TVD Live Shots: Imagine Dragons, Grouplove, and K.Flay at Shoreline Amphitheatre, 10/3

It’s been a while since Imagine Dragons have graced a Bay Area stage—something like two years if the internet can be trusted (it cannot)—at the time supporting their second full length release, Smoke + Mirrors. With their latest album Evolve fresh out of the hopper, Imagine Dragons have taken to the road with Grouplove and K.Flay including Tuesday’s performance at Mountain View’s Shoreline Amphitheatre.

The packed house was on its feet when frontman Dan Reynolds emerged from a fog bank into a spotlight to kick of the set with “I Don’t Know Why,” the lights eventually raising to reveal the band as the song (and the evening) quickly kicked into gear, revealing a band that was clearly refreshed from their hiatus and no doubt ready to road test the new tunes.

With the new tunes came a new stage—giant crystals flanked the drum risers and the ceiling was made up of dozens of screens that gave the illusion of a much larger space. And while the blazing light show was enough to illuminate the crowd to the back of the lawn, that wasn’t the end of the production. Giant bubble machines, confetti, and huge balloons set loose from the lawn area were all part of the 90 minute show.

Coming on the heels of a heavy week in music, Reynolds paused from the music early on to address the crowd about the recent events in the Las Vegas, receiving massive applause in support of his sentiment and the tragedy in the band’s hometown. Then, mid-way through the set, the band calmly walked up the aisles though the crowd to a small stage set up by the soundboard for a pair of tunes including an homage to the recently departed Tom Petty (“I Won’t Back Down”).

The setlist drew heavily from Evolve, leaving only two of the eleven songs off of the setlist. The good news for the band was that the crowd already had a few months to digest the stuff and their reaction was close to what the hits like “Radioactive” received.

If their history is any indication of the future, this is just the start of what will be a massive touring cycle.

Imagine Dragons

GROUPLOVE

Grouplove

K.FLAY

K. Flay

IMAGINE DRAGONS SETLIST
I Don’t Know Why
It’s Time
Gold
I’ll Make It Up to You
Mouth of the River
Walking the Wire
Yesterday
Whatever It Takes
On Top of the World
I Won’t Back Down (Tom Petty cover)
Bleeding Out
I Bet My Life
Demons
Thunder
Radioactive

ENCORE
Walking the Wire
Believer

TVD Live Shots: Imagine Dragons, Grouplove,
and K.Flay at Shoreline Amphitheatre, 10/3

SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL INDIE SHOPS SINCE 2007

THE VINYL DISTRICT ARCHIVES