The first-ever Homecoming concert took over Rollins Street on Friday night, when alternative rock band Imagine Dragons played outside the MU Student Center to a full crowd.
“We decided a free concert would be a great way to get everyone to come out to celebrate together and have a really good Homecoming,” College Music Committee Junior Chairman Christopher Chandler said. “This year we decided to partner up with the Alumni Association and the Student Union (and the Residence Halls Association and the Department of Student Life) to throw a free concert because we wanted to do something that appeals to a wide range of campus.”
In an effort to get students excited about the weekend’s festivities, the Homecoming Spirit Rally, which usually takes place in Greektown, preceded the concert.
The Golden Girls, cheerleaders and Mini-Mizzou performed for the crowd before the Homecoming tri-directors took the mic and introduced the band.
Imagine Dragons took the stage at about 9:45 p.m. and started the show with the upbeat song “Rocks.”
Lead singer and drummer Dan Reynolds belted out lyrics, jumped around the stage and pounded out the beat on his glitter-covered floor tom drum.
Reynolds took a break after a few songs to talk about the band’s past four years of touring. Friday marked the end of the band’s two-month tour.
“It feels really good to end it with you guys tonight,” Reynolds said.
Encouraging the audience to crowd surf, the band went on to play one of its hit songs, “On Top of the World.”
The energy was palpable as students danced and cheered along with the band members while keeping their fellow students afloat above the crowd.
But not only students populated Rollins Street — visitors and alumni also came to attend the concert.
“I was thinking I wish they would have done this when I went to school here,” graduate Kelsey Morris said.
Imagine Dragons kept the concert going with upbeat songs such as “Cha Ching,” “Round and Round” and “Underdog.”
Even as it approached 10:45 p.m., the audience continued to crowd surf, sing along with the band and cheer as Reynolds danced around the stage, throwing drumsticks and water bottles into the air.
To wrap up the set, Imagine Dragons performed “It’s Time,” its chart-topping hit, creating a sea of sound as Reynolds held out the mic to the audience for students and alumni to belt out the song’s empowering lyrics.
After the musicians exited the stage, the audience erupted into applause, chanting for the band to return for one more song.
As the band members returned to their instruments, Reynolds began a round of “M-I-Z” chants with the crowd before jumping into the kinetic “Nothing Left to Say.” The band finished the song with solos on the guitar and drums before concluding the show and ending the concert.
“I feel like it got everybody pumped up for Homecoming and brought everyone together and let everyone have fun,” said freshman Haley Reed, who was one of the crowd surfers during the concert.
The band said it already has plans to come back to Columbia in the future.