Imagine Dragons’ debut album, Night Visions, sounds like it was designed to be heard live. In retrospect, it is no wonder the relatively new band sold out at Red Rocks Amphitheatre last Thursday, May 16. As fans descended the massive ramp near midnight, it was clear the show had been a success. The communal mood was mellow but the chatter was excited: The show had somehow been simultaneously soothing and invigorating, the type of experience that comes around maybe once or twice in a lifetime.
Perhaps the fact that the band originates from Las Vegas explains how the men of Imagine Dragons were expert performers. They certainly knew how to put on a show, and worked the crowd like seasoned veterans; it’s hard to believe the band has only been performing since 2007, as they exhibit the technical mastery that generally develops only after many years on the road.
The amphitheatre was packed to the brim, overflowing into the stairwells with music lovers of all ages. Everyone in the crowd appeared equally affected by the performance, and the band’s genuine enthusiasm and humility was infectious, as front man Dan Reynolds repeatedly thanked the audience, nearly teary-eyed, for “allowing” the band to be there.
The band played nearly their entire repetoire, and also included a few other songs, among them a cover of Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me.” The song was preceded by Reynolds urging the audience members to let go of any stress or worries they had surrounding work or school and to just be present in the moment. Reynolds was bursting with charisma and love for the crowd, and commented that this was the band’s favorite performance of all time.
Almost equally impressive as the musical deftness of the band was the clever use of the stage. With an abundance of colored lights and props, including fake Halloween-like trees, not a moment was wasted as the band played from around 9:30 p.m. until midnight.
Sadly, the opening acts were underwhelming—and the second band, Nico Vega, was met even with boos and audience comments overheard like “It’s not so bad when she doesn’t sing.” By the time Imagine Dragons took the stage the audience was eager to put that failed experiment behind them, which only added to the energy when the band finally appeared. The smiles and lively dancing of the band members, as well as interactive moments such as when giant balloons were tossed into the crowd, made the main event seem like a party with friends rather than a spectator sport.
By far the best songs of the night were buoyant anthems “Radioactive” and “It’s Time,” but the more somber songs were hits too, especially “Bleeding Out” and most of all “Demons.” Reynolds interacted with the audience in a very natural way, holding the mike out when it came time to sing along (at one point there were even karaoke-like lyrics on their projector) and making small talk during song changes. Long instrumental interludes kept the set list seamlessly flowing from one song to another.
Among the highlights of the night were the two times Reynolds was tethered to a rope and launched above the stage to play his drum in mid-air, which was especially appropriate during the song “On Top of the World.” The bit of irony was that a lot of the more reserved or humble lyrics no longer fit the band in their newfound fame—for example, Imagine Dragons can no longer be called an “underdog,” as one of their songs is titled. When it came time for their encore, the band played “Nothing Left to Say,” which also doesn’t seem to fit anymore, because Reynolds had more to say than ever.
Doubtlessly, anyone present for Thursday night’s concert will remember it for the rest of their lives. Reynolds kept trying to emphasize the fact that the night was not about them as a band—“we’re just regular guys”—but rather, it was all about the effect their performance could have on their audience. It was their honor to provide a temporary escape for so many people. I am convinced the 10,000 other lucky concertgoers would agree: The pleasure was ours.
