Imagine Dragons have been on a musical mission since their inception, but the band are doing more than taking their sound to another level as they launch their fall tour in support of their third album, Evolve. Singer Dan Reynolds got involved in activism in a big way this summer, launching a foundation and a festival to raise awareness and support for LBGTQ youth. He’s been interviewed about that recently about as much as the new album, which was released in May and reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart in July. Evolve finds Imagine Dragons absorbing more electronic and pop influences into their brand of alternative rock—one that’s been fully embraced by their growing legions of fans.
That’s not surprising, as Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, drummer Daniel Platzman and bassist Ben McKee have been conscientious about their relationship with the audience from the get-go. The band paid its dues playing covers in Las Vegas casinos, but once Imagine Dragons began touring in support of independently produced EPs, they made it a point to bond with fans. And they made sure to be prepared for opportunities, such as when they were called on to replace Train for a headlining slot at a 2009 Las Vegas food festival and had their first taste of playing before thousands of people, picking up many new converts in the process. Those efforts were instrumental in setting the stage for apparent overnight success.
That would come in 2012 when Night Visions, their first major label album, was released and became a monster hit. Producer Alex Da Kid took Imagine Dragons’ original material, which fit in alongside the Coldplay and Arcade Fire covers they played during their casino sets, and gave it a makeover. The EDM elements and sonic dynamism not only enhanced the material, but made songs such as “Radioactive” and “Demons” appropriate for both pop radio and the arenas Imagine Dragons would soon be headlining.
Imagine Dragons bypassed a sophomore slump with 2015’s album Smoke + Mirrors, which went to No. 1 and was supported with a 10-month tour. The band finally got a break at the tour’s conclusion, leaving an exhausted Reynolds with nothing to distract him from his lifelong struggle with depression. Therapy and rest helped him manage it, and inspired songs such as “Believer,” the first single from Evolve that seems both autobiographical and a direct address to fans.
It was a tear-inducing letter from one fan that Reynolds says set the stage for the LoveLoud festival, which Imagine Dragons performed in on Aug. 26 in Orem, Utah, on a bill that included Neon Trees, Joshua James and Reynolds’ wife Aja Volkman, after a summer of performances at festivals and awards shows. Now all focus is on the fall shows and delivering new musical messages to the faithful that add Queen, Passion Pit and M.I.A. influences to the Dragons’ established modern pop-rock sound. It’s been a steady climb to the top, but it looks like Imagine Dragons have built a firm enough foundation to stay there for a long time.
T-Mobile Arena, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29, starting at $39.50 plus tax and fee. 888.929.7849
