SUMMATIVE: Viking Voice
.::/twenty one pilots in Ottawa/::.
By Natalie Reynolds
Before April 1, I had never attended a single concert. The idea of sitting in a room full of loud people with no escape wasn’t exactly my thing. It stressed me out. “Stressed Out” was the name of the song that introduced me to twenty one pilots. It’s a catchy number, but after exploring more of their music, I knew I needed tickets to a concert. I didn’t care if it stressed me out, because “Stressed Out” surely didn’t stress me out. A week after discovering twenty one pilots, I bought two tickets to their show in Ottawa at the TD Place Arena.
Colemen Hell opened the concert. They were laughably energetic, especially the lead singer. He dropped the microphone stand enough times for me to assume that it was a deliberate action. They ended their set with their smash hit, “2 Heads.” Twenty one pilots took the stage after an intermission consisting of strange, pastime techno music and the crowd erupted in the occasional cheer for a tech guy or two.
Red lighting and clouds of fog enveloped the stage, and the beginning of “Heavydirtysoul” started playing. Josh Dun hammered his drums and made them sound like fireworks. Tyler Joseph, the lead singer of twenty one pilots, ran onto the stage and snatched a glowing microphone hanging from the ceiling and started rapping. In spite of this assumption, the lyrics of “Heavydirtysoul” assure that “This is not rap.”
My seating section was the only section in the whole arena that wasn’t standing, and I wasn’t complaining. I was surrounded by confused parents and half-interested kids, but that didn’t matter either. I was happy to be there and simply watch the show.
I have far too many favourite moments from the twenty one pilots concert. Each band member executed their own piano stunt; Tyler Joseph scissor-kicked off of the piano twice, and Josh Dun did his famous backflip during “Holding on to You.”
Also during “Holding on to You,” Tyler Joseph very literally stood on top of the crowd to sing the first verse. Similarly, in “Ride,” Josh Dun used a drum island to play his drums on top of the crowd.
My absolute favourite moment was when Tyler Joseph yelled “JOSH DUN!” during “The Judge.” If you listen closely, you can hear that exact moment really quietly in the studio recording. It was cool to see that subtle “secret” being screamed.
I really love what twenty one pilots are doing with their music. They’re making music for themselves and others to confide in. Twenty one pilots are fostering huge changes in the music industry by fearlessly reinventing music-making boundaries. Their impact is bigger than what the words on this paper can attempt to describe.
Twenty one pilots want their supporters to tell their friends and family about their concerts, and that will definitely happen after their show in Ottawa. There were 900 people on the floor during the concert who danced and jumped so passionately that a few ceiling tiles shattered in the GoodLife Fitness Center below the arena. I guess you could say that the twenty one pilots concert was truly earth shattering, in more ways than one.
UPDATE: An article published on May 26, 2016, revealed that the damage caused by the twenty one pilots concert was more drastic than officials previously reported. “Damage deemed similar to the impact of a low-magnitude earthquake […] Excessive vibration in the stands mimicked seismic waves […] Failures included damaged lighting, speakers and ceiling tiles falling to the floor, and tile support systems bucking, exposing ductwork.” (“Twenty One Pilots concert rocked TD Place like 'earthquake,' engineer found”: http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/other/twenty-one-pilots-concert-rocked-td-place-like-earthquake-engineer-found/ar-BBtvlOg) That’s pretty hard-core.
Photo by @twentyonepilots on Twitter
Tips for Abstract Pattern Drawings
By Natalie Reynolds
You have to start somewhere. Sometimes, it takes 20 trials to create one successful product.
There are no shortcuts. Draw slowly and precisely, unless drawing in a faster pace is a stylistic choice. No line is wrong. Messy can be a good thing.
New ideas naturally fall into place as long as your pen/other utensil is touching the paper.
If you get lost, scribble. Shapes will appear effortlessly.
Practice a lot, but only if you like it. That’s the point. If you don’t like it, don’t continue.
Try drawing late at night. Patience lasts longer when the day’s responsibilities are gone. Your tired mind will wander, and that’s good. Ideas will surface.
Give yourself incentives if you need them, like a snack, a break, or a celebratory cake (I’m not kidding when I say that I did that once).
You don’t need quality pens to draw. Use the resources you have and create something that you like to look at.
Always point the flow of the pen to yourself. Your lines will be more accurate and the ink won’t smudge on your hands.
