Smoke + Mirrors Live

Since breaking out in 2012, Imagine Dragons has become a fixture on playlists of rock and pop fans. The band filmed its July 4, 2015, show in Toronto and just released a video/audio package that captures in digital amber the tour supporting its second full-length, Smoke + Mirrors. Does the breadth and depth of their catalog justify a live disc? With the buzz faded, do the songs hold up? Yes, and yes. For a casual fan acquainted with just the radio hits, familiar flashbacks abound—“Shots,” “It’s Time,” “Demons,” “On Top of the World,” “Radioactive”—and live they’re infused with zeal. A cover of Alphaville’s 1980s staple “Forever Young,” leading into the title track, soars; “Polaroid” proves as strong as anything in the canon. The set works well audio-only, and visuals magnify the experience. The band, particularly frontman Dan Reynolds, fills the packed 15,000-seat arena with lights, sound, energy and magnetic presence. No smoke and mirrors needed: Imagine Dragons conjures magic with pure live performance.