“We didn’t know if anyone was gonna show,” Twenty One Pilots’ Tyler Joseph told his near-capacity crowd at Auckland’s Spark Arena on a sweltering Sunday night, a few songs after he’d just done a backflip off a piano.
“Yet you already exceeded our expectation,” he added, a remark met with rapturous applause from the sea of red beanies, trench coats and skeleton makeup that made up the room.
Joseph and co-star/drummer Josh Dun, both hailing from Columbus, Ohio, were back to give their loyal Kiwi fans more than a concert; they were there to give them an experience - and that’s exactly what they delivered and more.
Known for their audience interactions, fans on all sides of the arena were treated to numerous intimate moments with the pair, with young fan Harvey getting the experience of a lifetime when he was invited to sing on stage.
Twenty One Pilots made their explosive return to Kiwi shores on Sunday night, making full use of Spark Arena. Photo / Jared Tinetti
More on that later, but for now, it was back into Joseph and Dun’s arena tour-de-force.
From lore-inspired set pieces and lighting that looked like they were ripped straight out of a dystopian graphic novel, to moments when the pair disappeared and reappeared in the arena stands like magic, this was not a show where anyone was going to get bored.
Even casual Twenty One Pilots listeners like me, whose knowledge of their songs came from my high school days of rocking out to their smash hit album Blurryface (2015), were warmly welcomed among the pair’s “skeleton clique” fandom with open arms, blessed to relish in the glory of what was truly a theatrical and musical masterclass.
This was the first transtasman leg of the duo’s tour to promote their latest album Clancy, so naturally there were plenty of songs from that record littered through the setlist, including the explosive opener Overcompensate.
Thrashing the drums like his life depended on it, while brooding images plagued the backdrop, Dun complemented Joseph’s incredible rapping, screaming and singing as fans sang every word along with him.
Auckland's "skeleton clique" showed out in force for the all-out arena spectacle. Photo / Jared Tinetti
A shout out should also go to openers Balu Brigada, the Auckland four-piece led by brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley. Their catchy alt-pop riffs and endearing charm no doubt earned them plenty more fans in their hometown. (The group also opened for Twenty One Pilots in the US earlier this year.)
The lore of Twenty One Pilots is deep, profound, and at times macabre, but it’s always tinged with that little shred of hope, defiance, and never giving up.
Key thematic concepts revolve around Dema, a fictional city representing mental health struggles, governed by oppressive rulers known as the nine Bishops, and plenty of this imagery was on show throughout the night.
A video of fans taken before the show as they lined up outside proved the impact the band has had over the years, with all of them commenting how special the atmosphere was and joining in an acapella version of The Judge before the pair launched into it live.
At times you could see that the duo, while trying to look staunch - in line with the theme of the night - couldn’t help but let out a smile as songs from the new album such as Vignette and Backslide were sung word for word.
“Tours usually go to Australia first, but we’re setting the tone here in New Zealand,” Joseph quipped.
“So, when we head over there, we’ll challenge them to destroy you, but tonight we’re not gonna let that be possible.”
Heathens was probably the best thing about the 2016 movie Suicide Squad, and Joseph and Dun brought the house down with their pitch-perfect rendition as the pit rocked and swayed to the song’s brooding chorus.
One thing that struck me the most, this being the first time I’d seen the pair live, was their musicianship.
While Dun worked his magic on the drums, Joseph switched between playing the bass, ukelele, tambourine and keyboard while singing and rapping.
It was almost like they were telepathically in sync, with not a beat missed or bung note played between them.
All this while running around the stage, and at times even being on separate stages across the arena from each other, is no easy feat.
On the topic of separate stages, that’s where a lot of the most special moments of the night happened.
Mulberry St, from their 2021 album Scaled and Icy, saw the pair turn the crowd into an orchestra of light, with Joseph conducting the sides as everybody sang the chorus together.
”You look so good, now save your battery,” Joseph joked after the phone lights started to dim.
Twenty One Pilots' Tyler Joseph showcased his immense musical range by playing everything from a keyboard to a tambourine. Photo / Jared Tinetti
Another special moment was when young fan Harvey, who wouldn’t have been older than 10, was invited by Joseph to sing their record-breaking radio hit Ride.
Dressed alongside his parents in Twenty One Pilots album-inspired gear, Harvey’s awesome effort and thundering applause after his star moment proved that young, old and anyone in between was welcome in the skeleton clique.
Now donning a tank top with “Auckland” on it, Dun made his way back to the main stage with Joseph as the pair prepared to wrap up a night many clearly didn’t want to end.
”I wanna stay here in your country longer, I wish we could,” Joseph said.
“I get the feeling there are a lot of people who have been listening to our music for quite some time, so thank you.”
Paladin Strait saw the brave people in the front row hold up a floating platform while Dun drummed, and the encore performance of chart-topping single Stressed Out saw the loudest singalong of the night.
But of course, the show wasn’t going to end without an awe-inspiring finale. Eagle-eyed concertgoers might’ve recognised a red circle in the middle of the floor earlier on in the night.
That was where the two would finish with Trees, performing in the middle of the crowd that had cherished their return for nearly two hours by this point.
“That was the fastest we’ve ever done it,” Joseph said of the crowd, as they parted like the red sea for the band to take their place.
In somewhat of a joyous ritual, the pair splashed water over two drums as general admission area throbbed in spectacular fashion with passion and elation.
Red confetti then rained from the sky, and Joseph thanked his superb skeleton soldiers (which now included the newly converted me) as well as the venue crew, stage crew and all those who helped put the spectacle in motion.
It’s safe to say there are not many double acts in the world right now who could pull off such an incredible feat and command a crowd in the way the dynamic duo from Ohio did.
“We’ll definitely come back if you’ll have us,” Joseph said.
Of course we will, but how long will we have to wait?
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.
