Tag Archives: July 4th

One Night Only: Imagine Dragons Smoke + Mirrors Concert Film!

Imagine Dragons Smoke and Mirrors Poster

If you are lucky enough to live in or near a big metropolitan area like New York City or Los Angeles, then you probably have the opportunity to see just about every big band that tours, because there is no shortage of huge concert venues. But if you live less centrally, in a rural location, or have life circumstances (kids, weird hours at work, school, shortage of disposable income) that make it hard to get out to a concert, then the rare Live Concert Film that plays in a local movie theater is a godsend. Fans of Las Vegas-based rock band Imagine Dragons who’ve either been unable to catch the band on tour, or just want to see them live again, will be thrilled to know that Fathom Events, CinemaLive and Eagle Vision are bringing Imagine Dragons In Concert: Smoke + Mirrors to the big screen nationwide for a one-night concert event on Wednesday, March 2nd. Exciting!

Something I just learned is that Imagine Dragons‘ lineup includes three out of four guys who are all named Dan! That is crazy, right? Too bad they could not call themselves Band of Dans, because that name is already taken by They Might Be Giants‘ back up band, and The Dan Band is also taken. Anyway, Smoke + Mirrors — which is also the name of the band’s most recent #1 album — gives fans plenty of close-up face time with lead vocalist Dan Reynolds, guitarist Daniel Wayne “Wing” Sermon, bassist Ben McKee and drummer Daniel Platzman. Reynolds is, of course, the focal point, and the fact the that stage has a catwalk, which allows him to glad hand a large number of enthusiastic, smart-phone-wielding fans on the floor, certainly adds to the film’s intimate dynamic. And it really must be said that the fifth band member is the actual stage set itself, which includes a group of tall four-sided, mirrored columns that are staggered in a half-circle formation around the back of the stage. If you’ve ever driven into or out of LAX, think of that Kinetic Light Installation at the entrance and you will have some idea of what it looks like. Various projections bounce off the columns and create terrific atmospheric effects, including one song where it looks like the entire stage is on fire. Very nice.

The featured Smoke + Mirrors concert performance was  filmed entirely on one night, July 4th, 2015 in Toronto in front of 15,000 people at the Air Canada Centre; a venue that resembles Madison Square Garden in set up, but is slightly smaller in capacity. Filmed in what is called Dolby Atmos, an array of speakers are not only all around the walls of the theater, but also on the ceiling, so you really do feel like you are right there in the venue. Imagine Dragons is super tight live, and it is obvious from Dan Reynolds’ plentiful on-stage crowd banter that they really love and appreciate their fans. My guess is that if you met the band members in real life, they would not act like dicks to you.

Music taste is more subjective today than ever, I so I really don’t want to turn this into a critique of a band whose music does not necessarily resonate with me, personally. I ‘imagine’ that if you like Imagine Dragons mostly very AOR tunes, Smoke + Mirrors will be the greatest concert film ever. And if you’ve been unable to see the band live, and really want to, this will give you an excellent, next-best-thing-to-being-there idea of how they are in a live forum — which is to say theoretically excellent. For me though, their music goes right through me leaving absolutely no hook residue in its wake, so if you are not fan, I think I can safely say that you can skip this. The only two songs of theirs that I know (and that is mostly because they are both used on TV commercials)  — the rousing “I Bet My Life” and dystopian “Radioactive” — come at the film’s very end. Smoke + Mirrors is technically flawless – but I could not help during the screening but wish that I was watching Tame Impala or Hosier; two bands I saw live last year whose shows just blew me away.

For tickets and participating theaters showing Smoke + Mirrors, visit This Link. Run time is 1 hour and 35 minutes.

Watch the Trailer Below.

Pink Thing of The Day: Pink Liberty

Pink Statue of Liberty
Image Source

Happy 4th of July, Everyone!

RIP Legendary Jazz Drummer, Jim Chapin

Jim Chapin
1919 – 2009 (Image Source)

I just found out late last evening that the legendary jazz drummer and educator Jim Chapin passed away last Saturday, July 4th, 2009 (Jim was the father of the late folk rock singer, Harry Chapin). Many of the world’s great drummers credit their skills in part to Jim’s teaching and his groundbreaking books, including Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer. At 89, Jim had a good long life; nevertheless, this is such a huge blow to the drumming community, and he will be sorely missed. There’s an excellent obit and recap of Jim’s life and career at this link. RIP, Jim!

Lyrics Of The Day: Soundgarden, “4th of July”

Fourth July Boston

Shower in the dark day
Clean sparks driving down
Cool in the waterway
Where the baptized drown
Naked in the cold sun
Breathing life like fire
Thought I was the only one
But that was just a lie

Cause I heard it in the wind
And I saw it in the sky
And I thought it was the end
And I thought it was the 4th of July

Pale in the flare light
The scared light cracks & disappears
And leads the scorched ones here
And everywhere no one cares
The fire is spreading
And no one wants to speak about it
Down in the hole
Jesus tries to crack a smile
Beneath another shovel load

And I heard it in the wind
And I saw it in the sky
And I thought it was the end
And I thought it was the 4th of July

Now I’m in control
Now I’m in the fall out
Once asleep but now I stand
And I still remember
Your sweet everything
Light a Roman candle
And hold it in your hand

Cause I heard it in the wind
And I saw it in the sky
And I thought it was the end
And I thought it was the 4th of July

Happy 4th of July, Everyone!

Fuck Yeah!

Play safe and sane today!