Some things never change… Anyway, why would anyone like to deprive
himself or herself of good times? Although… sometimes a change is for the greater
good. I'll explain my thought later…
So here I am back to an Imagine Dragons show… Third time in 13 months' time. Seems to me that it's kind of a long-time relationship now… :D
My day had not started well: strike of public transportation to begin with, a few insomnia nights and busy week schedule (aaah pros and cons of living more than one life at a time… :D ) and here I was, spending most of my Friday pinching myself to stay focused at the office. I was glad to see the ID guys again but was exhausted… And yet, I had the feeling that once they'd start playing, I could probably forget about… well… basically everything. I was right.
I can't tell much about "The Moth and The Flame" since my two friends and I were wandering in Brussels' streets to find a place to park the car while they were playing. Too bad since the band's drummer was actually… a member of the first line-up of Imagine Dragons.
Before the arrival of Imagine Dragons, I thought it'd be safer for me to find some ear plugs since I had forgotten mine at home. Sometimes I don't need them (and I didn't need them on the band's two first shows) but safety first… Here I am asking for those on the bar when… the lady tells me… the price. What??? I knew music venues have an obligation to have ear plugs at people's disposal but it's the VERY first time I have to pay for those. Ancienne Belgique and Lotto Arena in Antwerp have seen me a few times this year but they never made anyone pay for people' ears security. It wasn't that expensive and I'm no Ebenezer Scrooge but it still bugs me and I couldn't let this go and not mention it here…
They start playing "Round And Round", a song that isn't included on "Night Visions" but that can be found on the "Continued Silence" EP. Wayne Sermon, the guitarist, holds a fantastic six-string type of guitar that I've NEVER EVER seen before: a shining silver guitar that looks like Mark Knopfler's famous "Resonator", only with a different shape. A nice source will let me later know that it is a Bilt, a kind of hand-made guitars made in Des Moines, Iowa. Dan Reynolds seems in a good mood and moves from left to right with his usual energy.
The music slows down a bit, he is in the middle of the stage, holding his microphone stand… until Daniel Platzman breaks the (near) silence with a drum bang. Reynolds accompanies him by banging his own drum, the now well-known drum bass. I notice it is a smaller one than they used on their first Belgian show… Dan put so much energy on banging it that it'd have collapsed on the floor if he hadn't catch it before. At the end of the song, a technician ran on stage to stabilize it…
It only took a song to make the crowd go wild… as soon as the last notes of "Round and Round" echoed in the venue, the whole place was one and single shouting entity. Dan Reynolds starts talking and… well, let's say that "shouting" turned into "screaming". Call that passion…
On "Amsterdam", the audience helps the guys by ending some choruses for them… I can't help but notice Ben's bright smile at that moment… A few seconds before starting the chorus, Dan Platzman raises both his drumsticks up in the air and hits them on one another, as a signal… At the end of the song, Dan Reynolds introduces the band as "We're Imagine Dragons from Las Vegas", causing another round of shout from the people in front of him. Although I'm pretty sure that there may have been people not knowing who they were and where they were from in November 2012, I don't think this was the case anymore tonight…
Wayne Sermon starts playing a short and nice intro, supported by both Dan's… Platzman stands up, smashing his drumstick on one another; Ben claps… the crowd follows the musicians until the very first notes of Tip-Toe comes out. Right after finishing his part on the front stage drum, Dan Reynolds throws the drumsticks up in the air… bringing back the tech on stage. Trust me, this (these?) little elves have been busy aaaaalll night! This song is an obvious proof that the audience had learned everything about the boys over the last few months: generally, people know the lyrics of the songs released as singles and played on radios… Tip-Toe is not a single and yet… the crowd knew all the lines of the songs and sang them out loud. In fact, the crowd will be very supportive all night and that's always an amazing to witness, whether you're on stage or… in that same crowd. Dan Reynolds asks for help on singing the "Nobody else will take me higher"? He just has to ask and everyone is giving him what he asked for. Thrilling!
