EVOLVE SUMMER TOUR
Raleigh – Summer heat and a rainstorm didn’t stop Imagine Dragons, the Las Vegas based, Grammy Award winning rock band, from preforming its sold-out concert on Thursday night at the Coastal Credit Union Park in Raleigh, NC.
After a brief 30-minute rain delay, the show finally kicked off in a dramatic fashion. Animated video displays on vertical LED screens at the back of the stage did an excellent job of building up the crowd’s anticipation. Then, a piano began to softly play as Dan Reynolds, Imagine Dragon’s lead singer, and the rest of the band slowly rose up from under the stage to a loud roar from the crowd
The band kicked off the show with a powerful rendition of “Radioactive”, one of the group’s biggest songs off its 2012 debut studio album Night Visions. A drum kit synced with the lights and video content remained center stage for most of the concert.
In typical Imagine Dragons fashion, Reynolds spent time in between songs speaking out as an activist for topics such as diversity and inclusiveness. In a recent interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Reynolds said he feels so strongly about making positive changes not only globally but in your own community that he feels that it is his obligation to speak up and out for those who may not be able to.
Following the opening was “It’s Time” and “Whatever It Takes.” Three songs into this powerful concert, there was an aurora over the crowd that made you feel like this show was going to be memorable.
Imagine Dragons set featured a wide variety of songs, including several new songs off of the band’s third and most recent studio album Evolve released in 2017 on Interscope Records.
During the show, the band took a secondary stage out in the crowd and played a three-song acoustic set including its new song with Kygo titled “Born to Be Yours”.
The Encore included “Demons” in which Reynolds too some time to speak up on depression after the first verse. Following up that with “Thunder, On Top of the World” and finally “Believer”.
Reynolds is no stranger to tackling tough issues including religion, acceptance and LGBTQ rights.
Aside from releasing albums, Reynolds has been promoting his recent HBO documentary titled “Believer”. The documentary follows Reynolds, who is a Mormon as he attempts to convince the Morman Church to accept members of the LGBTQ community. Notable film score composer Hans Zimmer collaborated with Reynolds on the recent single “Skipping Stones” which was featured on “Believer”.
Imagine Dragons North American Evolve Summer Tour continues through Aug. 10, 2018 in Tampa, FL.
