I have been known among my friends to be the one with the questionable music taste. Apparently my iPod is the constant go to if everyone wants to have a good laugh, as it range from Vivaldi, to the Backstreet Boys, passing by movie soundtracks and obscure Indie Rock. And of course let’s not forget my shameful love for early 2000’s bands.
The newest source of their laughter these days has been my growing love for the Las Vegas band Imagine Dragons.
Since they released their album Night Visions in 2012, I’ve been a sucker for their percussion, techno, feeling-you-are-in-a-post-apocalyptic-movie type of music.
So when it was announced their tour was passing by Montreal on March 3rd, I got my credit card out without any second thought and got me some tickets.
Now that I had those two expensive but well placed tickets, the hardest part was coming. Finding my companion for the night.
Without any surprises, all my music junkie friends suddenly had something very important to do last Monday, leaving me with one desperate and shameful option.
I went with my mom.
I’ll give you a moment here to laugh all you want.
Even the 15 year-old girls making the majority of the audience at the Bell Centre that night were laughing at me.
Still I swallowed my proud, took my mom out for a nice dinner, and we were on our way to a memorable night.
By 6:45 p.m. we were sitting in our spot, my mother excited to have a daughter-mother night out, as myself I couldn’t wait to see them live after their wonderful performance at the Grammys with Kendrick Lamar.
The lights went off a few minutes later and the night was on its way.
The first of two groups before the main show took the stage in front of an embarrassing half empty Bell Center. That didn’t seem to stop X Ambassadors, a group from New York, as lead singer Sam Harris salute the crowd and went on to perform songs from their first major EP.
Even though seats were empty all over the place and the General admission zone still filling up, the band gave it all they could, warming up the crowd. I salute them for such a good show and staying energize throughout their songs with such a small and none attentive crowd.
As they finished their performance, the Centre as finally filled up with the fashionably lates getting there just on time for The Naked and Famous.
After an upbeat act preceding them, I felt the New Zealand band fell short to bring the crowd to its feel with lead singer Alisa Xayalith sending still behind her microphone and timidly talking to the crowd.
Though I found myself asking more than once; ” Haven’t they JUST played this song?”, the crowd however didn’t seem as bored as I was, and were following along with the songs easily, bobbing their heads to the beat.
After the crowd was well warmed up, the main attraction finally took the stage under an impressive roar of cheering and clapping.
The band performed Fallen to start with, and the crowd jumped in and followed along effortlessly.
Lead singer Dan Reynolds stood at the center of the stage after a few songs, hands on his knees and shaking his head as the crowd was showering the band with cheers that I have to admit were in the top 3 of the loudest I`ve ever heard.
” I have never seen a crowd as incredible as you tonight,” said Reynolds with a hand on his heart. ” I am speechless, I really don’t know what to say. Thank you, Montreal.”
An emotional moment was when the band dedicated their song 30 Lives to a 17 year-old fan who died tragically recently, bringing the crowd to light up their phones and wave them.
The older members of the crowd were in for a treat as the band told the stories of their own favorite bands growing up, and performed a fantastic cover of Tom Sawyer by Rush.
( Here’s a small tease of their Tom Sawyer’s performance in Montreal.)
The group kept their most popular songs like Radioactive and Demons to the end, bringing an already loud crowd to another level as the 17,000 fans sang along to every word.
All and all, a memorable show as much for the fans as for the band itself. The intensity was there, with wonderful vocal and instrumental performances.
For anyone who didn`t see it, you missed a great show. Who is laughing now friends?
Alex's findings 