Imagine Dragons
21st May 2018
Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review & Feature Photo by Sarah Kidd.
Exactly one month ago Auckland was hit with the Las Vegas style showmanship of The Killers, their show being slick and intense and perfectly in keeping with what one would associate with a staunchly proud Las Vegas band. Well tonight, Imagine Dragons – also hailing from Las Vegas, Nevada – just took true showmanship to a whole other level, marching onto the stage tonight under a soundscape of voiceovers about the birth of the earth itself; this being their Evolve world tour named after their latest album.
It would have been hard to have walked away from tonight’s show disappointed, in fact scratch that. It would have been nigh on impossible. From the several feet high LED screens that formed an almost giant cathedral style window of visions behind the band to the continual stage effects, Imagine Dragons delivered a show for the ages. Kicking off with ‘I Don’t Know Why’ from their current release lead singer Dan Reynolds proved from the very first line that he certainly has the chops to compete with the best of them, his baritone vocals luxuriantly strong and full bodied.
Appearing as a five piece – the edition of touring member Elliot Schwartzman on keys, guitar and vocals rounding out their overall sound smoothly – each of the core members was distinctively dressed in their own rather unique style. From the flower embossed blue satin of Wayne Sermons pants to the 90’s style bold print top of bassist Ben McKee, it was certainly a change from the rather uniform dark colours of their Smoke & Mirrors tour; an evolution in style if you will. Reynolds himself arrived looking as if he was about to stroll off to his local gym. In comfortable black shorts and a simple plain white singlet, his blue jacket was soon discarded, allowing him to show off his rather impressive physique as he bounded around the stage at ninety miles an hour.
Reynolds is a performer.
When not perched at the end of the catwalk serenading the audience with that stunning voice he was running about the stage or beating a drum, drums a rather big part of the show itself, with each of the members at times all playing one of varying sizes. Three songs in and the crowd are almost beside themselves, packed to the rafters they screamed in delight at every burst of confetti or triggering of CO2 cannons. Following a positively stirring and highly infectious version of ‘Believer’, Reynolds paused to address the audience, stating how good it was to be back in Auckland; “We bring with us, everything we have. I promise you, every last little inkling of stamina, heart, soul, mind, emotion.” Inviting the audience to leave all their troubles at the door and just “be free”, the band moved into ‘It’s Time’ before Reynolds once again spoke directly to the fans. Confronting the fact that “something needs to change in America” Reynolds pointed out that at one of his Australian shows a journalist had called him out for basically speaking about politics when Reynolds had himself stated at the beginning of the show “to leave out politics” (in reference to the audience leaving their troubles at the door), “That is not politics. We’re losing our youth in America to gun violence. That’s not politics – that’s human decency.” Call it what you will but Reynolds impassioned statement struck a chord with the audience; and as he broke into a haunting version of the Alphaville hit ‘Forever Young’ his words ascending into the rafters, it felt like the youth that he spoke for were right there with him, lifting those words higher.
Moving forward almost as one, Imagine Dragons and their Auckland fans celebrated life itself through their tracks. From the anthem styles of ‘Whatever It Takes’ to the beauty of ‘Start Over’ where the audience was showered with green and blue circular confetti from above like cherry blossoms dislodged by the gentle summer breeze. Addressing his own personal battles with depression and anxiety and imploring the audience to seek help if they need it, it seemed rather apt that Reynolds then laid down a heavy version of ‘Demons’ his voice having somehow gained even more strength from the very atmosphere itself.
As drummer Daniel Platzman with his distinctive clout glasses ushered in ‘On Top of the World’ with a cheeky drum solo, giant white balloons dropped from the ceiling, Reynolds – now stripped down to just his shorts – popping the occasional one with a drumstick as Sermon delivered some blistering chords. A walk through the crowd that saw Reynolds break off from the pack and dash up into the upper stands, delighting fans and almost causing mass hysteria ended with the band performing at a second smaller sound desk stage, the group once again proving their talents as each member added instruments such as the cello and viola to their repertoire.
But we were sadly coming to the end of the evening and it was time to really bring out the big guns, tracks such as ‘Thunder’ of course bringing the house down around them. Finishing in yet more showers of confetti each core band member pounded away on clear perspex drums for the killer track ‘Radioactive’, Reynolds once again dashing between the drums and the mic as he emphatically punched the air. Coming together at the end of the catwalk, all five members linked arms as they bowed to the fans, the (well-deserved) applause almost deafening in volume.
Yes once again Las Vegas came to Auckland and it was pure gold.
Were you there at Spark Arena for this big rock spectacle? Or have you seen Imagine Dragons perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- I Don’t Know Why
- Believer
- It’S Time
- Forever Young [Alphaville cover]
- Gold
- Whatever It Takes
- I’ll Make It Up To You
- Mouth Of The River
- Yesterday
- Start Over
- Demons
- Rise Up
- Three Little Birds [Bob Marley & The Wailers cover]
- On Top Of The World
- Next To Me
- Warriors / Sucker For Pain / I Bet My Life Medley
- Thunder
- Walking The Wire
- The Fall
- Radioactive
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