Twenty One Pilots turned Nashvillians into “heathens” at Bridgestone Arena.

Nashville is known for its country music prestige, but Bridgestone Arena is no stranger to pop music and even alternative rock. On October 9th, Nashvillians saw the return of Twenty One Pilots to Bridgestone Arena with vocalist Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun. The band formed in 2009 but shot to fame in 2011 with their song “Stressed Out,” which earned them Grammy nod. Since then, the two have released seven studio albums with numerous gold and platinum hits. The alternative genre hasn't been the same since Twenty One Pilots' debut, and their momentum continued with a stop in Nashville on October 9th during their world tour.

The show opened with Balu Brigada, a four-piece band from Auckland, New Zealand. They brought an alternative style of music reminiscent of long summer drives. Their first song of the night was “Moon Man,” which has a head bop tempo that is very popular today. It was the band's first time in Nashville, and bassist Henry Beasley expressed how familiar the city already felt to them.

“This is our first time here, as we've told you before, but it feels necessary to say this because it feels like it isn't,” Beasley said. “Thank you for giving us such a warm welcome. Ultimately, that should have been scary, but it was very exciting.”

Henry Beasley and his brother Pierre took turns singing at the microphone during the 30-minute set. An unreleased song was a pleasant surprise and the band closed the evening with “So Cold.” Balu Brigada brought a laid-back down-under vibe with an alt-pop sound that could get stuck in your head for days.

The crowd roared as the first verses of “Overcompensate” began to play. Although we weren't sure what to expect, we didn't think Joseph and Dun would appear across the stage dressed head to toe in black with ski masks on their faces. But that wasn't the only element of surprise in Twenty One Pilots' performance. In the middle of “Car Radio,” Joseph disappeared from the stage and reappeared in the upper stands to finish the song for the fans in the background. Throughout the show, Joseph and Dun made several forays into the audience – it's safe to say there's no such thing as a nosebleed at a Twenty One Pilots concert.

The duo showed their appreciation to their fans several times during the show. During the short break between “Car Radio” and “The Judge,” a huge montage of fans singing “The Judge” played across the stadium screens. At one point, Joseph even invited a younger fan on stage to sing the end of “Ride” together.

Joseph also discussed his history with Nashville.

“Belmont didn’t accept me, but this show could turn around my hurt feelings,” Joseph said. “Even though we always drive through our hometown of Ohio, coming back here really feels like a second home to us. And that’s what I mean too.”

Josh Dun on drums, taken October 9, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Bridgestone Arena/Kaitlyn Hungerford)

Joseph then delved into a more intimate portion of the show, advising fans to sit down and rest their legs while listening to Twenty One Pilots' older songs like “Migraine” and “Forest.” Following the section of her earlier hits, Joseph moved into “Mulberry Street,” a newer song from the “Scaled and Icy” series. Album. As fans pulled out their cell phone flashlights for the gentle melody, Joseph stopped them. Instead of having fans hold up their flashlights all at once, Joseph assigned each side of the stadium a syllable of “Mulberry Street” to illuminate their lights, creating a stunning ripple effect.

After the performance of “Mulberry Street,” Dun walked up to Joseph with a lit torch and a black jacket and led him from the back of the arena back to the main stage. During this walk, the crowd repeatedly chanted “Clancy,” the protagonist of the story behind Twenty One Pilots’ fourth play Blurryface album. As Dun and Joseph arrived on the main stage, flames flared in the background and the duo closed the concert with some of their biggest hits, including “Heavydirtysoul” and “Stressed Out.”

Joseph and Dun are both artists and showmen and deliver a concert full of surprises. Their authenticity shines through in every song and performance, be it Joseph's signature red hat or both ski masks. While Nashville is known for country music, Twenty One Pilots have the opportunity to make Music City their own. Joseph and Dun show no signs of slowing down, and we can't wait to see what stories they'll tell next.