Photo Credit: Maggie Vaughn
What is Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” about? Much furious bombast signifying diddly squat, really. But the band’s nine-times-platinum megahit did allow lead singer Dan Reynolds to bash on a big ol’ bass drum in the accompanying video, just as he did Saturday night when they played a nearly sold-out BMO Harris Bradley Center. It was a gargantuan, transparent instrument that received Reynolds’ ministrations this night, and the rest of his group joined in on percussive duties as much of the crowd joined in on the song’s aggressively fatuous though ear-worming, chorus. It’s a triumph of catchy, if grimly self-serious, “huh?!” over substance.
Imagine Dragons saved that biggest of their several biggies for the penultimate position of their encore-free 15-song set. Nothing else in their relatively fledgling catalog approaches the stony-faced silliness of “Radioactive,” though that’s not to say it’s a wonder how such artlessly earnest song craft has become so popular.
Some of their breadth of acceptance can be attributed to the act’s ability to wed their undeniable melodic gifts to lyrics that, to whatever extent they border on nonsensical, remain clean. Rock music hasn’t been much of a cultural force in the U.S. for a while now, but if the zeitgeist is right for acts who don’t go out of their way to court controversy, there are worse aesthetic crimes. If they can inspire listeners to a bit of empowerment with the self-affirming lyrics of songs including “It’s Time” and “Top of the World,” all the better.
And in truth, Reynolds is difficult to hate. He practically bleeds sincerity. He sounded genuinely amazed when going on a bit about the success afforded him and his bandmates. Some of his earnest appreciation was directed specifically at Milwaukee, too. A shout out to the city for being one of the first cities to give Imagine Dragons significant radio play preceded recollections of watching kayakers on the Milwaukee River and a pleasant restaurant meal.
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Regardless of the ends to which they ply it, there is some real instrumental talent in the band. Guitarist Wayne Sermon coaxes some tasty tones from his solid- and hollow-bodied axes, including brief, tasteful turns at solo heroics and the occasional old-school metal riff that could be mistaken for early Black Sabbath were Reynolds’ vocals left from the mix. And just as the group as a whole plunders EDM for some textures and tempos for some of its best-known work, there’s real complexity in some of drummer Daniel Platzman’s runs.The Canadians in the middle of the bill, Metric, have been working danceable influences into their new wavy poppiness during a career beginning well before the night’s headliners have been internationally popular. Singer Emily Haines easily rallied the crowd with a sprightly stage presence and between-song banter heavy on the specialness of the experience at hand. Nine songs may be a generous allotment opening for a band that didn't even perform twice that many, but Reynolds cited Metric as one of Imagine Dragons’ favorite bands.
They must quite like Halsey, too. The visually striking, blue-haired electronic pop female soloist got seven songs to start out the night. Maybe it’s due to newbie nerves, but she seemed at least a bit shouty in her hyping of the acts to follow her. It might be fair to imagine her label was looking to compete with Lorde, but Halsey’s general lack of subtlety doesn’t seem to make that a realistic proposition.
