(PCM) I can not even begin to count the ways that I love Imagine Dragons. From my very first taste of the band’s debut album “Night Visions” I was hooked and seeing them live only cements the fact that Imagine Dragons has universal appeal to the utmost degree.
Music can be a truly unifying force, so when a band like Imagine Dragons can come along and smash all of the genre and listener stereotypes and bring people together through their infectious melodies and high energy performance they have definitely captured everyone’s attention.
Such was the case at the band’s recent headlining performance at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, NJ. An incredibly diverse array of fans gathered together to rock out with Imagine Dragons and create a sense of unity that was spearheaded by the amazing musicianship which was pouring forth from the stage.
The “Night Visions” album has sold over 2 million copies to date and the band have pretty much been on the road since the album’s release back in 2012, however as singer Dan Reynolds addressed the sold-out crowd, he could not have been more humble. It is quite apparent that the band does not take their success for granted and graciously thanked the crowd for their unwavering love and support. He claimed that the band “never dreamed” that they would be playing to crowds in sold-arenas back when they were only a small-bar band from Las Vegas and the band is thrilled to be living their dream come true each and every day.
The band’s energetic drumming skills and searing guitar riffs paired with Reynold’s captivating vocals held the audience spellbound. The instrumental skill of this band is impeccable and I, for one, can not wait to see what they are able to do with album number two, which after this tour, the band is taking some time off the road to work on.
The band’s set was made up of tracks from “Night Visions” with a excellent surprise cover of Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” thrown into the mix. I was thrilled to hear tracks such as “Rocks”, “Cha-Ching (Till We Grow Older)”, “The River”, and the heart-wrenching “30 Lives” make it into the set. The band held off on their many radio singles until the end of the night with a one, two, three punch of “Demons”, “On Top of The World”, and “Radioactive” to end out the main set. Their encore consisted of “Bleeding Out/Monster/Nothin Left To Say” to end a truly charismatic performance which certainly did it’s part in keeping Imagine Dragons on top of the music world.
I also have to take a moment to applaud the evenings two opening acts Nico Vega and The Naked and Famous. Both band’s did a fantastic job of setting the musical tone for the evening and certainly held the audiences attention in their own right.
The Naked and Famous singer/keyboardist Alisa Xayalith showcased her amazing vocal ability and the vocal interplay with singer/guitarist Thom Powers was hypnotizing. The band’s set consisted of a solid mix of infectious melodies paired up with synth-pop rhythmic sensibilities that make them a true delight to see live.
The band is touring behind their latest album “In Rolling Waves” and much live Imagine Dragons certainly puts the smash on genre stereotypes and brings to the table a delightful blend of both indie rock and pop that is deliciously catchy.
Majority of the crowd were up and on their feet and most were belting out the band’s hit single “Young Blood” at the top of their lungs, as the band closed out their set.
Imagine Dragons photos courtesy: Mike Sievila
The Naked and Famous photos courtesy: Matt Christine
More photography from the show can be found below:
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