Imagine Dragons – TCF Bank Stadium – MLB All Star Concert – July 12, 2014

The Imagine Dragons concerts that takes place during the MLB All Star event week is much different than any other show in the city’s recent history. There are numerous characteristics that make this show special, the biggest of all being that it kicks off a huge party week for the city. That, and it’s free.

That being said, the city does an excellent job managing it. When it comes to free events, things can often get out of control and this is certainly not the case. Everyone that comes to the concert seems to have a good time. Something I found to be a good choice was that Atmosphere was booked as the opening act. For those that came from other areas to see the show, they may not know that Atmosphere is not only a well known hip hop group, but is also local to Minnesota. The fact alone adds to the overall experience.

To say that Atmosphere outshines Imagine Dragons at this concert is an understatement. They did a fantastic job, cramming ten songs into a thirty-five minute set list, which includes a variety of tunes. They perform two new songs, “Kanye West” and “January on Lake Street”, as well as “Party for the Fight to Write”. Remaining moderately clean in their lyrical content, Atmosphere provides hip hop for a family style show, which is really nice for fans who want to bring their kids out as well.

The Imagine Dragons set is a good set. We’ve all heard “Radioactive” hundreds of times (and we all still love it, admit it) but it seems to many that all Imagine Dragons has done since their last appearance here at the Varsity Theater is grow commercially. There has been no real difference in their artistic growth, which one would expect from a band as they advanced.

One could argue it is a venue issue. They have played in smaller venues and have rocked them. So maybe they are the type of band that thrives in that environment and this simply was not their scene. I would like to believe that is the case because I really enjoy Imagine Dragons and the set they play at TCF is a great one. They are not lacking in material, but nothing has really changed. They play a cover of “With or Without You” by U2, which is an interesting choice, as well as their fan favorites of “Demons”, “On Top of the World”, and more. The closer is the ever so popular, and perhaps immortalized, “Radioactive”. That song will never die, but I think that is just fine with all of us.

Overall, I feel that the majority of the audience would love to see Imagine Dragons grow more as a band the next time around. They have such fun music and really have a lot going for them. To have it only be commercial would be a waste. So in that regard, we very much look forward to their next time in the cities.