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introKönig-Pilsener-Arena, Oberhausen, Germany
18th April 2018
Imagine Dragons - “Evolve World Tour” - Support: K.Flay

On April 18, 2018, the Las Vegas-based Rock band IMAGINE DRAGONS, featuring front man Dan Reynolds, played in the König-Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, in front of about 12,000 enthusiastic fans and delivered a top performance to their current album ‘Evolve’.


K.Flay

K.FLAY, who was the opening act for IMAGINE DRAGONS at this concert, entered the stage at 8 pm. The petite black-haired woman, who attracted a lot of attention from the audience with her unusual but thrilling voice, is described as an alternative artist. However, the studio versions of her music can also be partially classified in the EDM and hip-hop scene. On stage, though, her entire performance was very rocking with minimalist light in blue and red tones and zombie-like dance movements in addition, which also kept the optical stimuli activated until 8.45 pm. http://www.kflay.com / https://www.facebook.com/kflaymusic

Setlist
01. Make Me Fade
02. Giver
03. Black Wave
04. Dreamers
05. Can’t Sleep
06. It’s Strange (originally with Louis The Child)
07. Champagne
08. Mean It (Solo)
09. High Enough
10. Blood in the Cut
11. Slow March

kflay


Imagine Dragons

After the release of their third studio album ‘Evolve’ and the confirmation of their North American tour, IMAGINE DRAGONS announced the European part of their “Evolve World Tour”. The multi-platinum awarded Grammy winners are playing arena shows in Europe and England in spring 2018, including concerts in Munich, Oberhausen, Frankfurt and Hamburg between April 12 and 22. IMAGINE DRAGONS streamed their current studio album “Evolve”, released 23 June 2017, more often than any other alternative rock band in the first week. The album reached over one billion Spotify streams as well as platinum status in five and golden status in another twelve countries. In the USA, ‘EVOLVE’ was the only gold-awarded Rock album this year. https://www.imaginedragonsmusic.com / https://www.facebook.com/ImagineDragons

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Music & Performance
When it got dark in the arena at 9.15 pm, a murmur went through the crowd. The show started. The band had recorded a video for the big bang theory, which represented their intro called ‘Birth’. This was immediately followed by the first song, ‘I Don‘t Know Why’, which also marks the first song in the new album ‘Evolve’. As early as this song started, the crowd sang with enthusiasm and Dan Reynolds had visibly fun teasing his fans, who often got out of tune with the slightly reduced tempo of the song. Just at the end of the song, a huge confetti rain went down on the crowd. Already during the second song, however, Reynolds proved taste and let a very talented fan sing a part of the song ‘Believer’, which the band first played in the acoustic version and then in the normal version. Shortly afterwards, Dan greeted the spectators and delivered a speech on social equality, which was particularly addressed to the LGBT scene, as it plays a special part in the development of the band. In particular, the American band was known by the US television series ‘Glee’, in which a high school music club covers various songs, including IMAGINE DRAGONS’ first single ‘It’s Time’, which was sung by a gay boy. This evening that song has been played right after Dan’s speech.

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After four songs in total, including a cover of ALPHAVILLE’s ‘Forever Young’, Dan Reynolds was well warmed up for ‘Mouth Of The River’ and the rest of the evening he sang topless, much to the delight of the ladies. Two songs later, including a mash-up of RADIOHEAD’s ‘Creep’ and ‘Yesterday’, Reynolds gave a second speech, which this time was about him handling his depression. “Every concert is different for us, as each audience reacts differently to our music”, he told the crowd. He has seen other people struggling with their illness, but he learned to be open-minded about his illness and to learn to deal with it through the music and support of his fans. After that, ID played the song ‘Demons’, which reflects the feelings of Reynolds and other patients in this situation best. After ‘Rise Up’ and the third cover (‘Three Little Birds’ by BOB MARLEY), it went on happier with ‘On Top Of The World’, with huge balloons flying through the crowd. These provided a fun addition to the common confetti flooding and dry ice fountains. After that, the band changed to a smaller stage at the back of the arena where they played four acoustic versions of several singles.

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Afterwards, the boys returned along with K.FLAY to the main stage singing their recently released remix of ‘Thunder’ altogether. After some more song, IMAGINE DRAGONS finally performed their final song, which of course had to be ‘Radioactive’ as it once made the band breakthrough worldwide. The concert ended at about 11.15 pm.

Setlist
- Birth (Show Intro) -
01. I Don’t Know Why
02. Believer (With acoustic intro and fan on stage)
03. It’s Time
04. Forever Young (Alphaville Cover)
05. Gold
- Downfall (Whatever it Takes Intro) -
06. Whatever It Takes
07. I’ll Make It Up To You (with Guitar Solo)
- Intermission (Mouth Of The River Intro) -
08. Mouth Of The River
09. Creep (Radiohead Cover)
10. Yesterday
11. Start Over (with Bass Solo)
12. Demons
- Intermission (Rise Up Intro) -
13. Rise Up
14. Three Little Birds (Bob Marley & The Wailers cover)
15. On Top Of The World
--- B-Stage ---
16. Next To Me (acoustic)
17. Amsterdam (acoustic, on request)
18. Warriors (acoustic)
19. I Bet My Life (acoustic)
--- Main Stage ---
- Arrival (Thunder Intro) -
20. Thunder (with K.Flay)
21. Walking The Wire
22. Radioactive

Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 10
Sound: 9
Light: 10
Total: 9.5 / 10

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All pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)

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