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Imagine Dragons kicked off the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO presented by Capital One with a high-energy set, packed with their biggest hits. The band launched into “Believer,” blasting confetti into the crowd at the iconic Los Angeles venue, The Forum, on Saturday night (January 15).
“What a beauty, what a pleasure to be here, experiencing real music with real, live people,” frontman Dan Reynolds said, welcoming the audience to ALTer EGO 2022. Reynolds encouraged everyone to “just unwind” and “let go of all the stresses” after a “hard couple of years,” right before the band performed their 2017 hit, “Whatever It Takes.” Reynolds also shared a personal story before performing “Demons,” admitting that he previously struggled with seeking therapy for anxiety and depression because he feared seeking help was weakness. “I’m here to tell you there is no truth in that,” Reynolds learned. “Talking to someone makes you incredibly strong, incredibly wise. Talking to someone will save your life, and your life is always worth living… I love you, I’m here for you, you’ll achieve all your dreams.”
Imagine Dragons kept the show going with “Thunder,” “Enemy,” “Follow You,” and, of course, capping it all off with “Radioactive,” firing off another burst of confetti to close the set. “‘Enemy’ is about reconciling internal conflict in a world where it feels impossible to trust even yourself,” Reynolds previously explained of the band’s most recent song included in the ALTer EGO setlist. “In Arcane, two sisters' lives take them on different paths and leads to a division that threatens to tear an entire city apart. Like the series, the song is meant to be both personal and a critique of a society that seems intent on creating division.”
Imagine Dragons recently dropped their fifth studio LP, Mercury - Act 1. The 13-track collection is one that takes listeners through a series of highs and lows, because “you can’t feel the happiness unless you feel the sadness,” Reynolds said during the band’s iHeartRadio Album Release Party in September. Around the same time, Imagine Dragons announced their upcoming Mercury Tour, set to kick off in February. See the list of dates here.