Ride or Die: Growing Up With Twenty One Pilots

WRITTEN BY PAYTON SMITH

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEX ACEVEDO

On February 11, 2017, at the age of 12, I went to my very first concert. It was the Emotional Roadshow at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento and I was seeing my favorite band, Twenty One Pilots. I’d heard that they were good performers, but I didn’t know exactly what to expect. What I definitely didn’t expect, however, was to walk out of that show with a completely different perspective on music and the power of an incredible live show.

I can’t even think of any words to describe how good that concert was. It was far more than just a concert, it was an experience! The band played Mario Kart against a fan on stage and climbed into inflatable hamster balls, rolling across the general admission crowd. They finished off the show by drumming on platforms held up by the crowd as confetti cannons showered the arena in bright red confetti, themed for the Blurryface era. I’ll never forget the look on my dad’s face as the lights came on, when he told me, “I’ve seen a lot of shows, Payton. And I’ll tell you right now, that was the best concert I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”

As the crowd began to shuffle out of the arena, I noticed fans on the floor scooping up handfuls of confetti from the floor. My dad and I were in the seats and the confetti just hadn’t quite reached us. He saw me looking at some girls on the floor, and pushed me to go try to ask if they would scoop up a bit of confetti for me. To my absolute joy, they agreed, and placed a few pieces into my hand. It made the day even more special, and I held them gently in my hands as my dad and I left the arena, blabbering to one another about how unforgettable this night would be.

From that day on, I knew that this band would be my band. I knew it was only the start of something amazing, and I was more right than I could’ve ever imagined.

I’ve since seen three new album cycles and six more concerts from Twenty One Pilots, totaling my show count at seven Twenty One Pilots concerts (so far). I have traveled hundreds of miles, even crossing state lines, to see them perform. Tyler Joseph, the singer of the band, has welcomed three children with his wife, Jenna; while Josh Dun, the drummer, has gotten married and become a pet parent with his wife, Debby (yes, Debby Ryan, who I have also since met at a Twenty One Pilots show). I’ve watched my band grow and blossom into something unforgettable as the years went by.

Since Emotional Roadshow, I’ve achieved a lot too. I started high school as the Trench album cycle began in 2018 and saw my band two more times. I graduated high school during the Scaled and Icy era in 2022. I moved from Northern California to Long Beach, started college, and was able to navigate new beginnings and lots of change with help from my favorite songs and the story told by Twenty One Pilots. At “The Icy Tour” in 2022, I camped out in the rain for over 12 hours to hold my place in line, and caught Josh’s drumstick! I moved out of the dorms and into my apartment last year, and learned independence and patience along the way. Clancy was released last May and helped me figure out how to live on my own. At the 2024 “Clancy Tour” in Phoenix, I even had the once-in-alifetime opportunity to meet Joseph and Dun and tell them in person how much Twenty One Pilots means to me, which I’d been dreaming of since I was 11. It was absolutely unforgettable, and I will always cherish the lovely conversation I had with my heroes that day. I’ve battled my own mental health struggles and overcome my hardest days, and having Twenty One Pilots to turn to has guided me through it all to where I am today.

This past August I found myself back in the Golden 1 Center for another Twenty One Pilots concert, this time at the place in the arena that I’ve since gotten comfortable calling home: the general admission pit. As Joseph and Dun brought out their drums for the confetti finale, I couldn’t help but reflect on the full-circle moment I was experiencing. After almost a decade of growth and change, I was back in the arena where it all began, but this time, I was the one scooping bright red Clancy-themed confetti up off of the floor

As I was leaving, I held my confetti tightly between my palms, careful to not drop a single piece. I chatted with my friend Sam, who’s been my concert buddy for five of our shows, about how it truly just never gets old when all of a sudden two young girls ran up to us. One of them looked at my confetti and then back at me as she said, “Excuse me, we were in the seats and couldn’t get any confetti. Could I possibly have a couple of pieces?”

To be in a position to give someone else the same extra special souvenir in the exact place it was once given to me was a memory I will always hold close to my heart. In any other fanbase, people might be jealous or selfish when it comes to getting the best views or experiences at a show, but I can say confidently and proudly that people will always show you kindness at my band’s shows.

I know that my band is most people’s “middle school interest” band, but Twenty One Pilots has always been so much more to me. Especially in a world where new music comes and goes in the blink of an eye, my experience as a Twenty One Pilots fan has been so wonderfully strong and sturdy over the years, and it’s been so rewarding to grow up alongside the band that’s helped me through growing up. I can’t wait to keep singing, dancing, and sharing confetti with my Twenty One Pilots family forever.