ML - Michigan Avenue

2015 - Issue 4 - Summer - Art of the City - Hebru Brantley

Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!

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54  michiganavemag.com photography by jeff gale (ImagIne Dragons); ryan bourque (holter) "ChiCagoisoneofourfavoriteCitiesinthe usa.it'saCitywhereeveryoneCanhavea goodtimeandeveryonedoes."— ben mckee go into detail—trade secrets and all—but says there will be more lights ("hundreds!"), speakers, galactic visual effects, and overall phantas- mic shenanigans on June 15 at Rosemont's Allstate Arena. "Chicago is one of our favorite cities in the USA," adds McKee. "The food is ridiculous, everything from complex molecular gastron- omy at Moto to the delicious simplicity of a Portillo's hot dog. It's a city where every- one can have a good time and everyone does." Sermon cofounded the band just six years ago with Reynolds after meeting McKee at Boston's Berklee College of Music in an ear-training class. "He was the guy in the front row asking all the questions," Sermon says. "I was the one in the back row being quiet." Before long, the duo took to practicing together along with fellow classmate Platzman. What came out of that was a groove and a spiritual core. "It's a given that everyone can play at Berklee," Sermon says, "but we [also] got along." When he joined forces with Reynolds to form the band, Sermon picked up the phone and called McKee and Platzman. "It cannot be overestimated how much you need to like your bandmates," he insists. "They have to be your family." The quartet came up with the name Imagine Dragons— an anagram based on a top- secret group of words that even family members don't know— and performed at tiny joints around Sin City. "We'd play four- or five-hour gigs and split the $400 pay between us," says Sermon. "It was grueling, but we earned our chops." They also picked up lots of fans and a record deal thanks to their anthemic sound, which features powerful hooks and haunting lyrics. Each track is laced with Reynolds' moods, both bright and dark, his voice roaring lyrics of apocalypse, dreams, demons, and fame. "Dan writes lyrics like journal entries," Sermon says. "They are deep thoughts and extremely honest. He documents the hard stuff— sudden fame, the loneliness of touring. It's therapy for him. It's raw, and it's real." He continues, "We had no idea we would blow up to this extent. Our music is true to us. We write music that we would be okay with playing hundreds of times, over and over." This summer the band hits 39 cities in 58 days, with barely one day off per week. "We are upping our game," says Sermon. "We owe it to our fans. Their energy is palpable. They've booked babysitters and paid for parking. It's our responsibility to bring the best stage presence we can." June 15at7:30 pm,allstatearena, 6920n.mannheimroad, rosemont,800-745-3000; ticketmaster.com MA Bandmates (from left) Daniel Platzman, Wayne Sermon, Dan Reynolds, and Ben McKee play 39 cities in 58 days as part of the band's Smoke + Mirrors summer tour. In the WIngs Playwright Ike holter takes the reins as artistic curator of this year's theater on the Lake. by thomas connors Ike Holter is an emerging force among Chicago playwrights: His Hit the Wall refects on the Stonewall riots in New York, while Exit Strategy—which plays Off-Broadway next spring—examines the closing of a Chicago public school. This summer, Holter also serves as artistic curator for the 63rd annual Theater on the Lake, the Chicago Park District program that brings some of the season's fnest works to various locations around the city. Here's what Holter had to say in a recent chat with Michigan Avenue. you're not shy about being topical. I only chase stories with characters I want to be in conversation with. Exit Strategy is about people letting go. Hit the Wall is about people realizing they're part of some- thing that's bigger than they frst perceived. The fact that one of these plays is about a crumbling school and the other one is about the start of the gay rights movement is always secondary to the characters who are going about their lives. I don't know how to preach; I just know how to try and write people. how do you go about shaping the theater on the Lake season? I go to dozens and dozens of shows throughout the year, trying to fnd things that showcase a wide and diverse vari- ety. The Park District was amazing to work with. They're all about outreach and getting new people in to see theater. When you're not working, what will you be up to this summer? I'll see a lot of movies, go to all the concerts I can, drink heavily, and eat everything in sight. Theater on the Lake runs June 17–August 16. Various locations, 312-742-7994; chicagoparkdistrict.com/events/theater-on-the-lake CULtURe hottest ticket

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