The return of American pop-rock band Imagine Dragons on Saturday was worth the six-year wait.
Frontman Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon and bassist Ben McKee took the stage at QSNCC Halls 1-2 (probably because P' Bird had beat them to Impact Arena) and delivered a high-octane performance while the audience enjoyed themselves throughout their 18-track setlist.
Since making a fiery debut in 2012 with Night Visions (pun intended), Imagine Dragons has continued their musical evolution and expanded their sonic repertoire with elements from different genres, resulting in their latest album Loom.
The lights were off, sending the crowd screaming their heads off. A short video intro of a solar eclipse was played in accompaniment of a poem that read, "Through distant lenses, I see your shrouded form. It tarries there through sun, fervid storm. Its promise, neither wilt nor raptured bloom, but only that it will not fade, it too looms."
Several video screens lit the stage with pure white light, like sacred obelisks, before they turned black to reveal countless stars slowly floating skywards. The cheering got even louder when Reynolds appeared on the big screens in his white tank top and loose pants. A Thai fanboy behind me jokingly commented how big his pecs were.
"Imagine Dragons: Loom World Tour Live In Bangkok" was then officially off on a touching note with Fire In These Hills, the closing song from Loom. The message about self-doubt and the desire to change pace is laid over a breezy melody with saxophone and dance beats in the background. During the song, Reynolds waied the audience and said "Sawasdee krub", to much of their delight before the song ended in a confetti rain for a celebratory opening.
They shifted to an anthemic mood with an extended and roaring performance of Thunder, the second single from their third album Believer, and fans immediately vibed with the rebellious message of the song with an enthusiastic singalong (while recording the moment with their phones without fail). Bones, the first single off Mercury – Act 2, was next alongside trippy visuals of X-ray skeletons on the big screens. I felt the floor trembling as the crowd jumped and threw hands around to the song. There were several such moments throughout the night.
Reynolds showed off his drum skills (and biceps) as he jammed with his bandmates as a prelude to Tiptoe, the synth-pop-rock number from Night Visions, which ended in a solo by Sermon. Sermon then quickly swung his electric guitar, wore it on his back and grabbed a classic one, like nobody's business, as they transitioned into Take Me To The Beach, the fourth track from Loom. The crowd tossed around huge beach balls to go with the song's theme of escapism and individualism.
Reynolds went shirtless before they performed Whatever It Takes, the third single from Evolve. He showcased his ability to deliver fast-paced verses while the song's big and booming self-empowering chorus incited one of the night's most enthusiastic singalongs. Towards the end, the stage was on (virtual) fire with soaring flames on the video screens.
Reynolds paused to reminisce about his band's journey which started 15 years ago and expressed his appreciation for the crowd before they performed Bad Liar, the fourth single from their fourth album Origins. Reynolds, who said he's unsure what kind of song Bad Liar is, co-wrote it with his ex-wife Aja Volkman, also a musician, before their separation and eventual divorce. While the song may be very personal, the crowd joined in the break-up anthem without fail.
The hall was transformed into a dance floor with Nice To Meet You, a groovy track from Loom. A confetti blast launched the fun and flirtatious track about "dating someone but also kind of dating their friends", as Reynolds explained in an Instagram live. Reynolds wore a cute hairband he got from a stageside fan (no toxic masculinity here) while fans started a clap along as a big mirror ball appeared on the central screen. Wake Up, the opening track from Loom, kept the high energy going with its hip-hop-rock vibe.
The first "Woah, oh-oh" of Radioactive, their Grammy-winning breakout song from Night Visions, sent fans screaming and holding their phones up. Their must-perform reached a crescendo with a drum duel between Reynolds and touring drummer Andrew Tolman for an electrifying cap-off.
Day one fans got another treat with Demons, which started with a soft piano solo by Reynolds for a kumbaya moment, before transitioning into an anthem about acknowledging your own "demons". They continued to look inward with Natural which Reynolds said, in a press release, is about "finding yourself and being willing and able to stand up to whatever adversity comes your way".
He took a break to talk about how much music meant to him, his mental health journey and how precious life is before they continued with Walking The Wire where he sang earnestly about facing hardship in a rocky relationship with a hopeful outlook. Sharks, the second single from their fifth studio album Mercury – Acts 1 & 2, sounded so catchy in contrast to its serious message about being aware of whom you call friends. The video screens were put to good use as a school of scary sharks was swimming around the stage, slightly triggering thalassophobia in yours truly.
Enemy, the lead single of the soundtrack to Netflix animated series Arcane: League Of Legends, which the band created with American rapper JID, was followed by another exhilarating drum duet between Reynolds and Tolman before rap rock Eyes Closed, the lead single from Loom, got the crowd pumped up again. They then served In Your Corner, another Loom song about loyalty in a relationship even when it's hard.
Finally, they sent fans off on a very satisfying note with Believer, the lead single from Evolve and their most popular track on Spotify with more than 3 billion streams. Virtual flames on the video screens bathed the stage in red like a cleansing fire while an intro poem was read before Reynolds delivered an anthemic rock sermon about turning pain into personal growth, complete with another confetti rain for good measure.
Imagine Dragons took a final bow while the instrumental Fire In These Hills played in the background. An encore would have been the icing on the cake, but I've felt the band had given their all and the crowd reciprocated with great enthusiasm. The on-stage lights and visuals were nothing short of a spectacle and Reynolds gave an energetic and engaging performance throughout the night.
Imagine Dragons definitely came back with a roar.
