Thank you for believing in us. We're having one of the best times of our lives. – Lead singer Dan Reynolds,
OREM — It didn't take long for the Imagine Dragons band to transform a somewhat lackluster crowd into a love mob at the UCCU Events Center Monday night.
The audience which hadn't warmed much — if at all — to the music of The Moth and the Flame or Nico Vega, but came instantly alive for the five-member band that includes guitarist/drummer D. Wayne Sermon from American Fork and lead singer Dan Reynolds, a former Brigham Young University music major and Mormon.
The band came out in a kaleidoscope of colors and beautiful rock music (who knew there was such a thing?) as they showed the packed house of fans what they can do with their music, their voices and their pluck.
Reynolds is a gem of a lead vocalist, charming the audience as he worked with one wrist in a cast, never missing a note. He even flew above the stage and played the drums from 30 feet up with no visible hesitation. He sang with focus and played with strength.
Sermon immersed himself into the beat and the music, moving easily from drums to guitar and back, playing runs and difficult rhythms with ease.
The background screen added color and interest with an ever-changing motif of the Earth, the moon, the stars and the band members from behind the action.
Imagine Dragons, after four years together, has risen from relative obscurity to a place most bands only hope to get. They’re currently on a national Night Visions tour featuring the album that debuted in September 2012.
Their signature songs "It's Time" and "Radioactive" are at the top of the charts with airplay on major radio stations. Imagine Dragons was featured on NBC's "Tonight Show" and David Letterman's “Late Night” show. The band has signed with Interscope Records and was dubbed "one of 2012's brightest new stars" by Billboard Magazine. The band was named MTV PUSH Artist of the Week.
Against a backdrop of stars, flames, clouds and comets with flashing lights of every color in the spectrum, the band clearly showed finesse and confidence in the world of pop and rock, performing "Tiptoe," "Hear Me" and "On Top of the World" to a crowd who clearly knew all the words already.
A nice blend of trained voices and unique instrumentation came through in every song and set, showing the difference between the warm-up bands and Imagine Dragon's road experience.
A sell-out crowd stood for hours, starting at 8 a.m., outside the Utah Valley University campus events center, determined to see the musicians — they hung in there for more than 90 minutes of the magic once Imagine Dragons started their show at 9:30 p.m.
"Thank you for believing in us," Reynolds told the audience. "We're having one of the best times of our lives.
"This has nothing to do with us. We're just ordinary people," he added. "It's the music."
Reynolds dedicated the concert to Tyler Robinson, a 17-year-old friend of the band who recently died of cancer.
Sharon Haddock is a professional writer with more than 35 years experience, 17 at the Deseret News. Her personal blog is at sharonhaddock.blogspot.com.
Email: haddoc@deseretnews.com