Imagination Dragons "Loom" World Tour 2024

Th 8/22/24  Martin Klunder (no gummies) Jiffy Lube Live - Est Att 23k - 78$ - 66℉ (19℃)

Music 8/10 - Show 9/10 - Overall Enjoyment 9/10 - Merch 7/10

Yes, the band name is actually “Imagine Dragons”. I had to make the title that though haha. If you know you know. Impractical Jokers punishment from like 10 years ago when Sal & Joe were the opening act for them. They said to the crowd, “Whose ready for the Imagination Dragons” They crowded hated that. Haha. Look it up. So funny. So much respect to ID for being big fans of the show and letting them come on for a punishment!

Also I really really love this; Thursday show @ “Jiffy Lube Live” (Bristow, VA), the next day Friday the 23rd show at “Merriweather Post Pavilion” (Columbia MD), then yesterday Monday August 26th the played “Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach” Yes that is actually the entire name of the amphitheater. For the sticklers! I have been to all of those outdoor venues before for shows and they are great!

Usually a tour won’t go to all 3 of those places. The times I have seen a tour go to all of those places it’s usually not in consecutive dates. So big swag and respect to ID for really keeping local here with back to back to back dates. I will say a Monday show is probably the rarest day for shows. But I know each of these shows were packed. I can’t honestly say SOLD OUT, but dam near close to it. ID bring in huge audiences. They are from Las Vegas Nevada if ya didn’t know!

Today is Tuesday August the 27th. Guillermo’s birthday. Virgo szn <3 Lizard God. But why I’m writing this write up today (and posting it), is because I saw a student today in the cafeteria with an Imagine Dragons Tour sweatshirt! I asked and got to talk to them about it. They went to the show last night in VB. I told them I went to the show last week in Northern VA. So that was cool.

Which brings me to my big point. I can’t believe how man children there were at the show. It’s not like this was a KidzBop show man. Imagine Dragons are like in their late 30’s. I’m sure there are lots of children at every one of there shows. I shoulda guessed a little about that outcome. I remember kids at school asking me multiple times in the last couple years to play Imagine Dragons. So guess it makes sense.

It was also one of the most diverse crowds I have experienced. From age, to gender (respect to those who don’t identify) , to ethnicity. I mean all sorts and kids of people. So I always love that. That usually indicates it’s a chill and fun groupe of patrons. And I got to say it was a great set of people observing together. It may not have seemed as crowded because kids are smaller. But easily 25% of the audience was elementary school kids. I'll even go and say another 25% was middle and or high schoolers!

Ticket sales for ID shows are always in the black! It was a crowded night. Also prices are expensive. Cheapest tickets for lawn are in the upper 70’s $$$. So I’m a little shocked but I guess those parents love their kids. Show was not cheap...short story!

It was also cold for August man. It’s hot as crap right now. We might hit 100 tomorrow for Rays B day down at Browns Island #Gizzard  But last week was False Fall for sure. It was similar in temperature to the Pitbull show the night before. It didn’t even rain or anything it was just colder last week! In the 60’s during show time and dropping (fast). Like upper 60’s when the first act Cannons (who I didn’t see) came on at 19:00 (7pm). ID were scheduled to come on at 20:15 but they didn’t even start playing their intro music till a little after 8:20 pm. So they probably came on at the bottom of the hour! They played for a little over an hour and a half. So a 90 min set gets the thumbs up in my book.

But I haven’t been to many shows that end before 22:15. Especially not at JLL. The end time for this show might have been the earliest I have ever seen at this venue before. It ended just after 10 pm. & Cutoff is always 11pm there.  Maybe cause it’s a school night and there were lots of kids. idk But I looked back on their “Mercury” tour of 2022. Which also stopped by JLL in August. They played a Sunday. I didn’t go, I’m a weirdo and remember it also been cooler for August in VA for that specific show. #FlaseFall

All of the data says they played to around 22:30 on that tour. And like 4 or 5 more songs. So I’m a little salty that their last go around was well over 15 more mins per show compared to this tour. But alas Thursday was a great show. However I’m shooooooooooook that they didn’t play “On Top Of The World” Yes it is one of the earliest songs. Coming as the 5th and final single from their 2012 debut album “Night Visons” Which was extremely successful.  It’s also their 4th most performed song of all time! At over 600 times!

I hate to slight a show based of a set list. But I’m disappointed and shocked! VB amphitheater put a poll on their Instagram story last night. It said which song are you most excited for. One of the 4 choices was “On Top Of World”. Shows ya people were also expecting it. I was talking to the student today, it’s a 3rd grade girl who is 8 years old just to give you an idea. They were telling me they were also surprised that song was left off. They told me their favorite song but I forgot haha. But they played 6 songs of the new album, "Loom" which was the most from any album. So I guess that makes sense!

Also “Radioactive” just didn’t quite hit and sound like it does on the album. I know live is different. But I have only seen this a few times. Where a huge popular song performed live just doesn’t elmuate like it does on the album or listening to it on the radio. My only note from the show. Other then that they crushed it. Maybe that is just such an amazing mastered song it can’t be done justice live. Idk. One of the only other times I noticed this was also at Jiffy Lube Live. It was July 2022, during One Republic's set. As they played their extremely successful huge song “Counting Stars” Also a fantastic show, they sounded excellent. But that song also didn’t quite do it for me! I was sober for both of those shows. They also left off one of their biggest songs "All the right moves". So idk, strange.

