Imagine Dragons (w/ Grace Vanderwaal) @ Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion (Bangor, ME) on June 8, 2018 [Photos & Show Review]

Alt-rock heavyweights Imagine Dragons have just embarked on a massive North American tour in support of their 2017 release Evolve. We caught up with the band on the third night of the tour, as they came to play before thousands of fans at Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion in Bangor, Maine.

It was a gorgeous night as opener Grace Vanderwaal came to warm up the crowd. Vanderwaal rose to fame after winning NBC’s America’s Got Talent in 2016 at age 12. Despite her young age, her vocal chops and wowed the crowd that had already amassed for the show.

At last, just as the sun was starting to set, Imagine Dragons took to the stage. As vibrant LED panels lit up, a hydraulic lift raised the band–each member poised behind a drum–up to the stage and the opening notes of mega hit, “Radioactive” rang out. Their stage set up this tour is wild, with dazzling lights and gigantic LED panels and a thrust that extends out into the pit. Frontman Dan Reynolds wasted little time in venturing out onto this length of stage, manhandling his microphone stand at the stage edge as he belted out each word. The band didn’t hold back the hits, following this number with “It’s Time” and “Whatever It Takes,” aided by the many voices in the crowd eagerly singing along.

The set continued, punctuated every now in then by confetti canon blasts, more group-drumming passages. One of the coolest moments in their performance was when the entire band made their way from the stage, through the throngs of audience members out to the standing room-only area in the back of the venue, where a small stage was set up. Once there, they launched into a three-song acoustic set featuring “Amsterdam,” “Bleeding Out,” and their huge hit “I Bet My Life.” This was indeed a special night–not only for those in attendance, but as it turns out for the band too. Drummer Andrew Tolman’s grandfather, as Reynolds informed the audience, is from Machiasport, Maine and was in attendance that night.

After this intimate acoustic set, the band returned to the stage to unleash another barrage of hits, closing the show out with “Demons,” “Thunder,” “On Top of The World,” and ultimately, “Believer.” It was truly an awesome show to witness. The Evolve Tour continues into August, so you’ve got plenty of time to catch Imagine Dragons in a city near you. A full list of tour dates is below.

“Whatever It Takes” listen to this single.

Remaining Tour Dates:

06/16 – Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium
06/17 – Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center
06/19 – New York, NY Madison Square Garden
06/21 – Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
06/22 – Indianapolis, IN Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
06/24 – Omaha, NE CenturyLink Center
06/26 – Sioux Falls, SD Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
06/27 – Milwaukee, WI Summerfest
06/29 – Saratoga, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center
06/30 – Camden, NJ BB&T Pavilion
07/02 – Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live
07/03 – Virginia Beach, VA Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
07/05 – Raleigh, NC Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
07/07 – Columbia, SC Colonial Life Arena
07/08 – Brandon, MS Brandon Amphitheater
07/10 – Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
07/11 – St. Louis, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
07/13 – Tinley Park, IL Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
07/14 – Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
07/16 – Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
07/18 – Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheater
07/21 – Los Angeles, CA The Forum
07/24 – Concord, CA Concord Pavilion
07/26 – Bozeman, MT Bobcat Stadium
07/30 – Wichita, KS Intrust Bank Arena
08/01 – Tulsa, OK BOK Center
08/02 – Austin, TX Austin360 Amphitheater
08/04 – Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
08/05 – New Orleans, LA Smoothie King Center
08/07 – Orange Beach, AL The Wharf Amphitheater
08/09 – West Palm Beach, FL Coral Sky Amphitheatre
08/10 – Tampa, FL MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
10/20 – Dallas, TX Toyota Stadium