"Hear Me" is a song that seems more and more amazing every time I hear it live: Reynolds' voice variations on that one are worth the try and even though it may look easy, trust me, this one is a challenge! Wayne Sermon's guitar riffs are always nice to hear: he never overplays or turns them into lengthy exhibitions of sound like some others do but he turns them into a melody that you can't miss. If you take them away, the song'd be totally different… That's also one of the strength of Imagine Dragons' music: take ONE member away and… that's a whole different world. As for me, this band is a full and complete family made of five members: this may be due to the fact that all three times I've seen them, they have always shown a great complicity on stage. Many times during a show, there's always one member interacting with another one, there's also always a moment (or a few ones) where they gather together near Platzman's drums and jam as a… band. As for example, during "Hear Me", Ben McKee and Dan Reynolds went near Platzman while playing and singing, Ryan Walker joined them by hitting cymbals (before putting it back at the right place… Undisciplined cymbals eh?) before going back to his keyboard… Near the end of the song, Wayne and Ben are on the center of the stage, face to face and moving forward and backward on the song's rhythm. Com-pli-ci-ty! And I love that!
So here I am back to an Imagine Dragons show… Third time in 13 months' time. Seems to me that it's kind of a long-time relationship now… :D
My day had not started well: strike of public transportation to begin with, a few insomnia nights and busy week schedule (aaah pros and cons of living more than one life at a time… :D ) and here I was, spending most of my Friday pinching myself to stay focused at the office. I was glad to see the ID guys again but was exhausted… And yet, I had the feeling that once they'd start playing, I could probably forget about… well… basically everything. I was right.
I can't tell much about "The Moth and The Flame" since my two friends and I were wandering in Brussels' streets to find a place to park the car while they were playing. Too bad since the band's drummer was actually… a member of the first line-up of Imagine Dragons.
Before the arrival of Imagine Dragons, I thought it'd be safer for me to find some ear plugs since I had forgotten mine at home. Sometimes I don't need them (and I didn't need them on the band's two first shows) but safety first… Here I am asking for those on the bar when… the lady tells me… the price. What??? I knew music venues have an obligation to have ear plugs at people's disposal but it's the VERY first time I have to pay for those. Ancienne Belgique and Lotto Arena in Antwerp have seen me a few times this year but they never made anyone pay for people' ears security. It wasn't that expensive and I'm no Ebenezer Scrooge but it still bugs me and I couldn't let this go and not mention it here…
 |
| L. to R. : Ben McKee, Dan Reynolds, Wayne Sermon & Daniel Platzman American Music Award for "Favorite Alternative Artist" (November 24, 2013) |
Let's come back to our show… The boys finally come on the stage of
Cirque Royal. Most of the time, each musician stands on his "spot"
and starts playing a song. With Imagine Dragons, it's a bit different… As for
example, you have Ben McKee, bassist at heart, holding a drum stick and banging
a drum bass; you have Dan Reynolds, the singer, banging on his drummer's
cymbals before grabbing his microphone; Dan Platzman, the drummer, isn't seated behind his drum set but standing in front of it and banging
other drums. And so on, and so on… The five guys on stage are gathering around
the drum set, like they were one full entity. Looking back on this scene hours
later, it actually sums up well what the rest of the night will be. And this
was just the intro… and you already know you're in for another night full of positive
energy… They start playing "Round And Round", a song that isn't included on "Night Visions" but that can be found on the "Continued Silence" EP. Wayne Sermon, the guitarist, holds a fantastic six-string type of guitar that I've NEVER EVER seen before: a shining silver guitar that looks like Mark Knopfler's famous "Resonator", only with a different shape. A nice source will let me later know that it is a Bilt, a kind of hand-made guitars made in Des Moines, Iowa. Dan Reynolds seems in a good mood and moves from left to right with his usual energy.
