATE PLEDGE ARENA SEATTLE, WA
• NOV 12 GP WEEK: w THE KILLERS SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

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