Imagine Dragons gave Las Vegas fans a first listen to their Origins album at The Chelsea, mixing new tracks with their biggest hits just days before the official release.
Two days before their new album hit stores, Imagine Dragons took the stage at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan on November 7, 2018. The band didn’t hold back, rolling out songs from ‘Origins’ for a packed Las Vegas crowd eager to hear what was next.
Imagine Dragons released their album 'Origins' in November 2018, though the exact release date and official confirmation from primary sources are not present in available search results.
Mixing new songs with arena hits
Instead of saving the latest songs for a separate moment, Imagine Dragons dropped “Natural,” “Zero,” “Bad Liar,” and “Machine” right alongside the hits that had already filled arenas. The crowd sang along to the classics, but the new tracks were still up for grabs, waiting to catch on. In the second half, the band doubled down on ‘Origins,’ playing “Bad Liar” and “Zero” back-to-back before circling back to crowd-pleasers like “Demons,” “Thunder,” “On Top of the World,” and “Believer.”
According to Mirror Media, Imagine Dragons resumed activity after a period of rest for lead singer Dan Reynolds, and their previous album 'Evolve' was closely tied to a global tour. The same source notes a scheduled performance in Taiwan on January 15 of the following year, but does not confirm any Las Vegas event.
Las Vegas as a launchpad
Las Vegas has a reputation for breaking in new acts and new music. Imagine Dragons picked The Chelsea for a reason. The venue’s size and energy matched the band’s ambitions, and the city’s fans were ready for something new. The setlist ran through seventeen songs, showing a band that wasn’t afraid to bridge its past and future:
1. “Machine”
2. “It’s Time”
3. “Whatever It Takes”
4. “Yesterday”
5. “Natural”
6. “Walking the Wire”
7. “Shots”
8. “I’ll Make It Up to You”
9. “Bad Liar”
10. “Zero”
11. “I Don’t Know Why”
12. “Demons”
13. “Thunder”
14. “On Top of the World”
15. “Believer”
16. “Destination”
17. “Radioactive”
Capturing a moment before release
Shows like this, staged just before an album drops, give fans a rare look at a band in motion. Imagine Dragons stood at a crossroads that night. Their biggest songs already belonged to the crowd, but the new ones were still finding their place. The set made it clear just how many hits the band had stacked up by 2018—“It’s Time,” “Demons,” “Radioactive,” “Believer,” “Thunder,” and “On Top of the World” could each carry a show on their own.
For Las Vegas, the concert was another reminder of the city’s pull for headline acts and new music. The Chelsea has hosted plenty of big names, and this show added to that list. The buzz around the event echoed the excitement seen at other major concerts in town, like the Metallica Sphere trip giveaway reported earlier, showing how Las Vegas keeps drawing both artists and fans.
Editorial perspective
By rolling out ‘Origins’ in Las Vegas and mixing new songs with proven hits, Imagine Dragons let fans in on the creative process. The band didn’t wall off their latest work—they put it right in the mix, letting the crowd decide what would stick. For Las Vegas, nights like this keep the city at the center of the live music scene. The Chelsea’s stage has become a spot where artists can take chances and connect with fans in real time. As more acts look to Las Vegas for album launches and headline shows, the city’s reputation as a launchpad for new music only grows.