The music slows down a bit, he is in the middle of the stage, holding his microphone stand… until Daniel Platzman breaks the (near) silence with a drum bang. Reynolds accompanies him by banging his own drum, the now well-known drum bass. I notice it is a smaller one than they used on their first Belgian show… Dan put so much energy on banging it that it'd have collapsed on the floor if he hadn't catch it before. At the end of the song, a technician ran on stage to stabilize it…
It only took a song to make the crowd go wild… as soon as the last notes of "Round and Round" echoed in the venue, the whole place was one and single shouting entity. Dan Reynolds starts talking and… well, let's say that "shouting" turned into "screaming". Call that passion…
On "Amsterdam", the audience helps the guys by ending some choruses for them… I can't help but notice Ben's bright smile at that moment… A few seconds before starting the chorus, Dan Platzman raises both his drumsticks up in the air and hits them on one another, as a signal… At the end of the song, Dan Reynolds introduces the band as "We're Imagine Dragons from Las Vegas", causing another round of shout from the people in front of him. Although I'm pretty sure that there may have been people not knowing who they were and where they were from in November 2012, I don't think this was the case anymore tonight…
Wayne Sermon starts playing a short and nice intro, supported by both Dan's… Platzman stands up, smashing his drumstick on one another; Ben claps… the crowd follows the musicians until the very first notes of Tip-Toe comes out. Right after finishing his part on the front stage drum, Dan Reynolds throws the drumsticks up in the air… bringing back the tech on stage. Trust me, this (these?) little elves have been busy aaaaalll night! This song is an obvious proof that the audience had learned everything about the boys over the last few months: generally, people know the lyrics of the songs released as singles and played on radios… Tip-Toe is not a single and yet… the crowd knew all the lines of the songs and sang them out loud. In fact, the crowd will be very supportive all night and that's always an amazing to witness, whether you're on stage or… in that same crowd. Dan Reynolds asks for help on singing the "Nobody else will take me higher"? He just has to ask and everyone is giving him what he asked for. Thrilling!
"Hear Me" is a song that seems more and more amazing every time I hear it live: Reynolds' voice variations on that one are worth the try and even though it may look easy, trust me, this one is a challenge! Wayne Sermon's guitar riffs are always nice to hear: he never overplays or turns them into lengthy exhibitions of sound like some others do but he turns them into a melody that you can't miss. If you take them away, the song'd be totally different… That's also one of the strength of Imagine Dragons' music: take ONE member away and… that's a whole different world. As for me, this band is a full and complete family made of five members: this may be due to the fact that all three times I've seen them, they have always shown a great complicity on stage. Many times during a show, there's always one member interacting with another one, there's also always a moment (or a few ones) where they gather together near Platzman's drums and jam as a… band. As for example, during "Hear Me", Ben McKee and Dan Reynolds went near Platzman while playing and singing, Ryan Walker joined them by hitting cymbals (before putting it back at the right place… Undisciplined cymbals eh?) before going back to his keyboard… Near the end of the song, Wayne and Ben are on the center of the stage, face to face and moving forward and backward on the song's rhythm. Com-pli-ci-ty! And I love that!
Wayne starts a new intro with a golden version of the Bilt guitar (as
beautiful as the other one!), Dan Reynolds moves forward to grab the
microphone… While he explains to us what was life five years ago and how he'd
have never believed us if we had told him they'd be here today, Ben leaves the
right side of the stage to stand next to Wayne… Dan explains how it means so
much to them to be in such a beautiful venue and when he says a word about
seeing all those faces, the lights shines a little more so the band can
actually see the crowd much better… to the very top of the Cirque Royal, that
Reynolds salutes with a hand sign. He then thank us for being so supportive and
explains how he wish he could put into words how much it means to them but that
instead prefers to put it into music because that's the only way they've got to
do so. That's where I disagree with him… The tall singer doesn't seem to be
aware that he's got a very special way to communicate with the audience, that he
knows what words to use to speak to us, that he speaks the language of blank
honesty and tenderness. You look at him, you hear him, you believe him. As
simple as that. And because of that, he is damn loved by the people who are
coming at Imagine Dragons' shows (especially girls, as you can imagine…). He
seems perpetually amazed by the love fans are sending them, like a child opening
his Christmas presents… Thinking back on the first time we met and his reaction
towards me when I told him how great his voice was that night, I can assure you
he's one of the nicest (and most surprising) personality in the music business…
Another intro… Change of sides… This time, it's Wayne's turn to come to Ben's side and jam with him. For a second, I think that Ben is playing the intro because the notes are quite low but I realize the sound is coming out of Wayne's shining guitar. I can't figure what song they're about to play… Both Dan's are singing a "We fall, we fall apart" (Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Imagine Dragons has a drummer who drums AND sings… and the best is yet to come…). The song speeds up a little bit… all members go back to their usual spot, joining the two others vocalists… Reynolds grabs his drum sticks, Platzman rises up from behind his drum set and both guys starts to knock sticks on one another while Ryan claps. He lowers them down to put them on his keyboard while Wayne grabs a tambourine and suddenly… it's party time with "Rocks"! The tambourine game… never heard of it? Well... at one point in the song, Wayne throws it up in the air, behind him, and… that's a catch! Ryan Walker, standing on the other side of the stage grabs the tambourine and puts it aside, under the crowd's cheer.
