The Clancy World Tour – Toronto Review!

By Kayla Harper

**All photo credits in this article go to my sister and mom.

The Ohio two-piece, Twenty One Pilots, took their iconic, Clancy World Tour, to Toronto on September 27, 2024. The Clancy World Tour is arguably the band’s best tour yet—as they perform songs across their entire discography, including their self-titled debut album and unreleased album, Regional At Best.

Lead singer, Tyler Joseph, and drummer, Josh Dun, made the arena show feel intimate as they travelled around the arena, spending time with fans in each section, even playing in and walking through the upper level balcony. It was clear as they interacted with everyone and took in the crowd that this band truly cares about their fans and the relationship they’ve built over the span of their career, especially when Jospeh dedicated “Oldies Station” to the crowd.

The crowd was especially hyped, everyone dressed in red and yellow duct tape, “Clancy” beanies and stoles, lavish ties, bishop cloaks, someone even showed up dressed as a proctologist —a comical nod to the infamous line in Clancy’s “Lavish”: “I see your problem is your proctologist’s got both hands on your shoulders while you’re bottomless.”

As the lights went out and the curtain dropped, Clancy’s lead single, “Overcompensate” opened the show. The boys appeared on stage, Joseph in his signature Clancy balaclava and Dun on the drums. The setlist seemed to be meticulously thought through as each song seamlessly transitioned to the next, leaving room for Joseph to take in and interact with the crowd ( I like to think we made direct eye contact a couple of times as he smiled at my sister and I’s outfits and heart hands).

Amongst the many hits they played such as: “Car Radio”, “Tear In My Heart”, “Stressed Out”, “Heathens”, “Holding On To You” etc. they also played deep-cuts and fan favourites such as: “Addict With A Pen”, “Fake You Out”, “Forest”, “Fall Away”, “The Craving”, etc. (I really have no complaints about the setlist, it was incredible, except I wish they played “Slowtown”). View the entire setlist below:

Within the first act, Joseph surprised fans as he performed a stunt (which he has previously done on other tours such as 2019’s Bandito Tour) in which he suddenly disappears from the main stage, only to reappear in the upper bowl, “nosebleeds”, section to sing the outro of “Car Radio”.

Dun later pulled a similar move as he appeared in the back of the lower bowl, dressed as the torch bearer from Trench, walking down the isle past excited fans to one of the two b-stages. Additionally, the boys also spent a lot of time performing in the crowd, while walking through it or literally being held up by fans in the pit.

They played the encore, which is always Vessel’s “Trees”, from the centre of the pit, which they had to instruct fans to spread out, making a circle for them to get through. These are some of the ways the boys got closer to their fans throughout the show, and demonstrates the trust between them. (They walked right by me so many times—it was so surreal)!

Lots of red tape, a light up logo (\-/), flames, smoke machines, confetti, small explosions and moving stages/lighting fixtures made the stage, lighting and sound production exceptional, as per usual for a Twenty One Pilots show. As Joesph and Dun moved between songs, playing their drums, piano, bass, ukulele, guitar and key-tar, there was never a moment when something wasn’t going on.

I found myself infatuated by the meticulous production that made the show unforgettable.  It was definitely one of my favourite concert experiences so far.  From the F.P.E. (Fan Premier Exhibit) prior to the concert to the high energy performance and moments throughout the duration of the show, I was constantly screaming, crying and surprised.

The boys put on one of their best performances yet, Dun’s drumming was beyond impressive and Joseph’s vocals, screaming, singing and rapping was exceptional!  Being so close also made the experience extra special.  I’m not one to idiolize celebrities by putting them on a “pedestal”, they’re just people at the end of the day.  However, there is something very surreal about being in such close proximity to someone who creates art which you have been inspired by for most of your life.

The Clancy World Tour was incredible from the setlist to the production and the boys individual performances, I would go again and again and again and again if I could!