I was friends with someone who introduced Twenty One Pilots to me. She introduced me to their songs and told me about their story. She made it clear that Twenty One pilots was a savior to her and that she listened to them daily. So of course I gave them a shot and I quickly became part of them. I listened to their album Vessel over and over again until I lived in the songs. I would put headphones in, turn up the volume to drown out human society and play the album over and over and over again. I lived in the world of Twenty One pilots and I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better band to show up at that time in my life. When my best friend left me I got deeper and deeper into their world. They helped me heal and realize how things were. They sang their hearts out and I felt all the words they sang. 

I knew their songs word for word and I honestly wanted to see them live but I didn’t know if I could after everything I went through. In 2015 I got an email about them being in Jacksonville. For VIP it was $100 and I saw that it was a big venue. They had so many artists I knew but the main one was Twenty One pilots. Without much thought to it I decided to go to their concert and see them. They were my heart and their new album Blurryface had just come out. I learned all the songs and I cherished them more and more. I wanted to be inspired and I wanted a change in me to happen. So I paid for the ticket, gassed up my car, saved my money and as nervous as I was I went to the concert. 

I remember how cold it was that night that I camped out. I was freezing my ass off but I somehow managed to make it through the night. All I could think about was how excited and nervous I was. I had heard amazing things about them live and I didn’t know what to expect. Would they be the same live? Would it change me? Would I experience something that I wouldn’t forget? What would it be like? 

Everything seemed to happen in a strange series of events. I remember getting up that morning and just looking around my campsite I stayed in. It was quiet, people were walking around and sipping on cups of coffee and having breakfast. I looked around unsure of how to feel. Today was the day I was seeing them live. I was going to see my heroes on stage. I packed up my car and went to the venue. I remember stepping out of my car and looking around. There were groups of people and I instantly felt like I became the quiet version of myself from fifth grade. Nerves were bubbling at the surface but I kept it to myself. I made my way to the entrance, got my VIP pass and I was in. It was crowded, people were buying all types of items. Shirts, bongs, pipes, scarves, dresses, blankets, I mean it was a happy place. Nobody was screaming or falling over like they did at warped tour. People were coming and going as people say who they wanted to see. 

Most of the day I spent walking around purchasing items and by the midafternoon I had made my way to the stage. Quickly I found myself up front and to the right side of the stage. I planted myself there and watched as each act came and went. I even made friends with the people around me and had conversations with them. We talked about the people that came on stage and rated the performances. I talked with a couple who was traveling the U.S and had decided to come see Twenty One Pilots live. Eventually it came to them and I was sweating. There were people had been elbowing me and tried to take my spot but the entire time I held my ground. I was going to see it through and I was going to experience them front and center.

The lights dimmed and I remember the girl next to me looking at me with wide eyes. Im sure I looked at her the same way because I felt my heart racing. It was happening and I was here. I was going to hear and see them with my own eyes and ears. Once they started I felt like the whole world melted away. All my troubles and anxiety melted in a puddle and evaporated into the sky. They were amazing, majestic and just so powerful. Two people on stage changing my world in a single performance. They were singing, dancing, jumping around the stage, interacting with the people, and just making me so happy. I had never seen a performance so well one and I felt like my life changed in that single moment. My ex best friend didn’t matter anymore, My ex-boyfriend was gone, my life did a complete turn around and my mind just changed. I have had a few of these experiences since I have turned eighteen but seeing a band that saved you from so many bad things and bad decisions for years....well that can really turn a person around. For me it was everything I wanted and so much more. 

I remember leaving the venue that night saying goodbye to the friends I made and just driving in almost complete silence. I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t know what to think. My heart was racing and I felt like my mind was turned to mush. The experience was playing in my head on repeat for days. Not many people understood the experience but for me it was a moment in my life where things were crashing and I was unsure of what I wanted. I was living with haunting memories and that turned it around for me. 

I don’t know what others think about concerts or if anyone has experienced something like that but, I felt like it was a moment that I needed. I wouldn’t let go of that experience for the world.