A few weeks ago, I asked to a trustworthy source if we would get a few surprises or new songs on our show. He answered me back then that the band definitely had things in store for us… I took a look at setlists and saw attractive ideas: "Song 2" from Blur, "Wonderwall" from Oasis… My crazy Noel Gallagher addiction had made me beg for Wonderwall but… no. But it certainly doesn’t mean that I was disappointed. Because…
The very first banging sounds coming out of Daniel's drums gave me the hint, one guitar riff from Wayne confirmed it… People on my sides heard me yelling "Yes! Yes!"… They were playing… U2's "With Or Without You", one of the most beautiful song ever written in music history… Emotional moment… At first, it seemed to me that they didn't play it exactly how U2 but I liked their version… I liked that, I felt all that. The emotion went through my body like an electric shock and got out through my eyes. Wow…
The crowd can also be a surprising guest at live shows… It was the case with the next song. It only takes one "It's Time" from Dan to have the whole crowd singing the rest of the chorus… bringing a smile on each member's face. Reynolds ends up turning the microphone, making the audience a full member of the band. Reynolds raises his right hand and gives us the V of victory… It is indeed a victory tonight. One year ago, the audience was already singing that one out loud but as larger the crowd goes, as gladder I am to witness their ever-growing fame. And I think it's only a fair reward for the hard work of these last 12 months. "Packing my bags… I don't ever wanna let you down, I don't ever wanna leave this town…". They were hardly home this year, traveling through the world to spread their music to everyone… "This road never looked so lonely but this house doesn't burn slowly…" For a split second I wonder how lonely this life can be, despite having fans showing so much love night after night… I didn't know that I'd get the answer that night…
"It's Time" was already existing back in 2011, when the band had the Tolman siblings in it, even before Daniel Platzman joined them… before the song finally found its way to radio waves. And yet, despite the airplays, the screaming crowd, it seems to me that "I'm just the same as I was… I'm never changing who I am" was no random lyrics but a true Dragons state of mind. One example? They came three times in Belgium… and all three times, they went out of the venue after the show to have a word with fans, to get pictures taken… They haven't changed.
Another intro… Change of sides… This time, it's Wayne's turn to come to Ben's side and jam with him. For a second, I think that Ben is playing the intro because the notes are quite low but I realize the sound is coming out of Wayne's shining guitar. I can't figure what song they're about to play… Both Dan's are singing a "We fall, we fall apart" (Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Imagine Dragons has a drummer who drums AND sings… and the best is yet to come…). The song speeds up a little bit… all members go back to their usual spot, joining the two others vocalists… Reynolds grabs his drum sticks, Platzman rises up from behind his drum set and both guys starts to knock sticks on one another while Ryan claps. He lowers them down to put them on his keyboard while Wayne grabs a tambourine and suddenly… it's party time with "Rocks"! The tambourine game… never heard of it? Well... at one point in the song, Wayne throws it up in the air, behind him, and… that's a catch! Ryan Walker, standing on the other side of the stage grabs the tambourine and puts it aside, under the crowd's cheer.
A few weeks ago, I asked to a trustworthy source if we would get a few surprises or new songs on our show. He answered me back then that the band definitely had things in store for us… I took a look at setlists and saw attractive ideas: "Song 2" from Blur, "Wonderwall" from Oasis… My crazy Noel Gallagher addiction had made me beg for Wonderwall but… no. But it certainly doesn’t mean that I was disappointed. Because…
The very first banging sounds coming out of Daniel's drums gave me the hint, one guitar riff from Wayne confirmed it… People on my sides heard me yelling "Yes! Yes!"… They were playing… U2's "With Or Without You", one of the most beautiful song ever written in music history… Emotional moment… At first, it seemed to me that they didn't play it exactly how U2 but I liked their version… I liked that, I felt all that. The emotion went through my body like an electric shock and got out through my eyes. Wow…
The crowd can also be a surprising guest at live shows… It was the case with the next song. It only takes one "It's Time" from Dan to have the whole crowd singing the rest of the chorus… bringing a smile on each member's face. Reynolds ends up turning the microphone, making the audience a full member of the band. Reynolds raises his right hand and gives us the V of victory… It is indeed a victory tonight. One year ago, the audience was already singing that one out loud but as larger the crowd goes, as gladder I am to witness their ever-growing fame. And I think it's only a fair reward for the hard work of these last 12 months. "Packing my bags… I don't ever wanna let you down, I don't ever wanna leave this town…". They were hardly home this year, traveling through the world to spread their music to everyone… "This road never looked so lonely but this house doesn't burn slowly…" For a split second I wonder how lonely this life can be, despite having fans showing so much love night after night… I didn't know that I'd get the answer that night…
"It's Time" was already existing back in 2011, when the band had the Tolman siblings in it, even before Daniel Platzman joined them… before the song finally found its way to radio waves. And yet, despite the airplays, the screaming crowd, it seems to me that "I'm just the same as I was… I'm never changing who I am" was no random lyrics but a true Dragons state of mind. One example? They came three times in Belgium… and all three times, they went out of the venue after the show to have a word with fans, to get pictures taken… They haven't changed.
