Philly: It's Not Always Sunny in Philadelphia

As a kid I loved the movie "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" for one reason, they traveled by way of a bed. I must have been a lazy child because that sounded like an ideal situation. I remembered that childhood aspiration as I went to sleep for the first time on the Dragon Wagon while we made our way from New York to Philadelphia. 

I am the last to wake as we arrive at the venue in Philly. I wanted to get up sooner but my sense of time was lost in the dark enclosed bunk, the result: 10 hours of rest. I walk to the front of the bus to see that it is 1 p.m. and everyone is ready to unload the equipment. We are also informed that there is an 85% chance of rain and thunderstorms at set time. Interesting start.

During this time, I take it upon myself to explore the neighborhood. The area is referred to as Northern Liberties and from what I can see, it is a fifty-fifty mix between old red brick structures and sleek modern, echo-friendly architecture. There are quaint coffee shops under newer condos with herb gardens growing on roofs and balconies. There are advertisemnets for Art Walks and I begin to think that I could live in this neighborhood. The cold industrial design of the area is just my aesthetic and all the people I have come across have been ready to point me in the direction of the best cafe. I follow the melodies of the Bee Gees and '70s disco hits to a local park where a community cook off is being held and I continue to take in this beautiful place until I am called back to the green room.

The green room is actually a large conference room in a sparse brick building with "Mad Menesque" light fixtures and intern assignments on large white boards. The boys keep busy practicing putting on a mini golf green and warming up vocals while waiting for food and direction. While the band writes the set list and does an interview, I keep entertained by listening to a colorful security guard tell me how "Fifty Shades of Grey" has changed her life post divorce (she is reading it for the third time).

The concert took place in an enormous courtyard of a historic-looking Schmidt's Beer and Ale and a few newer large apartment buildings. I watch from the sound tent located behind a fourth of the audience. The plan was to play until it rains, stop when (and if) it does and start back up once the storm blew through. 

Imagine Dragons began to play for their 6,000+ audience and the clouds slowly got closer and closer. During "Radioactice," a swift breeze rattles through the courtyard in an irrily strange homage to the lyrics. The dark clouds roll in and I am sure the set will be cut short, I look to my left and right and see the faces of the crowd turned up to the inevitably stormy sky. The moisture held off while the crowd cheered to see the sky clearing during the up-beat, "On Top of the World." 

The crowd has been crazy the entire set, with at least five people crowd-surfing at any given time, including Dan. On the last song, "Nothing Left to Say" it begins to drizzle as Dan throws himself to the wolves for one last swim through the crowd. He returns with a torn shirt and the crowd goes wild with excitement in the damage they have done. As the band loads off, the rain really begins to fall to the point where AWOLNATION must wait a while before loading on stage. The merch sales in Philly have been the best to date and the crowds' response to the performance has yet to be matched. 

The night closed perfectly with a stormy late night walk under the Ben Franklin Bridge with my favorite person in the world. Thank you Philly.