Welcome [Back] to Trench

Carolyn Martin, Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor

A year after releasing their fifth studio album “Trench,” Twenty One Pilots are still on the road on their Bandito Tour. This year on the fifth night of tour, they stopped by Mohegan Sun Arena. Twenty One Pilots did not come alone. MisterWives has joined them on tour as their opening act.

Upon entering the casino, it was clear who was there to see Twenty One Pilots. Attendees were decked out in yellow bandanas, camouflage pants and Twenty One Pilots merchandise. It truly brought out the community aspect of music.  

The lights went off and MisterWives took the stage. They opened with their song “the end.” The crowd did not seem to be too familiar with MisterWives, but they welcomed them with open arms. The crowd really seemed to enjoy the cover of “Truth Hurts” the band performed. They ended their set with “Our Own House.” The MisterWives vocalist Mandy Lee was a ball of energy for their entire set. They are definitely a group to look into. Their latest songs “whywhywhy” and “Find My Way Home” are available now. 

Finally, Twenty One Pilots came on stage. This tour was very similar to the Bandito Tour shows that happened earlier in the tour, including last year’s performances. They opened the show with the song “Jumpsuit,” and the crowd responded well to it.

The pyrotechnics were a fun aspect of the show. During some songs, flames would shoot up from the stage. The addition of multi-colored lasers rapidly blinking over the crowd was another visually appealing feature. It added to the entire experience.

The crowd was very involved at this show. From screaming “wake up, you need to make money,” a line from “Stressed Out,” to Twenty One Pilots’s vocalist Tyler Joseph telling one side of the crowd to sing part of a song, then having the other side sing another part and then having the entire arena sing it with him.

Later on, Twenty One Pilots brought MisterWives back on stage to help them perform their song “Cut My Lip.” When both bands were up on stage having fun together, you could tell they enjoyed the night. Twenty One Pilots told the crowd that Mohegan Sun was the first arena they had ever performed in and they were happy they could come back and perform there again, this time as the headlining act. They said they would love to come back again another time. 

The duo ended the night with their signature send-off, “We’re Twenty One Pilots and so are you.” 

At the end of the night, all of the concert goers gathered as much yellow confetti as they could carry. Those who were in the pit walked out with streamers around their necks. It’s interesting how a band can make a piece of paper mean something. Twenty One Pilots are slowly becoming a household name and they are a group you need to see live at least once in your life. Until further notice, they’ll be in Trench.