For a limited time only, a movie was shown to a set amount of theaters across the United States and Canada that has so far made $4.3 million in the box office since it debuted on March 1. It was a surreal experience for many fans. The film changed lives—well, it at least changed mine.
The “Twenty One Pilots: More Than We Ever Imagined” movie gave me the concert experience I never got to have: being able to see my favorite band play while I reveled in their presence.
The movie was not just a movie-concert experience, it also showed the behind the scenes of the band’s Mexico City concert and how they brought it to life. There were interviews and conversational clips with Tyler Joseph, the singer and songwriter, and his bandmate Josh Dun, the drummer.
I personally have never been able to see Twenty One Pilots perform live before, which made me even more excited to see the film in theaters. I have been listening to the music duo since middle school and their music still finds ways to be relatable and meaningful to me today as a college kid.
Prior to going to the theater, I dressed in my Twenty One Pilots merch (obviously) and put on red undershadow, a classic part of the whole band’s concert “uniform” or “get-up” that fans often wear to concerts.
The final piece of my whole outfit was a beanie with cat ears, a nod to the band’s character Clancy who dons a masked hood with pointed ears at the top. I was then officially ready to head to the theater for an experience I would never forget.
The concert/documentary film fully immersed me as it played on the big screen, with the band’s music filling the speakers all around me. I was actively tapping my foot to the beat and nodding my head along to the lyrics that I know by heart. My eyes filled with tears as I heard all these songs being played with flawless transitions.
The best part of the whole thing was seeing the visual effects and costumes come together, something I was never able to see before. Sure, music videos do the job, but being able to see how the band performs in concert was something that was a first for me. It solidified my desire to see Twenty One Pilots in concert when they tour again. Knowing how much love and dedication goes into every show and how much Joseph and Dun care about the fans makes me adore their music even more.
Walking out of the theater after the movie, I was speechless and overwhelmed with joy and pride that I was part of a bigger experience. Fans all over the country and all over the world, like me, came out to support the band and to support all the hard work and passion that the duo put into the movie and the show, which happened to be their last show before their long hiatus was announced.
I hope this movie inspires other music artists to make a film showing the concert experience for fans who may not be able to see them live and give fans more insight into what work goes into a show. It keeps fans such as myself engaged with the artist, even if they aren’t really live right in front of me in the moment.
It still meant so much to me to experience something like this and I would love to see something like this again from Twenty One Pilots or any of my other favorite artists.
Cover image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Katie Germinder is a junior majoring in environmental studies and sustainability and minoring in anthropology
