Review: Imagine Dragons bring their ‘Loom’ World Tour to the new age on Long Island

Imagine Dragons. Photo Credit: Eric Ray Davidson

Grammy award-winning rock group Imagine Dragons brought their “Loom” World Tour to the new age at Jones Beach Theater on Long Island, New York.

Imagine Dragons is made up of Dan Reynolds on lead vocals, Wayne Sermon on lead guitar, Ben McKee on the bass, and Andrew Tolman on the drums.

Jones Beach show

Dan Reynolds and the band kicked off their set on a harking note with “Fire in These Hills,” where they were able to lure the crowd in from the opening verse. “How are you doing?” front-man Dan Reynolds asked. “You feeling good? It’s a beautiful night. It’s good to be alive. Thank you for being here. I hope you get everything you need tonight.”

“If you feel happy, if you feel sad, if you feel angry… whatever it is that you need to feel, I hope you get that tonight,” he said, and immediately broke into “Thunder.”

“Thunder” was quite appropriate given the light rain yet but that didn’t stop him from jumping along on the stage. “Thunder” was certainly the theme of the night, and the pyrotechnics helped elevate it to a higher level.

After a sip of water, he continued with “Bones,” and he poured his heart out during “I’m So Sorry.”

“Take Me to the Beach” was a great deal of fun as giant beach balls were bouncing throughout the amphitheater.

“This song is about feeling your lowest and reminding yourself of your worth. It’s about celebrating yourself. I love you,” he said, and segued into the energetic “Whatever It Takes,” where everybody was reciting the chorus and lyrics verbatim.

“What a beautiful evening this is,” Reynolds noted. “I was just backstage talking our incredible opener tonight, please give it up for Myles Smith, who found this to be one of the most wonderful, sweet and kind-hearted crowds, and I agreed with him.”

“That’s the Imagine Dragons fans around the world… Thank you for being who you are, and for loving so openly. Thank you for bringing your hearts tonight and for ditching your ego at the door,” Reynolds elaborated.

In the acoustic segment of the show, Reynolds went into the audience for “Next to Me,” and for their breakthrough single “It’s Time,” and the fans went crazy, in the best rocking way possible.

Reynolds sang “Bad Liar” with maximum heart and soul, which featured a fiery and intergalactic backdrop. “Bad Liar” is one of this journalist’s personal favorite tunes in their extensive catalog.

“Nice to Meet You” was more upbeat and nonchalant with a neat groove to it, while “Wake Up” had a stirring vibe to it.

“How are you doing out there?” he asked and performed an explosive rendition of “Radioactive,” where Reynolds and Andrew Tolman had dueling drum solos (where one would recall a Twenty One Pilots concert).

Reynolds began “Demons” acoustically on piano, and it built up into the powerhouse performance that it was, which was sheer bliss to watch. It felt like one was listening to Reynolds’ heart during the duration of this song. “New York,” he screamed. “Sing it with us.”

“Thank you for choosing to spend an evening with us. We don’t take it for granted… We will give you everything we have,” Reynolds acknowledged.

“We are in this together tonight, and thanks for being a part of this! We love you,” he said, effusively.

They went on to perform an expressive version of “Natural.”

Inspirational story by Dan Reynolds

The emotional high point of the show did not come from a song, in particular, but an inspirational speech where Reynolds addressed the Jones Beach audience, and became a beacon of hope, faith, love, and positivity for them.

“Can I share one thing with you tonight?” he asked, and the answer was a resounding yes. “It’s a very simple story… Many years ago, as little Daniel, when I was in sixth grade, I started to feel quite depressed and numb. I didn’t even know what the words were to say what I was feeling, but I started to write music to express it.”

“Music brought me such great joy, and I didn’t play music for anybody for a long time… it was just for myself,” he admitted.

“With music, I was able to express things that I felt, and I couldn’t put in words. This continued for many years until finally, I talked to somebody, and I went to therapy, and it changed my life, and it saved my life,” he acknowledged.

“To anyone — any single person — who is hurting, do not keep it in. Do not hold it in. Let it out, let it out. You may just be by yourself in a room to begin with… let the tears run, embrace it; let the anger out, feel it. Feel; that’s the first thing,” he underscored.

“The second is to talk to someone. Talk to a family member, talk to a friend, and if it’s available to you, go to therapy… this doesn’t make you weak, this doesn’t make you broken. This makes you incredibly wise, and it makes you strong, humble, and powerful. It will begin to shape you and it will help you to continue,” he elaborated.

“There will be brighter days ahead, I promise you. There will still be hard days; it’s not a remedy, but it’s part of our journey,” he said.

“Above all, your life is always worth living. Your life is always worth living,” he exclaimed. “Never take it from us. Stay with us. We need you, we need your brilliance, your flaws, your strengths… we need every part of you. Stay with us and do this human experience with us. I don’t know where it’s going but I sure as hell hope that you stay with me in it. We love you… that is all,” he elaborated.

After “Walking the Wire,” he remarked, “I have to tell you… we are just getting started! The night is young. We are from Las Vegas, Nevada, and we have Wayne Sermon on the guitar, Ben McKee on the bass, and Andrew Tolman on the drums. I’m Dan Reynolds, and we are Imagine Dragons from Las Vegas, Nevada.”

“Sharks” was a fun song with a watery backdrop on the videoboards, which featured sharks.

“Have you ever had an enemy? Or misery?” he asked, and they continued with the fan-favorite “Enemy” and the newer songs “Eyes Closed” and “In Your Corner.” “I hope you are with someone you love, and if not, I hope you say ‘hello’ to the person next to you,” Reynolds said.

“What an honor to be on this stage… for a beautiful night at Jones Beach,” he said. “This is so special to have my best friends and my family here tonight. Thank you for being here,” Reynolds reiterated.

After “Don’t Forget Me,” they closed with their smash hit “Believer,” thus leaving their Long Island fans wanting to hear more.

“Loom” by Imagine Dragons is available on digital service providers by clicking here.

The Verdict

Overall, Imagine Dragons were able to put on a phenomenal live show at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York. Despite the light rain, that did not stop them for putting on a vivacious and enthralling concert.

Dan Reynolds proved once again that he is one of the most charismatic lead singers out there, and his talent in the music industry can only be surpassed by his humility, grace, and philanthropy outside of it.

The entire rock band soared as a whole, and they had the New York crowd with them every step of the way.

It is highly recommended that one sees Imagine Dragons live when they come to town. Their set at Jones Beach garnered five out of five stars. Bravo.

For more information Imagine Dragons and their music, visit their official website, and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.