Imagine Dragons, Snoop, Duran Duran Give Crowd What They Want at Life Is Beautiful Day Two
On the second day of any music festival, there is a definite risk of letdown, and Life Is Beautiful was no exception. Having Stevie Wonder headline on day one was a difficult act to follow, as there are only a handful of artists at his living legend status that can bring the same singular feeling of witnessing an event that he does.
So day two of Life Is Beautiful had to be about the composite experience. That is easier, however, when you have the likes of Snoop, Duran Duran, and Imagine Dragons as your headliners, and a handful of other standout acts to round out the bill.
The highlights came early on the Downtown Stage with U.K. power rock duo Royal Blood absolutely smoldering under the Vegas sun. After being endorsed by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, Royal Blood have been heralded as the next big thing in rock – and in this set more than any other we’ve witnessed this year, it’s easy to see why. It’s not just the Zeppelin-like riffs of songs such as “Figure It Out” and “Little Monsters,” it’s also their unbelievable ease and comfort on stage and the power of their music.
That power reached its zenith in a stunning rendition of “One Trick Pony.” In the breakup song, Mike Kerr sings a refrain of “I just can’t love you like I used to.” In this live version he improvised, “I just can’t f**k you like I should.” It was a line of such brutal candor listeners had to do a double take – “Did he really just say that?” Yes he did, and it was so stunning in its honesty and such a rock star moment it took a while for any other act to emerge.
Canadian indie heroes Metric were up to the task, however, with a strong almost hour-long appearance that was vintage Metric in that wasn’t flashy and there weren’t any “holy s**t” moments…just an hour of solid songs and rock star charisma from frontwoman Emily Haines.
Future Islands were much the same, with a superb set marked by frontman Samuel Herring’s remarkably likable between-songs banter. He explained the origins and meanings behind the songs and corresponding unique dance moves; also busting out some new tunes. The crowd was justifiably swooning during the closing smash, “Seasons (Waiting On You).”
While Metric and Future Islands were understated in their appearances, the only bling missing from Snoop’s arrival and set was a helicopter landing on stage. But the flash and pomp that accompanied his hourlong greatest hits set was exactly what the crowd wanted and expected from the pop culture icon. And he knows that and brought it, lighting up at one point between songs like “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang,” “Gin And Juice,” and “Drop It Like Its Hot.” He brought up dancers to twerk during “Wiggle.” It was Snoop in all his glory.
Resurgent U.K. new wave legends Duran Duran brought a lot of flash in the peak of their ‘80s popularity, carried by award-winning videos and screaming girls everywhere they went. That is not so much the case anymore, though they still do have a zealous fan base. These days their songs, which have always been strong, are at the forefront. And they brought an excellent mix through the hour, from more up-tempo early songs like “A View To A Kill,” “Wild Boys,” and “The Reflex”; to their outstanding '90s comeback hits “Ordinary World” and arguably their best song, “Come Undone.” They also had fun with a cover of Grandmaster Flash’s rap classic “White Lines.”
The night closed with Imagine Dragons returning home, an angle they repeatedly spoke about. Frontman Dan Reynolds pointed out early on, “This is a very special day for us,” before he listed all the group’s ties to Vegas. Opening with “Shots,” the quartet fed off the energy of the hometown fans, leading up to the kind of party you want to close out a festival.
