Went to see Imagine Dragons at the Wharf tonight. Had seen them once before in Memphis and that was one of the better concerts I've ever seen. This one wasn't far behind. Very good sound, nice set mix.
The lead singer is a little preachy and carries himself in a slightly messianic manner onstage, but the band puts on a quality show. The Wharf is a little bit of a minimal venue for the sort of stage show they usually provide. I was more than a little surprised they were playing there at all. The last time we saw them was in the Fed Ex Forum and it was full. I thought this might have been better in the Pensacola Bay Center, but it seems like bands are avoiding that place these days.
Very good concert. Although I love the bands I typically see (Def Leppard, Styx, KISS, Journey, Boston, etc.) there's something different about seeing a band in its full prime. Seeing Imagine Dragons today is like seeing Journey or AC/DC in 1981.
Only three complaints:
1) There were tons of kids there. And by kids I mean elementary school age twits. With their parents. Who stayed on their stupid phones. The moron further down my row kept taking photos of the whole row of his kids, with the flash and the pre-flash constantly shining in my face. The dumb ass now has about a dozen photos of his kids and a guy shooting a bird.
2) The drum solo was disjointed, short and utterly unnecessary. I don't mind drum solos as a general rule, but I like for the drummer to interact with the crowd and create some rhythms or flow. This guy sounded like he was banging on pots and pans in the kitchen for a while and then just sort of quit. His drumming in the songs was fine, but the solo was weird and a waste.
3) Why do performers feel the need to bellow Rawwwl Taaaahd at least once? I booed him loudly when he did and wasn't the only one. He could have left that off.