“We’re twenty one pilots and so are you.”
The motto of Innings Festival day two had decked out twenty one pilots fans running for the Home Plate Stage barricade right when the gates opened on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Thousands of people were expected to pack a sold out second day at Tempe Beach Park and most got their start early while more casual fest-goers meandered to the Right Field Stage and various onsite activities. Once again, Atlas jumped right into all the action- check out the very best moments from day two!
Swinging for the Fences from Right Field
Saturday’s Innings lineup truly had an artist for every taste, starting with New York’s own The Backfires. Their crowd was small but mighty, cheering on the rock ‘n’ rollers as they jammed to a stellar set of original material all while decked out in coordinating denim outfits. The band was simply too cool for school on that Right Field Stage and gave the day a rousing burst of energy that carried into the many remaining sets.
Attendees were feeling the heat as Silversun Pickups took the stage and their twinkling indie sound cut through the glaring Arizona sun like a cool breeze. An imperfect start led the band to restart “The Wreckage”, only endearing them to a growing crowd of observers and longtime fans cheering them on. Singer Brian Aubert’s distinctive voice carried across the field, drawing more people in for “Panic Switch” and “Long Gone” before closing with “Lazy Eye”.
Between sets, those exploring the grounds found themselves at a meet and greet for Arizona Diamondbacks legend Mark Grace (among other baseball visitors throughout the weekend). Devoted fans waited patiently to meet the former player as he signed a plethora of memorabilia with a smile and a heartfelt interaction for each person. That was just one of the many options awaiting attendees before catching another incredible musical performance.
Dashboard Confessional- arguably the most perfect golden hour band- walked out bathed in a stunning Arizona sunset at Right Field to a massive reception from the millennial emos chomping at the bit to see them back at Innings. It was the band’s first show of the year and their second Innings appearance and Tempe was more than happy to welcome them back. Singer Chris Carrabba sported a huge smile despite the band’s melancholy lyrics and had the crowd pouring their hearts out to “Vindicated”, “Screaming Infidelities” and more. The performance could not have fit in with Saturday’s lineup any more flawlessly and fans walked away emotionally spent and very satisfied.
The Skeleton Clique Assembles at Home Plate
Before Saturday’s headliner was up to bat, there was plenty of music on deck at the Home Plate Stage. The Fray started the afternoon strong with a slew of hits that brought the nostalgic element of the fest to the forefront. From “Look After You” to “You Found Me” to the classic “How to Save a Life”, the band knew exactly what their audience wanted to hear and delivered in spades. The blazing sun couldn’t dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm and they sang along to every song with equal excitement- a sentiment returned by The Fray.
Anticipation for the rest of the night swelled even more when Cage the Elephant appeared to quite literally set the Home Plate Stage ablaze with their plethora of pyro and lasers. Singer Matt Schultz was a whirlwind, pulling focus with his wild stage antics as the barricade warriors shouted along to “Cry Baby”, “Spiderhead” and “Cold Cold Cold”. They had 90 minutes to wow the audience and this included guitarist Brad Schultz jumped into the crowd to shred while being held up by beaming fans. The twanging “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” got the response and recognition it always deserves while the band bathed the audience in even more heat from the seemingly never-ending fire and effects that back up their festival performances. It was over all too soon with “Cigarette Daydreams” and “Come a Little Closer”- the perfect warmup for the main event.
The sold out crowd was packed in tight and stretched across the field as Tyler Joseph vaulted over his piano to start the most highly anticipated performance of the weekend. Fans at the front portion of the crowd had been waiting for nearly nine hours and the first notes of “Overcompensate” flipped a switch that carried the band through a lengthy set. Decked out in their now signature masks, the duo of Joseph and drummer Josh Dun removed them for the live debut of “Center Mass”, jumping on top of the crowd to perform from as many surfaces and angles as possible.
The rousing “Next Semester” was the perfect segue into another live debut- this time it was “One Way”- as the band inserted a Milky Chance cover into the bridge to the delight of the crowd. The band reached a little farther back into their catalog for “Heavydirtysoul” and “Tear in My Heart” before Dun left the stage to play drums from a tower constructed next to Home Plate. Joseph and Dun treated the fans to “Drag Path” and brought a youngster onstage to sing with the duo on the last chorus of “Ride”.
Every moment of the set was well-planned and directed completely towards the fans and they responded with all the energy they could muster after a long day in the sun. After Jack White gave the band permission via video intro, they stormed through a cover of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” before once more climbing atop the audience for the closing performance of “Trees”. The penultimate day of Innings culminated in one final bow and wave after wave of cheers for a band that clearly meant an enormous amount to the thousands of people at Tempe Beach Park. An exhausted audience spilled into the streets of Tempe, many of whom would be returning for one final day of the weekend event.
