Twenty One Pilots--they're so hot right now. With the release of their single, "Stressed Out," they skyrocketed to mainstream fame and cultivated a whole new fanbase in just a matter of months.
I've been a fan of Twenty One Pilots for a few years now. I began listening to them right before the release of their third album, "Vessel," and immediately fell in love with the band. Soon after "Vessel" hit the shelves, I made it my mission to see as many of their shows as I could, dragging along my uninterested parents and my younger sister to each concert. For awhile, we were driving hours to see the openers and leaving before the headliners. They'd play six songs to a crowd of people staring at their phones. But it didn't matter. I got to see these two passionate dudes from Ohio perform music that meant so much to me and saved my life.
On October 18, 2013, Tyler and Josh played one of their first headlining concerts in St. Louis, Missouri, and I was front and center. The room was filled with absolute magic as the crowd of mega-fans screamed along to every word. It was nothing like I had ever experienced before; it was spiritual. I left the theater in awe of what Tyler and Josh had been able to create. I knew then it was only the beginning.
The rest is sort of history. I kept going to shows and they kept getting more and more popular. "Blurryface" was released and now they're international rock stars.
I'm not saying that I don't welcome new fans because of course I do. I want as many people as possible to be blessed by their music. The fans have and always will be family, no matter when they discovered Twenty One Pilots. I do miss the intimacy with the band that we once had. The venues have grown from small theaters to sold out arenas. But as the venues have grown so has the band. And I couldn't be more proud.
Tyler Joseph was once a depressed kid from Columbus, Ohio, whose only escape from his own brain was music. Now, along with his best friend, Josh Dun, he has created an empire built on saving people from themselves and offering a helping hand and a listening ear. This generation needed a voice formed in darkness, trying to fight its way to the light. And Tyler Joseph is that voice.
The rising popularity of Twenty One Pilots proves one thing: there are broken people in this world just like me. And just like me they needed someone or something to connect with. In this band, they have found it. And with it, they've found millions of others who needed the same thing. Twenty One Pilots has never been just a band and I have known that since the beginning. And I couldn't be more thrilled that everyone else knows it now, too. Keep it up, guys. We need you.
Stay strong. Live on. Pass on these songs.
