Photographs by Sean Chin.
There are far worse places to be than an arena-wide convention on celebrating your self-identity through music and the sentimental words of a couple of rockstars.
It is a little odd to use that word to describe Imagine Dragons, a relatively young band that denied their potential membership at the one-hit wonder club and instead spawned several radio earworms from two major albums that don’t exactly conjure images of trashed hotel rooms or diva personas. When taken to a 15,000+ crowd, they can uphold the reputation – on their own terms – well enough.
While Toronto had a greater purpose than other audiences on Imagine Dragons’ Smoke + Mirrors tour (the band chose to film their show at the Air Canada Centre this past weekend), the Nevada-based boys invigorated the evening with their relentless energy and a strong sense of performativity in their near ninety-minute set that ensured a quality production. The telling point in the entire act was their ability to balance the multitude of sounds, a mix of folk tunes, angst anthems like “Polaroid”, sunshiny “On Top of the World” and a tip-toe on a full-blown rock show via “Friction”. It was a weird series of stretches into the genre; perhaps the extent of sonic variation threw some people off, but the fact that it worked reflects on Imagine Dragons’ incredible ability to own their sense of dynamism.
The consensus held across the night: this tour is about ridding yourself of disillusions and carving your own path and profile, down to opening act Halsey, whose whispy vocals paired with bonafide pop makes for an addictively unique sound. Or, as Metric lead singer Emily Haines advised during their opening set, “Girls, I’d recommend picking up a guitar.” Undoubtedly, the young fans watching the indie royalty take on a stadium stage could have only been directed that way while Haines, equipped with a billowing superhero-like cape, inspired idolization for old fans and new. With fresh material off their forthcoming album Pagans in Vegas and the cataclysmic sounds on “Gold Gun Girls”, “Stadium Love” and “Breathing Underwater”, Metric once again proved that they are masterful at making bold choices while remaining true to their independent nature – something they’ve proudly managed for fifteen years.
Imagine Dragons creative approach is somewhat similar, and they may very well be on their way to being a fixture in the contemporary pop rock field. The response alone to Top 40 friendly hits like “I Bet My Life” and “Demons” indicated a kind of reverence that fans will likely carry for life, and why not? Every generation has their share of emotional-centric, quasi melancholic soundtracks that they fondly look back upon, and for a band that has such a strong grasp on emotive percussions, layered synths and vocal showmanship, there will likely be a lot to love in the years to come.
The potential timelessness of Imagine Dragons goes back to their defining single “Radioactive”; it was a highlight of their set and a major reason to see the band live. Maximizing their stage by adding percussions and cranking up the dramatics with fog, strobes, lasers and extended instrumentals, Imagine Dragons literally showed how good things can be when you march to the beat of your own drum. It felt empowering, awakening and inspiring.
Imagine that.
Thanks to Live Nation Ontario for media access.
