Twenty One Pilots leave Hartford fans breathless on The Clancy Tour
Twenty One Pilots’ The Clancy Tour: Breach was nothing short of explosive. Despite having to cut back on pyro and firework production, bandmates Tyler Jospeh and Josh Dun did everything they could to give Xfinity Theatre in Hartford show they won’t forget!
Starting off the night strong, was Dayglow opening with “Ricochet” from his newest album Dayglow (Superbloom). Dayglow kept the energy alive with “Can I Call You Tonight?” and “False Direction”. Unfortunately for all the “Listerine” lovers, he only played the partial intro before having to stop to help someone in the pit and then skipped the song. Fortunately, he was able to continue and finish strong with “Run The World!!!”
The lights were dimmed and Tyler’s voice rang over the sound system, “What’s your ETA? Two Minutes!” letting eager fans know they will soon take the stage, while also incorporating their song “Midwest Indigo” into the show (Spoiler alert! It’s not on the set). The opening of “Overcompensate” began as fans screamed while Josh took his place behind his drum set. Out of the darkness, Tyler ran and jumped off of his piano (Jumpscare!). Josh had his face covered by a black mesh mask with red glowing eyes and Tyler had his iconic Clancy balaclava mask. Don’t worry, we were able to see their beautiful faces after “RAWFEAR”! Tyler grabbed a camera and recorded Josh and then set up a tripod. He gave us some theatrical faces after removing his mask.
Being a fairly large fan of Twenty One Pilots myself, I was one of the lucky ones that got to be a part of the very small pit that Xfinity had to offer. I started in the back, but when Tyler stood on a platform in the middle of the pit, I got pushed to the middle and was able to jump around during “Lane Boy” with people who were on my same wavelength. I thought I would be shoved up when the breakdown in “Lane Boy” had everyone crouch, then jump and get sprayed by characters with hazmat suits on. But, I’m not complaining!
A noteworthy transition was “Heathens” into “Next Semester”. It was seamless and so audibly satisfying. Tyler knew exactly how to cover as many songs in close to two hours. During “Routines in the Night” Tyler and Josh made their way up to the lawn (stopping for high fives along the way) to get intimate with their “Bandito Camp” at the B- Stage. The lawn was decorated with tents, ukuleles and even a flag that everyone signs before Josh carries it back to the main stage.
Fans in the lawn got a medley of songs from “Blurryface” and “Trench” while dancing on top of a car that lit on fire. I promise the Clique is not a cult, but Tyler got a bowl full of Blurryface paint and had some theatrics of dipping his hands in and throwing it at the crowd. When Tyler took the second verse from “Message Man” and replaced it with a transition into “Pet Cheetah” I audibly gasped. Tyler Joseph is a genius!
On his way back down to the main stage, Tyler stopped to sing “Chlorine” with some lucky fans dressed as Ned (a character from their lore).
The energy was back on 100% when they started back up with “Jumpsuit’ into “Nico and the Niners” and “Heavydirtysoul”. He immediately slowed it down at the piano with “The Line,” which is featured in the televesion series Arcane: League of Legends.
Before going into “Garbage” Tyler took the time to thank the local security and crew, but hating on the “power hungry fire marshalls” that wouldn’t let them use full pyro for the show. “I dedicate this song to how it is they wake up every morning and feel when they look in the mirror” We love a sassy Tyler moment!
My favorite song of the night was a very recent addition to the set (so recent, we were shocked to get it!) Off their new album, Breach is “Tally” that gives vibes of early Twenty One Pilots days. The pit got extremely loud when they heard the opening. The pit was significantly smaller than most of their other dates, so this one was harder to get a ticket for. Most fans who got one were on Ticketmaster the second the tickets went on sale. So, naturally these are the die hard fans who have been following the tour via social media or have gone to multiple dates. These fans knew “Tally” being played was special.
Tyler went out to the upper seating level and took a young fan named Jase on stage to sing “Ride” with him. It’s so heartwarming to see Tyler and Josh giving so much love and attention to younger fans.
One of the most anticipated songs of the evening was ‘Drum Show”. Not only does Josh shine with vocals of his own, he drums on a platform held up by fans! Typically this is done in the center of the pit, but it was nice to see the upper sections and lawn get experiences that are usually pit exclusive. Josh’s drum solo ended and the lights dimmed. The amphitheater filled with fans singing the chorus of “Leave The City” until they came back out for “City Walls,” “Guns for Hands,” and “Stressed Out”.
One of their longest show traditions is “Trees”. It starts off on stage with a piano and quickly gains momentum with Tyler jumping off of the piano and running around. During the breakdown, Tyler and Josh come off of the stage and go to the barricade. Awaiting them are fans holding a drum and a platform that they each stand on. From the back, you see Josh in the pit on the left and Tyler on the right. They drum together as confetti comes down. It’s quite the scene!
But, the reason why so many people camp for days and travel to multiple shows is the pit experience for this drum breakdown. You can’t hear the drum, but you can feel it in your chest. Between the pieces of confetti falling in your eyes, you see your favorite member (I was on Tyler’s side!) only a couple feet away. You’re squished with no way to move, you’re wet from the water they pour on the drums and maybe you swallowed a piece of confetti. But in that moment, the 90 seconds is worth it for the view that everyone else in the room wishes they had.
The set was very well put together, covering songs from all of their albums and keeping fan favorites and traditions in. If Tyler didn’t mention that they had to scale back the pyro, we would have never known. Not only does Twenty One Pilots put on a spectacular show, Tyler is such an incredible creator.
Twenty One Pilots don’t just play shows, they transform them into communal experiences fueled by an intensity and commitment that never waiver. Every song feels like a release, every moment like a shared secret between band and audience. By the final note, it’s clear that the energy flows both ways. As Tyler and Josh always say, “We’re Twenty One Pilots— and so are you.”
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TWENTY ONE PILOTS SETLIST
Xfinity Theatre, Hartford, Connecticut (9/30/2025)
Main Stage
Overcompensate
The Contract
RAWFEAR
We Don’t Believe What’s on TV
Tear in My Heart
Backslide
Lane Boy
Shy Away
Heathens → Next Semester (transition)
Routines in the Night
B-Stage
Message Man
Pet Cheetah
Polarize
Chlorine
Return to Main Stage
Jumpsuit
Nico and the Niners
Heavydirtysoul
The Line
Garbage (dedicated to the “power hungry fire marshalls”)
Doubt
Tally
Ride (with young fan Jase)
Drum Show
Encore
City Walls
Guns for Hands
Stressed Out
Trees
