Twenty One Pilots

“Anybody who really knows this story, which is so steeped in artist development, knows what’s going on,” manager Chris Woltman told Pollstar. “Anyone who doesn’t just hasn’t been educated yet.”

CAA agents Andrew Simon and Jeff Krones have been working with Twenty One Pilots since early 2012, before frontman/songwriter Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun were signed to Fueled By Ramen. They watched as the band played for 50 people at T.T. The Bear’s in Cambridge, Mass. to selling out the nearby 5,000-capacity Blue Hill Bank Pavilion. The next North American tour is months away and yet the two-night stay at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom is nearly at capacity, and the Sept. 18 arena show at the 20,000-capacity Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, is expected to sell out.

All this from a couple of young dudes from Columbus who are still hard to find on the radio dial.

“It’s really blowing people’s minds,” Krones told Pollstar. “Promoters, other managers, agents in other companies – they had no idea.  They’ve been so focused on getting to the front that I think it drives Tyler’s creativity and, in turn, what the fans react to.”

Simon agreed, adding that Tyler Joseph connects with the young crowd.

“Every once in a while an artist comes around that is finding a unique voice in a unique way,” he said.

As Blurryface dropped, Twenty One Pilots gave a taste of the fall tour to iHeartRadio Live, “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and to the main stage crowd at the Sasquatch festival in Washington. It’s off to a coronation at Bonnaroo before visiting Asia and Europe. The North American fall tour includes stops at Red Rocks, Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre and two nights at Atlanta’s Tabernacle.