Las Vegas is known and notable for a lot of things from casinos to showgirls to “The Godfather II” to The Killers. You can add Imagine Dragons to that list of reasons to love the city of sin and to attend the Sunset Strip Music Festival.
Appropriately, the very first time that I saw Imagine Dragons was on a random-ass and very spur of the moment trip with friends to Las Vegas for the Rock and Roll Wine concert at Caesar’s Palace in 2010 where they played with Crash Kings and Jet. A healthy line up, for sure, and could little old Imagine Dragons get the rock and roll party started amid a wine tasting in advance of those two rad bands???
Yes. Yes they could and they did. The wandering, wine-drinking crowd took quick notice of what was going on onstage and zeroed in.
There’s good reason why they’ve been called Vegas’ next big thing since The Killers and were voted “Best Local Indie Band 2010” by Las Vegas Weekly, and are music darlings in their hometown; their synth-based dance/pop/rock is damned deliciously electric stuff and impossible NOT to groove to. It feels good and it sounds good; their three EPs, self-titled, Hell and Silence, and It’s Time snap, crack, and pop with way more hooks and harmonies, heady bass and shiny guitar work than should be allowed from a band so young in creation (since 2008). Songs like “All Eyes”, “Cover Up”, and the soar of “Selene” (love, love “Selene”) are electronica dynamic, brim with the confidence of seasoned rockers, and are crafted with an edge and distinction to set them apart from anyone they may compared to. Even a city as musically jaded, seen it, heard it, bought the merch aka Los Angeles repeatedly eats Imagine Dragons alive when they come to town; the baddest of Sunset Strip venues, The Roxy and The Viper Room, are really becoming a home away from home for the band. We love them. A lot. More and more people love them every day. Their crazy good music makes us shout out, sing loud, and dance. Think I’m kidding? Check out their video for “Tokyo” and see for yourself the affect Imagine Dragons has on people:
Dan Reynolds, Wayne Sermon, Ben McKee, Theresa Flaminio, and Daniel Platzman are the players, and when Dan (singer) plants his feet on the stage, he brings with him an exuberance and unrestrained energy that’s ridiculously infectious, and a throaty howl to let loose with. A fantastic live band they are, as they should be especially coming from a city where “entertainment” is as much lifestyle as it is a noun, and they’ve blown away audiences at club shows to 20,000 people on a festival stage. Yes, the songs translate from the studio to the stage boldly, perfectly, showcasing the band’s tight musicianship and you ain’t seen nothing until Wayne rips the crowd a new one with that crushing guitar solo in “Clouds”.
Where will I be on Saturday, August 20th at 4:40pm? At The Roxy watching this amazeballz band kick some Sunset Strip ass. Mine, included.