Honey With A Little Soul
"Cotus* you know who that is?" Layton asked me, tipping his head in the direction of the hooded man.
"No, should I?" I asked back knowing this relieved some of my stronghold in the realm of cool.
"He's the lead singer of Imagine Dragons, Dan Reynolds," he whispered back.
This was even worse because I had never heard of Imagine Dragons.
"They are one of the best bands around. Well, they used to be here in Provo but now they live in Vegas."
And he spoke with so much excitement I knew this guy wasn't just anybody. He was definitely somebody.
"Like good enough to invite them to play at the Rooftops?" I asked.
"Oh yes. Definitely. They are huge!" Huge, like Layton's eyes at that moment.
As a gesture of how much I love my nephew, how much I trust his musical tastes, how desperate I am to be the cool aunt, I almost, almost introduced myself to the guy and prematurely invited him to play at our concert series without consulting the RCS board. But I didn't.
The next Monday morning Layton had an email for me with a link to his favorite Imagine Dragons song, Tokyo. When it played on the speakers of my computer I said to myself, "Are you kidding me? I should've asked him on the spot to come and play."
Tokyo:
But it turns out, they were already on the list for this seasons hopefuls. When Neon Trees had to back out of our September show we wanted it to be filled with another band as exciting and beloved. There was only one choice: Imagine Dragons.
I've been listening to their album all day and there isn't a dry song on the set. Even your favorite person Mindy Gledhill tweeted today:
Currently rocking out to the @Imaginedragons album. It's honestly SO good. Pumped that they'll be in Provo on Friday for @rooftopconcerts !
And Justin Hackworth the Utah Wedding Photographer tweeted:
Very excited to hear @Imaginedragons this Friday at the @rooftopconcerts. I've listened to that Tokoyo song about ten times this morning.
It's true, since Layton sent it to me Tokyo has frequently been found in my ears. Incidentally, three months after our date that cold January night Layton moved to Tokyo to serve a Mormon mission and three months after that we booked Imagine Dragons to come and play for our series.
Funny how those things happen.
From their press release:
Mixing synth-laden rock with infectious dance grooves and restless energy, Imagine Dragons createsan eccentric, often anthemic sound. The quintet blends massive high-energy with a unique and diverse sound, evident in the band’s latest EP. Imagine Dragons has shared the stage with indie notables Temper Trap, Hot Chip, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Nico Vega and The Envy Corps, and have opened for mainstream acts such as Weezer, Blue October, and Interpol. The band consists of front man Dan Reynolds on vocals and keys, Wayne Sermon on guitar, Ben McKee on bass, Daniel Platzman on drums and Theresa Flaminio on keys.
Opening for Imagine Dragons is Vibrant Sound. You like a little rap with your downtown Provo evening? It's like having a bit of the OC in the UC:
And lastly, the warm up spot goes to the The Neighbors, the best-looking, talented brother and sister band in Provo since Donny and Marie:
It's going to be one of those hot concerts. I only wish Layton were here to enjoy it with me, but since he can't come, will you?
(And if you can't come, know that we wish you could.)
*Cotus -one of the many nicknames I have picked up since my debut on this earth. Cotus came from my brother Matt's head. Someone once told me COTUS scientifically stands for
Center Of The UniverSe, which, if you know me . . .
I'll be posting more about the concert tomorrow. There's too much going on Friday night for one post. Until then, here's what you need to know:
