When Twenty One Pilots launch into their live anthem Car Radio, fans know chaos is coming. What they don’t expect—no matter how many shows they’ve seen—is the moment when frontman Tyler Joseph seems to break the laws of physics. One second he’s center stage in front of 20,000 screaming fans. Seconds later, a spotlight snaps to the highest balcony, where Tyler is suddenly standing among the “nosebleeds,” finishing the song at full intensity.
The reaction is always the same: disbelief, screaming, and a single question rippling through the arena—how did he get there?
The stunt has become a signature moment across major tours, including The Bandito Tour and the 2025 Clancy World Tour. While it feels like teleportation, the trick is actually a meticulously timed piece of classic stage illusion, refined to perfection.
The illusion begins during the transition into “Car Radio,” often under cover of darkness or a visual reset. Tyler briefly exits the stage and is replaced by a body double—sometimes a trusted crew member—wearing the exact same outfit and the band’s iconic black ski mask. The mask is crucial: it obscures facial details while preserving the silhouette fans recognize instantly.
At the same time, the arena screens cut to a tight close-up of Tyler singing. What looks like a live feed is, in fact, a pre-recorded video that’s been synchronized down to the second. The double’s movements match the footage precisely, convincing even seasoned fans that Tyler is still at the piano.
Behind the scenes, the real Tyler is sprinting. Escorted by security, he races through service corridors, stairwells, or freight elevators to a preselected balcony position. Timing is ruthless—there’s no margin for error. By the time the song reaches its explosive final section, the illusion collapses in the most dramatic way possible: the spotlight hits the upper bowl, Tyler rips off his mask, and the crowd loses its collective mind.
This moment didn’t come out of nowhere. Early in the band’s career, Tyler was infamous for climbing stage scaffolding and arena structures, sometimes to the horror of event staff. That habit famously led to safety concerns during a 2016 BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend performance. The current “teleportation” stunt is the evolved, controlled version of that same instinct—bringing Tyler as close as possible to fans without risking the show.
The trick works because it’s more than spectacle. “Car Radio,” from the album Vessel, is about isolation, intrusive thoughts, and the fear of being alone with your mind. By appearing in the farthest, cheapest seats in the arena, Tyler physically embodies the song’s message—meeting the fans who feel most distant, unseen, or forgotten.
Even fans who know the secret still feel the rush. When Tyler screams the final lines from the balcony, the arena transforms from a massive venue into something strangely intimate. It’s not teleportation—but in the moment, it feels just as impossible.