Photos by Andy Argyrakis

A mere year after dropping the “Clancy” collection, Twenty One Pilots followed it up with “Breach,” a continuation of a conceptual saga whose narrative dates as far back as 2015’s global breakthrough “Blurryface.”

Alongside the unexpected album, front man/multi-instrumentalist Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun proclaimed this now marks the end of their arc-focused albums, though at least it came to a climatic conclusion in front of a capacity Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre.

On one hand, there were surely tens of thousands who scoured the internet for insight into each complex character or metaphorical galaxy drawing parallels to a series of the rawest human emotions, but there were likely just as many aware of simply the stand-alone songs.

Either way, it resulted in a completely immersive and exhilarating experience for over two hours, which found Twenty One Pilots mounting its most theatrical undertaking to date, yet never at the expense of putting the primary focus on an exhilarating hybrid of alternative rock, indie pop, hip-hop and electronic elements.

Dun greeted everyone to the thunderous percussion beats of “Overcompensate,” followed by Joseph jumping off the piano, both in their signature ski masks, as an array of similarly distinctive imagery flashed across the backdrop.

They remained front and center for full-throttled takes on “The Contract,” “What Don’t Believe What’s On TV,” “Tear In My Heart,” “Lane Boy” and “Heathens,” amongst a few others, before making the massive venue feel at least a little closer while performing “Routines In The Night” through “Chlorine” on a smaller platform near the lawn, even lighting a prop car on fire.

When they returned to the main stage, torch in hand, the thrill ride resumed thanks to “Jumpsuit,” “Nico And The Niners,” “Heavydirtysoul” and “Ride” (accompanied by a young volunteer), plus the communal vibe only increased as Dun and his kit were elevated like a crowd-surfer during “Drum Show.”

“City Walls,” “Guns For Hands,” “Stressed Out” and “Trees” brought additional cathartic release as Twenty One Pilots kept deconstructing the walls between the band and the fans, banging out a climatic percussion duel over the heads of the front few rows and capping off a mind-blowing “Breach” in the best way possible.

For additional information on Twenty One Pilots, visit TwentyOnePilots.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre include Papa Roach and Rise Against (Sept. 27); Parker McCollum (Oct. 4) and Judas Priest and Alice Cooper (Oct. 5). For additional details, visit LiveNation.com.

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