BMO Stadium pulsed with excited chatter long before anything took the stage. It was Saturday, October 25, and both nights of this Twenty One Pilots weekend were sold out. Fans slowly flowed into the massive venue, buzzing like electricity, their anticipation tangible in the cool evening air. Across the stadium, fans waved their phone flashlights back and forth, hoping the other side would notice and join them. Clikkies have always been known for their fierce sense of community, and here it was shining bright even before note one.
Everywhere you looked, fans were decked out top to bottom in merch, homemade recreations of Tyler and Josh’s iconic outfits, and even Ned cosplays straight from Trench. Spirits high. Hearts ready. Dayglow Sets the Stadium Alight
The roar when the lights went out could have blown the roof off. Fans chanted “Dayglow! Dayglow! Dayglow!” until the indie-pop dream himself appeared, soaking the entire arena in feel-good energy. Sloan bounced into the set with so much force that he literally snapped a guitar string in the very first song. Fans clapped in near-perfect unison during the next one, and the lights synced with every mood and melody as if choreographed by joy itself.
Those in the back of the pit jumped and danced freely, balloons weaving through a sea of hands. “Alright LA, I wanna see you dance!” turned the floor into an instant party. Sloan expressed his gratitude to Tyler and Josh, marveling at how he never thought he’d play to crowds this massive. They closed with their song written for the upcoming Minecraft movie, soft and hopeful. Dayglow’s sound carried hints of early 2000s Yellowcard filtered through bright pop euphoria. They left every soul warmed up and smiling.
By the time the lights dimmed again, the stadium was packed and buzzing. In a flash of fireworks and adrenaline, there they were.
Josh, hooded and masked over glowing red eyes, pounding drums like thunder. Tyler, launching onto the stage in his Breach and Clancy attire, the iconic mask and long strips of fabric spelling out what world we’re entering. The stadium went pin-drop silent as he sang the opening lines of “Overcompensate.” Then erupted again.
The first three tracks hit straight from the new albums Clancy and Breach:
• Overcompensate
• The Craving
• Rawfear
Bracelets handed out upon entry lit up the stadium a deep red during “The Craving,” thousands of flickering stars signaling unity. During “Rawfear,” Tyler ripped off his mask and the audience lost its collective mind.
Darkness fell. A heartfelt montage of fans queued outside played on screen, singing “We Don’t Believe What’s on TV.” When the stage lights returned, the duo emerged in completely new outfits. Josh in black mesh. Tyler in a flowy white shirt that he joked Josh probably didn’t finish making. Their longtime playful chemistry had the whole place laughing.
Next up crowd Control, car Fires, and chaos.
“Lane Boy” demanded the entire stadium crouch low. White smoke blasted and everyone exploded upward on the drop. Then came “Next Semester,” followed by security rushing in with yellow caution tape to escort the duo to the B-stage. Suddenly a car. A drum set. Day turned to night, both literally and theatrically.
During “Message Man,” the bracelets pulsed green, white, and red. Tyler plunged both hands into a bowl of black paint, dripping and streaking it across his guitar while flames swallowed the car beside him. Pure cinematic rebellion.
He strolled back singing “Chlorine,” Josh still destroying the drums behind him. Then “Jumpsuit” and “Nico and the Niners” from Trench swept the stadium into frenzy again.
“Heavydirtysoul.” A fan sign reading “I feel like garbage” became the perfect spark to launch “Garbage.” Chaos climbed higher.
Then the lights fell once again and nostalgia and new memories collide.
Spotlights snapped back to reveal Tyler and Josh in skull masks, a reverent nod to the Vessel era. The crowd screamed as the demo version of “Doubt” hit. They followed it with “Tally” and “Downstairs,” the latter performed live for the first time on tour, a special surprise saved for LA’s final night. The most unforgettable moment belonged to Lola, a young fan invited onstage to sing “Ride.” She delivered with shining confidence, becoming a hero for every Clique kid who has ever dreamed of this moment.
Then, in true TOP teamwork fashion, fans lifted Josh into the air as he performed the Drum Show (a particular favorite for many). He rewarded the faithful by hurling drumsticks into a scrum of ecstatic hands.
The encore carried four fan-beloved pillars of the band’s universe:
• City Walls
• Guns for Hands
• Stressed Out
• Trees
Every lyric belted, from kids to adults, voices cracking, hearts full. Fans yelled to Tyler and Josh that they were “amazing,” “awesome,” and everything in between. A burst of red confetti showered the stadium as the duo declared: “We are Twenty One Pilots, and so are you.”
Hands shot upward, grabbing fragments of the night to take home. Little rectangles of magic to remember a moment that felt too big for reality. This wasn’t just a concert. It was communion. Tyler and Josh ensured no one could possibly drift away, not for a second. They kept every person enthralled, electrified, and deeply connected until the very end.
Twenty One Pilots at BMO Stadium was a milestone. A memory etched in the hearts of the Clique. One of those nights that weighs heavy on the mind long after the lights fade.
A night that whispers: You were here. You were part of this.
– Ahtziri F.
Check out a photo gallery from Rockin Ryan:
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