 |
| twenty one pilots / photo: @ChipotleTweets |
The only time you could find me in the sun for 9+ hours is when there is a music festival in town. Chipotle Cultivate was a free festival that included music along with Chipotle foods and ideas. Music guests included Arizona locals Jared & The Mill as well as Magic Man, Ms Mr, Bleachers and twenty one pilots. In between sets there was a chef on a different stage. There were different tents scattered around the area that taught visitors about Chipotle and when you got four out of the five stamps, you earned a free burrito. This is probably one of the greatest promotion ideas I have seen. What better way to attract people to an event than to host free performances from amazing artists, serve food and make it all family-friendly?
Within the last year, I've found a new passion for volunteering at music festivals. I signed up for the morning shift at Cultivate, and I was disappointed to find out that all the volunteers were sent to garbage cans where we had to show people how to throw away their trash (recycle, compost or landfill). Easy to say, it was not very fun. There were some upsides with volunteering though: I had a great view of the stage, I got a free (and comfy) Chipotle Cultivate t-shirt, a free meal for the day as well as four free Chipotle meals for the future.
The day began with a performance from Jared & The Mill who did a pretty good job. I haven't heard of them before then, but they seemed to get everyone awake and energized for the rest of the day. The crowd really began to grow around the time of Magic Man's performance. Magic Man wasn't bad either. I'll be honest and say I didn't quite enjoy the DJ. The songs and remixes were outdated and they didn't fit the atmosphere of the festival. Ms Mr sounded okay, but according to Nicole (my friend/twin/future roomie), they didn't sound as good as they do in the studio.
After I explored the festival with Nicole and Halie, it was finally time to watch the Bleachers perform. It's been a little over a month since I last saw this group back at the Pot of Gold Festival. Their set at Cultivate felt slightly more rushed; however, they were limited to a shorter set time. All of the songs were played with great energy though, despite having to play with the glaring sun blinding them. I was thrilled to find out that the band included the saxophone vs. guitar show down in their set. It isn't a Bleachers show without a brilliant display of the saxophone.
The moment most of the crowd seemed to be waiting for was almost here. All throughout the day I saw twenty one pilots shirts everywhere I turned. I realize the duo has an impressive fanbase (aka the skeleton clique), but I didn't realize how quickly it had grown. People of all ages were supporting the band by sporting merch and had their eyes glued to the stage as soon as the clock struck 6 p.m. It actually wasn't until about 20 minutes after their scheduled start did they begin to play (my guess is that they were waiting for the sun to go down). They began the night with "Guns for Hands" and it was an incredibly special moment. Almost everyone in the crowd had their hands up making the band's traditional |-/ sign. To see such a large crowd become so united just by the sound of music coming from two guys from Ohio on stage was magical.
Twenty one pilots performed both of their new singles, "Fairly Local" and "Tear in My Heart." It was actually the very first time they had ever played the latter song live, and I can promise you they did not disappoint. The stage itself was unique in the way it was set up. The drummer, Josh Dun, was raised on a platform for everyone to see, even the people in the back. Tyler Joseph rotated from the piano to the ukulele in "House of Gold" to the microphone that was dangling from a post (much like the way he sings in the "Fairly Local" music video). The song that captivated me the most was "Tear in My Heart." I have been in love with this song since the moment I heard it. Just like in the music video, Tyler's neck and hands were covered in black. It's still a mystery why that is, but I have a feeling it plays into the role of "blurryface" and the rest of the new album. The duo played the song with a crazy amount of emotion and enthusiasm. I have no clue what to expect from the rest of this album, but I know it will be nothing less than extraordinary.
.jpg)
Before they began "Heart of Gold," Tyler started to sing a cover of "All I Do Is Win" and I can't find the words to describe how awesome (and funny) it is to hear that song covered by him while playing the ukulele and wearing a floral print button up.
Tyler and Josh ended the night with the song "Trees" which I always find has a deeper meaning the more you listen to it. Hearing it as the sun went down and cast this beautiful light across the crowd and the stage couldn't have been better. Of course, they couldn't end the night without doing the simultaneous drumming they do on platforms held by the crowd. It's such a unique finale that no other artist could probably even attempt to do.
It's been just under a year since I saw twenty one pilots for the first time, and they still behave as if their mission in a show is to make everyone feel connected and put on a unique performance that impresses not only the people up against the barricade, but also the people who may have never heard of them before. I won't be surprised if this band one day rules the world. I'm already looking forward to the next time I see them, which hopefully isn't too far into the future.
Until next time,
Nikole
|-/
.jpg) |
| Bleachers |
After I explored the festival with Nicole and Halie, it was finally time to watch the Bleachers perform. It's been a little over a month since I last saw this group back at the Pot of Gold Festival. Their set at Cultivate felt slightly more rushed; however, they were limited to a shorter set time. All of the songs were played with great energy though, despite having to play with the glaring sun blinding them. I was thrilled to find out that the band included the saxophone vs. guitar show down in their set. It isn't a Bleachers show without a brilliant display of the saxophone.
The moment most of the crowd seemed to be waiting for was almost here. All throughout the day I saw twenty one pilots shirts everywhere I turned. I realize the duo has an impressive fanbase (aka the skeleton clique), but I didn't realize how quickly it had grown. People of all ages were supporting the band by sporting merch and had their eyes glued to the stage as soon as the clock struck 6 p.m. It actually wasn't until about 20 minutes after their scheduled start did they begin to play (my guess is that they were waiting for the sun to go down). They began the night with "Guns for Hands" and it was an incredibly special moment. Almost everyone in the crowd had their hands up making the band's traditional |-/ sign. To see such a large crowd become so united just by the sound of music coming from two guys from Ohio on stage was magical.Twenty one pilots performed both of their new singles, "Fairly Local" and "Tear in My Heart." It was actually the very first time they had ever played the latter song live, and I can promise you they did not disappoint. The stage itself was unique in the way it was set up. The drummer, Josh Dun, was raised on a platform for everyone to see, even the people in the back. Tyler Joseph rotated from the piano to the ukulele in "House of Gold" to the microphone that was dangling from a post (much like the way he sings in the "Fairly Local" music video). The song that captivated me the most was "Tear in My Heart." I have been in love with this song since the moment I heard it. Just like in the music video, Tyler's neck and hands were covered in black. It's still a mystery why that is, but I have a feeling it plays into the role of "blurryface" and the rest of the new album. The duo played the song with a crazy amount of emotion and enthusiasm. I have no clue what to expect from the rest of this album, but I know it will be nothing less than extraordinary.
Before they began "Heart of Gold," Tyler started to sing a cover of "All I Do Is Win" and I can't find the words to describe how awesome (and funny) it is to hear that song covered by him while playing the ukulele and wearing a floral print button up.Tyler and Josh ended the night with the song "Trees" which I always find has a deeper meaning the more you listen to it. Hearing it as the sun went down and cast this beautiful light across the crowd and the stage couldn't have been better. Of course, they couldn't end the night without doing the simultaneous drumming they do on platforms held by the crowd. It's such a unique finale that no other artist could probably even attempt to do.
It's been just under a year since I saw twenty one pilots for the first time, and they still behave as if their mission in a show is to make everyone feel connected and put on a unique performance that impresses not only the people up against the barricade, but also the people who may have never heard of them before. I won't be surprised if this band one day rules the world. I'm already looking forward to the next time I see them, which hopefully isn't too far into the future.
Until next time,
Nikole
|-/
No comments:
Post a Comment