I am in the perfect mood for what's coming next… Ryan and Ben leave the
stage… Wayne Sermon has now an acoustic guitar in his hands, Dan Platzman turns
around, grabs something near his drum set and stands on the right side of the
stage with his violin. A VIOLIN???!! . Didn't I write up above that the best
was yet to come? This was indeed another surprise as he had NEVER played violin
during the two previous Belgian shows. To be honest with you, at that time, I
had completely forgotten that he was a violinist! I know, I know… shame on me!
Dan Reynolds explains to us that the next song, "30 Lives", is dedicated to one of their friends, a 17 year-old kid named Tyler Robinson who lost his 4 year cancer battle and passed away this year. Dan adds that they want to share this story with many people as they can, making them realize that "we have our lives, we have our health, we have our bodies, we have our strength and that's far more than what some people have…" I know who Tyler was. Just like every person who has seen the "Demons" video. Very nice and moving moment…
Ryan and Ben come back on stage… The always-smiling bassist starts a great solo. Bass sounds (as well as drum sounds) can sometimes be aggressive on the human body: if not well balanced, the sound can resonate inside it. It happened to me a few times (including at The Cirque Royal… Still haven't forgotten the Kasabian experience I've had there!) and trust me, these weren't the happiest moments of my life!! At this very moment, I was thinking I'd give a 6 out of 5 to their sound engineer: I looked at the soundcheck table and recognized Mr Eisenberg, who was already in charge of their previous show in Belgium. I had already praised his talent in my last article and have to thank him again as his magic fingers allowed me to… spend the entire show without my ear plugs. Imagine Dragons guys… never let Scott go, please!
Under green lights, the band starts playing "Demons". For personal reasons, I've always had difficulties to listen to this one as it has this ability to awake some not-so-happy memories. And yet, once played live, it may turn into some kind of therapy. I've always believed music was the best therapy for all troubles, pains, worries and bad times… It's better than any shrink therapy or pills. "Demons" has this therapy side. I'm quite sure it was its purpose when the band wrote it…
Seeing the crowd singing the "This is my kingdom come"… well, that's magic all the way! Mr Sermon gives us another fine guitar riff, Dan Reynolds waves at people in the crowd and – of course – people go crazy at every sign he makes… I think that at this point, the crowd is not warm… it's literally boiling!
Wayne takes his silver guitar again and shares a moment with Ben on "Underdog"… It seems these two are really getting along just fine! My eyes see a movement on the sides of the stage and I smile… Bring the balloons! A dozen balloons are spread into the room and the crowd make them go from left to right, from the back to the front. A moment like that reminds me how it's always so much better to be in the pit rather than choosing a balcony seat… You "feel" things very differently… Reynolds grabs one of them and tries to make to make it explode with a drum stick. Missed! Come on Dan, don't let it beat you! A second try and the balloon is gone, releasing the little papers contained inside it… Aaaaaaaand here comes our fav' tech back on stage, grabbing what's left of the balloon and rushing back in the shadows of the stage's wings.
Daniel on the main drums, both Wayne and Ben are hitting drums on their respective side of the stage, Dan grabs another stick and starts hitting the drum bass… Ryan has a guitar in hands but as it's not required at that moment, he also grabs a stick and hits cymbals… That's where you realize that percussions are an important part of their music: no sounds of guitar, bass or keyboard. ALL PER-CU-SSIONS.
