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Imagine Dragons has sold-out show, addresses mental health

The University News (Saint Louis University) - 8/3/2018

If you did not find yourself at the Imagine Dragons concert on July 11 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheater, I would say you definitely missed out on one of the best concerts of the summer. The show was sold out and the venue was jammed with fans from the moment the gates opened.

Grace Vanderwaal opened for the band, dressed in her signature flower crown and ukulele in hand. I found her to be an interesting choice to open for Imagine Dragons because she does not necessarily fit with the band’s sound and aesthetic, but she does have popularity as the 2016 winner of  America’s Got Talent.

Imagine Dragons soon took to the stage as the crowd’s anticipation ran high, kicking off the show with its hit “Radioactive.” The band played hit after hit from its three albums, and the song selections made you realize how many popular songs Imagine Dragons have.

The band is currently on its Revolve World Tour, promoting its latest studio album with the same title. Despite Imagine Dragons’ purpose to promote its new album, it do not solely play songs from “Revolve.” The band made sure to keep a varying amount of tracks from their entire discography, which proved easy to do considering its members played 20 songs on stage that night.

The 20-song setlist seemed to fly by as front man Dan Reynolds made sure to keep the crowd up and on their feet for the whole show, with the help of varying light displays, fire and smoke machines and loads of confetti. The pit was absolutely drowning in the shreds of paper by the end of the night.

Halfway through the set, the concert was interrupted when the speakers cut out during the song “Rise.”  There was silence when Reynolds tapped on all the mics on stage and the instruments could barely be heard. He held up a single finger to signal they would be right back and the band members all exited. The stage was quiet and empty for about three minutes before the band came back out and started to perform “I Don’t Know Why,” meaning they never got the chance to finish the song “Rise.”

Another way the band made sure to have the whole amphitheater feel involved was by setting up a b-stage that was located further back and closer towards the fans in the lawn. The band simply walked through the crowd to the b-stage, high-fiving people and taking pictures with them as its members went by. Once they reached the other stage, the band performed stripped-down acoustic versions of a couple of their songs. Reynolds also took a moment to thank everyone for coming and even said that his parents were actually in the crowd that evening.

After the b-stage performances, the group made its way back to the main stage for the encore. Following  the song “Demons,” Reynolds took time to talk about depression and mental health. He talked about how important it is that one seeks out the help they need to get oneself to a healthier place. He mentioned how he struggled with depression for two years and how you cannot let your demons control you.

Imagine Dragons finished off with its song “Believer” before the members came to the front of the stage to take their final bow. The band made a hasty exit immediately following the show.

If you have never seen Imagine Dragons before, I highly recommend that you take the next opportunity you can to go see them. Even if you are not a die-hard fan, their concert will entertain you and offer a fun rock-alternative vibe that anyone can enjoy.