Imagine Dragons Live Review photo

Imagine Dragons Live Review & Concert Photos w/ Metric, and Halsey Live Review | Amalie Arena Tampa | July 10 2015

by • July 20, 2015

For the first time in about seven years, I stepped inside an arena of fans screaming for rock stars instead of hockey players–and Imagine Dragons was the best gateway back into the larger show scene. Amalie Arena bursted with energy that reverberated from floor to top stadium seats, the moment the chart-topping band stepped on stage.

Seconds before the anticipated start, the stage glowed with projected lanterns and silhouettes of the alternative giants. Before their bursting debut in 2011, the Las Vegas band shoved through tiny club stages. Frontman Dan Reynolds instead races to the center strip to greet fans today as his first movement of the night.

In an hour and a half, the band crammed in 18 songs, plus an encore. With each radio-bursting jam, fans exploded into dance, screams, or both at the same time. It’s the pounding energy that Imagine Dragons is famous for, which is largely driven by a heavy percussive performance.

I’ll admit this was the first time I saw the band’s faces. Maybe it was the catchy slam of “It’s Time” that instilled the image in my mind, but I always pictured an Imagine Dragons concert to draw elements of the Blue Man Group. Heavy percussion instantly attaches that image, I suppose, and I’m pleased to report that the quintet is indeed not blue. 🙂

But that wasn’t the case, and the alt-indie roar that we all had hoped for exploded in such a large space. I just wish Amalie had placed wood floors in the aisles if just for the night so we could stomp-slam along to Imagine Dragons all the louder.

Even though their beginnings are far more humble, Imagine Dragons songs are built for pushing sound barriers in stadiums. Their first full-length, Night Visions stole the show with cataclysmic “Radioactive” that sent chilling reverberations through me.

Latest hit single “I Bet My Life” sent the crowd into a pogo-ing sea of hyperactivity that could have broken the cement foundation. Sorry, Tampa Bay Lightning, you might have to find another place to play after Imagine Dragons decimated the stage and stole the hearts of every indie dreamer in the room.

Dreamy, techno-alt flashed as an opening with the glam-y Metric. Lead singer, Emily Haines darted across the stage like a synth-nymph vying for the affections of the crowd. Donned in a flow-y kimono-esque coat, blue lighting shaped her into Madonna as Elsa, but there was no trace of princess in her tone.

The Toronto act has climbed the indie scene for nearly 20 years and it seemed like the band finally received the center stage they deserved. The new wave elements have been a staple for years, and recognizably catchy “Help I’m Alive” have surged through radio stations in recent years.

Metric is a Tampa Bay favorite, having played Next Big Thing in 2009 at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Back then was the first time I had seen Metric, and even then I knew their sound would rise to American popularity quickly. The pop elements layered with booming synths were electric. Opening with “Stadium Love” only felt right for the surging act. (C’mon, even Letterman was onto how talented they are.)

I arrived 10 minutes too late to New Jersey opener Halsey (DAMN YOU, TAMPA TRAFFIC), but from the eager grins on the faces of fellow photographers, the pop star wowed. Her genre-defying act blends together the finest elements of electronic pop and darker indie intones.

If there was any indication of the success in Imagine Dragons’ menagerie tour of indie pop elements, the sways of hips and smart phone signals bouncing throughout the crowd might’ve done it.

Still want to catch Imagine Dragons? Check out the remaining tour dates for the “Smoke + Mirrors North American Tour” below:

Date Venue Location

Jul 16 Toyota Center Houston, Texas
Jul 17 American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Jul 18 Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys, Stateline, Nevada
Jul 20 Honda Center Anaheim, California
Jul 21 Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl Sand Diego State University, San Diego, California
Jul 24 The Forum, Inglewood, California
Jul 25 US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Jul 27 Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Jul 28 EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Jul 30 Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia
Jul 31 Tacoma Dome,Tacoma, Washington
Aug 1 Taco Bell Arena, Boise, Idaho

Imagine Dragons Live Review & Concert Photos by Amanda Starling.

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