There's also one noticeable thing about Imagine Dragons: none of them are ever standing still. If Wayne is not playing guitar, he grabs a stick and hits a drum; if Ryan isn't playing guitar, he's playing keyboards; if Ben is not playing bass, he's on keyboards; if Dan is not hitting the drums, he's clapping and so on… Doing music seems like a vital thing for these guys once they're on a stage. As far as I can remember and looking back on all shows I've attended in the past two years, Imagine Dragons is the only band displaying all multi-instrumentalists. That keeps so much energy in the show!
If "Demons" puts me on the low-side of my mood, "On Top of the World" has the ability of making me smile aaaaaall the time. That song is the ultimate cure for unhappiness… First time I heard it, I started dancing and instantly fell in love with it. When they play it, I can be nothing but happy. Seems like I'm not the only one thinking that way: the pit crowd rise hands and move them from left to right. I look above, in the balconies, for the first time of the night : people are standing up and dancing. Yep… this song works just fine. The audience inadvertently turns it into a different version when, right after the first chorus, they sing the "Oh oh oh oh oh" that should have showed up after the SECOND chorus. You know what… it worked out JUST fine! During the second verse, Ben was near Dan and Ryan but had to literally run on the stage to reach the microphone and sing the chorus with his fellow musicians…
When time comes for the audience to sing the "Oh oh oh oh", Dan walks through the stage, pointing his microphone to us; Ben claps; Wayne is near Ryan who is clapping as well and Dan uses his feet on the drums and his hands to… take some pictures or recording the scene. And then… back to party time again! Jeez that song is a blast! I notice a little difference with the original song: it's in fact Ryan who is playing on his keyboard, giving the song a slightly new "sound".
Many times over the last 12 months, I told myself they'd be fools if they didn't pick it as a single. Seems like they heard my prayers: a new video was posted two weeks ago and was once again a sweet reminder of their sense of humor. In "Radioactive", we had the boys trapped underground while cuddly toys were fighting in an arena. They were rescued by a girl and her pink teddy bear with super powers! In this case? Well, I'll let you find out…
Dan Reynolds explains to us that the next song, "30 Lives", is dedicated to one of their friends, a 17 year-old kid named Tyler Robinson who lost his 4 year cancer battle and passed away this year. Dan adds that they want to share this story with many people as they can, making them realize that "we have our lives, we have our health, we have our bodies, we have our strength and that's far more than what some people have…" I know who Tyler was. Just like every person who has seen the "Demons" video. Very nice and moving moment…
Ryan and Ben come back on stage… The always-smiling bassist starts a great solo. Bass sounds (as well as drum sounds) can sometimes be aggressive on the human body: if not well balanced, the sound can resonate inside it. It happened to me a few times (including at The Cirque Royal… Still haven't forgotten the Kasabian experience I've had there!) and trust me, these weren't the happiest moments of my life!! At this very moment, I was thinking I'd give a 6 out of 5 to their sound engineer: I looked at the soundcheck table and recognized Mr Eisenberg, who was already in charge of their previous show in Belgium. I had already praised his talent in my last article and have to thank him again as his magic fingers allowed me to… spend the entire show without my ear plugs. Imagine Dragons guys… never let Scott go, please!
Under green lights, the band starts playing "Demons". For personal reasons, I've always had difficulties to listen to this one as it has this ability to awake some not-so-happy memories. And yet, once played live, it may turn into some kind of therapy. I've always believed music was the best therapy for all troubles, pains, worries and bad times… It's better than any shrink therapy or pills. "Demons" has this therapy side. I'm quite sure it was its purpose when the band wrote it…
Seeing the crowd singing the "This is my kingdom come"… well, that's magic all the way! Mr Sermon gives us another fine guitar riff, Dan Reynolds waves at people in the crowd and – of course – people go crazy at every sign he makes… I think that at this point, the crowd is not warm… it's literally boiling!
Wayne takes his silver guitar again and shares a moment with Ben on "Underdog"… It seems these two are really getting along just fine! My eyes see a movement on the sides of the stage and I smile… Bring the balloons! A dozen balloons are spread into the room and the crowd make them go from left to right, from the back to the front. A moment like that reminds me how it's always so much better to be in the pit rather than choosing a balcony seat… You "feel" things very differently… Reynolds grabs one of them and tries to make to make it explode with a drum stick. Missed! Come on Dan, don't let it beat you! A second try and the balloon is gone, releasing the little papers contained inside it… Aaaaaaaand here comes our fav' tech back on stage, grabbing what's left of the balloon and rushing back in the shadows of the stage's wings.