I have also never seen so much confetti shot off before...like ever! Like lots of it, more times than I can count. There was already confetti on the ground from Pitbull’s show the night before. But ID launched confetti in the pit, in the pavilion. Just repeatedly all show. LOTS & I mean lots of confetti. In my peoples hair, clothes, in peoples food and drink. It was literally falling the entire night. Supper fun!

Not sure what was my favorite part of the show. As the band was talking their final bows. There was a person, probably like mid 20’s who happened to have down syndrome, right in front of me in the pit, just rolling around on the ground in the confetti. Haha fun moment for sure!

But the music, was delicious. I really loved during Radioactive them using the big drum. Looked be like a 32 'in orchestra drum (not a timpani) that was up vertically on a roller. So you could hit either the left or right side. They were hitting it hard with the mallets! Then the singer ended up going behind the drummer on a huge riser, which I didn’t even notice almost. There was another full drum kit back there! So it ended up being a double drum off! So epic.

Finally for the journey! They said expect heavy traffic for the show. It wasn’t sold out but man it was crowded. Again if lot D gets used you know it’s a big night! I had no traffic on the highway or traffic associated with the venue upon entry. I went my usual way for arrival. However as I’m on Wellington road going west towards JLL. Lot F is my first one I come across. There was two Prince William County Cops out there. I had my left turn signal on. But they just kept directing me forwards towards the other closer gates. Hell no.

I go up like 50 feet farther, take a U turn and circle roll back to lot F coming now from the west going east. I take a right, I see the staff directing me to go to lot F. Hell no.

I get blessed a spot and just squeeze my van on the right side of the street in the grass. Where other cars are at as well. This time I literally had the closet spot to the exit. The guardrail was 1 foot from front left tire as I backed it. Just made it. Sorry JLL staff I found a better spot then lot F. #LocalsOnly

Takes a local to know! I parked here for both Pitbull and Hootie this month. You just have a way better chance on getting out when this is your parking spot. Honestly it’s not even that much farther of a walk from the spot I have been parking at vs the back of Lot F anyway. Its probably the same. 15 mins walk anyway to the main gate. So took me long enough to realize this, but man the exit getaway is the best it can be! Regardless of how crowded or what way traffic is moving!

I’m looking good, I got my red JLL locals only lawnie shirt on. Didn’t think I would be wearing that for a show in August. But it was cold enough. I actually left like crap for the ID show. I think I got to cold the night before not even gona lie. I feel great now though! It’s hot!

But I make the walk up the gate. See from friends and staff. I get in and go to the left where the carts are at. Danny and Jacob and the other old guy who drives the cart fast are there. We chat. They said 23k! Just about sold out. Expect for the pit! Danny pulls out a upgraded pitpass for me, that they were blessing lawnies! Just then the lady in the black shirt (Violet maybe her name, we weren't sure) who seems to be a supervisor or something important comes up to us!

She Asks me if I wanted to go to the pit. So she hands me a ticket. I say thanks and get in Danny’s cart and off we go. Maybe he blessed someone else the ticket he had for me?!? Idk. But I got double blessed man. Amen. Sheeesh.

The band had all SRO in the pit. There was a little added stage that came out in the middle through the pit. Probably lost about 150 or so peoples worth of SRO. But the JLL pit is big man. It wasn’t empty but certainly not full. Honestly fine with me. I just sat down and chilled stage right in the pit at the back for most of the show. Worked out perfectly. Thank god I always am packing ear plugs. No matter what the act is. Pit is loud. Protect your hearing ya fools!

I thought they had decant merch. I peeped really quickly on my way out. However I didn’t see a cool sticker, I woulda loved to have one to bring back for the students. Holy sh*t man. I almost pissed my pants. I didn’t get up or leave once. Saw the entire show. But at the end it was rough walking to the men’s room which was extremely close. I was hurting. Great pee pee though once I made it.

Sober or high, I'm not launching fireworks off that close to the cops. My car was to close to the opps. I have had that mortar tube loaded for a month now. I wasn’t wasting time to be minded and go somewhere else to shoot it off. It’s just before 10:30 and I’m already in my car out onto Wellington road. This was the first instance this season where I wasn’t going back to my parents’ house after the show. I had school Wednesday, went up to the Pitbull show. Took off Thursday. So I drove right back to Richmond after the ID show for school on Friday.

I get to I 95 at 23:00 on a fuc*king Thursday night and it’s just slammed man. I can’t even get mad. It's not a bad driver or traffic thing. When the highway goes down to one lane because of night work, I don’t even know what to do. I didn’t even curse or get mad. My legs where killing me though for some reason. The stop-standstill traffic was driving me nuts especially that night because of me not being able to active cruse-control! Next time I will be sure to look at my phone and or take rt 1. My word it sucked ass. Multiple road work and closures. Not the worst I have seen but added huge delays. Just under and hour of bs. I didn’t even get back home till well after midnight. But glad I went. Thanks ID <3 Martin.