Daniel on the main drums, both Wayne and Ben are hitting drums on their respective side of the stage, Dan grabs another stick and starts hitting the drum bass… Ryan has a guitar in hands but as it's not required at that moment, he also grabs a stick and hits cymbals… That's where you realize that percussions are an important part of their music: no sounds of guitar, bass or keyboard. ALL PER-CU-SSIONS.
There's also one noticeable thing about Imagine Dragons: none of them are ever standing still. If Wayne is not playing guitar, he grabs a stick and hits a drum; if Ryan isn't playing guitar, he's playing keyboards; if Ben is not playing bass, he's on keyboards; if Dan is not hitting the drums, he's clapping and so on… Doing music seems like a vital thing for these guys once they're on a stage. As far as I can remember and looking back on all shows I've attended in the past two years, Imagine Dragons is the only band displaying all multi-instrumentalists. That keeps so much energy in the show!
If "Demons" puts me on the low-side of my mood, "On Top of the World" has the ability of making me smile aaaaaall the time. That song is the ultimate cure for unhappiness… First time I heard it, I started dancing and instantly fell in love with it. When they play it, I can be nothing but happy. Seems like I'm not the only one thinking that way: the pit crowd rise hands and move them from left to right. I look above, in the balconies, for the first time of the night : people are standing up and dancing. Yep… this song works just fine. The audience inadvertently turns it into a different version when, right after the first chorus, they sing the "Oh oh oh oh oh" that should have showed up after the SECOND chorus. You know what… it worked out JUST fine! During the second verse, Ben was near Dan and Ryan but had to literally run on the stage to reach the microphone and sing the chorus with his fellow musicians…
When time comes for the audience to sing the "Oh oh oh oh", Dan walks through the stage, pointing his microphone to us; Ben claps; Wayne is near Ryan who is clapping as well and Dan uses his feet on the drums and his hands to… take some pictures or recording the scene. And then… back to party time again! Jeez that song is a blast! I notice a little difference with the original song: it's in fact Ryan who is playing on his keyboard, giving the song a slightly new "sound".
Many times over the last 12 months, I told myself they'd be fools if they didn't pick it as a single. Seems like they heard my prayers: a new video was posted two weeks ago and was once again a sweet reminder of their sense of humor. In "Radioactive", we had the boys trapped underground while cuddly toys were fighting in an arena. They were rescued by a girl and her pink teddy bear with super powers! In this case? Well, I'll let you find out…
Nice eh? I liked all the allusions (especially the ones related to The
Beatles) and funny scenes! What will they do next to make people smile? However…
When I first watched the video, it seemed to me that something was missing. Someone.
Most of the time, if you're lucky and patient, you may be able to meet the boys
after the show. Including Ryan Walker. He has proven himself an efficient and
trustworthy member of the band that many fans now consider him as the fifth member
of Imagine Dragons. Including me. Therefore and quite naturally, I was
expecting to see Ryan in the "On Top of the World" video… which
didn't happen. Weird moment. I know Jason White had been a Green Day touring
member for 13 years before finally accepting to join the band as an official
member but… well, let's just say – dear Ben, Wayne and both Daniel's – that 13
months are far enough for fans to like Ryan and consider him a full Dragon.
Just saying…
Red lights all over the stage, Sermon plays with his six cords while Dan
approaches the microphone to talk to us. He once again thanks everyone for the
continued support. He then explains that the previous night was Thanksgiving in
the US, that they've been away from friends and families for a long time and
how it can be lonely at times… As Dan explains that a restaurant in Brussels
welcome them and cooked them a Thanksgiving dinner the previous night, I see
Ben pointing at someone in the crowd: the chef of the restaurant is right there
with us! Dan thanks him again (and us) for welcoming them and making them feel
at home.
Time for the last song… "Radioactive". That high-energy song
makes me suddenly realizes one thing. A few weeks ago, I went to see Thirty
Seconds to Mars and this band has its their own fanbase named "The
Echelon". Well actually… it is now a sure thing: the "Baby
Dragons", as I like to call them (because they're all younger than me),
may not have realized it yet but… they have their own army. A (peaceful and
loving) army raising hands, starting the song too early – turning it (again!)
into something great - and singing to e-ve-ry word of their songs.
They pause, Ryan plays keyboards, Platzman leaves the back of the stage
to join his friends on the front stage, grabs a stick, approaches the drum bass
and starts hitting it, accompanied by Ben and Wayne, while Dan strides along
the stage. Then… they exchange places and keep hitting drums. Another change
allows Daniel to go back to his drums… The music fastens, another drums blast
and… all lights are turned off! The audience claps and screams… The boys go for
another round of chorus: it's pure madness out there! Damn… these boys have
turned evil radioactivity into a massive positive element!
Will they come back for another song? Ermmmm… I think our sweet little
"running man" bringing the microphone back on the front stage kinda
gives us a hint about that. In the process, he manages to receive a crowd cheer.
Not sure the audience did that especially for him but these little tech Elves
deserve a massive thank you for all they've done that night…
The boys come back on stage and stand on their usual spot. Right in the
middle of the stage, Dan Reynolds waves at everyone, looking around him with a
bright smile on his face… He starts singing "Nothing Left To Say",
almost acapella, in a slower version than the one we know… This one is a fine
way to see how good Dan Reynolds' voice is… He displays as much emotion as
power depending of the moment of the song. Ryan starts playing keyboards,
bringing the song back to its original tempo… Dan sings while the other boys
supply background vocals… On the bridge, Dan gets closer to the front stage
drum and starts hitting it. At that moment, I notice Ryan is no longer playing
keyboards but guitar… that he stops playing to hit cymbals or clap.
One final blast of sound… Ben, Dan and Wayne are standing right in front
of us while Dan and Ryan finish the song, respectively on violin and acoustic
guitar. The three front stage boys join their fellow musicians on vocal
harmonies while the audience claps, louder and louder… Daniel lowers the violin
and goes back to his drum set while the
other Dan grabs the front stage drum to install it on the drummer's pedestal.
The singer comes back on the front stage, raises the drum sticks then turns
around and jumps on the pedestal and starts banging the drums while Ben and
Wayne surround him. All guys are rocking the house with a jam… and then… that's
it!
They leave the stage and they leave me speechless.
Again.
I've attended to three shows of the Las-Vegas band over the last 13
months. The set list didn't evolve much… not that it is their fault: not so
easy to diversify the set list with "just" one full album on your credits
and not so easy to record new songs when you're (almost) constantly on the road…
And yet… Imagine Dragons shows are never the same: they work on song arrangements and end up with
different intros, little variations… And yet, these are still the songs that
make you "feel" so much. Speaking of that, the show may never be the
same but… my feelings are though. First time… I came out of the venue happy.
Second and third times, I was as happy. I had fun at all shows but to say the
truth, I was also glad to see the crowd getting bigger months after months and
responding so well to their music… The boys may also not be aware of this but
they have the secret power of creating new friendships: I won at least one new
friend at every ID show (two Giulia's at the Botanique, Gaétan at Ancienne
Belgique and Kimberley and Manon at Cirque Royal).
Emotions, fun, happiness and new friends… who would ever get tired of
that, eh?? Not me. That's the power of music… That's why it'll always be by my
side, not matter what happens. It'll always help… keeping the demons away.
ID official website: http://www.imaginedragonsmusic.com/
ID Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ImagineDragons?fref=tsID Twitter: http://twitter.com/Imaginedragons
The Tyler Robinson Foundation website: http://tylerrobinsonfoundation.com/
Want more Imagine Dragons on this blog?
- Continued Silence EP review : http://bit.ly/IIBPBu
- Live show at the Botanique (7th November '12) : http://bit.ly/18anrxE
- Live show at Ancienne Belgique Box (2nd May '13) : http://bit.ly/1cbNaBI
Setlist :
-
Intro
-
Round & Round
-
Amsterdam
-
Tip Toe
-
Hear Me
-
Cha-Ching (Till We Grow Older)
-
Rocks
-
With Or Without You (U2 cover)
-
It's Time
-
30 Lives
-
Demons
-
Underdog
-
On Top Of The World
-
Radioactive
Encore
-
Nothing Left To Say
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