Ben McKee From Imagine Dragons

Bassist Ben McKee joins Bret to talk about Imagine Dragons: Live From The Hollywood Bowl (with the LA Film Orchestra). Which is the better venue, The Hollywood Bowl or Red Rocks? And what happened with that Imagine Dragons song that was supposed to be broadcast from the moon?

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hi.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Let's talk with Bassis Ben McKee from the multi multi
platinum band Imagine Dragons. They have a new concert film
live from the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Film Orchestra.
Hopefully I can finally get the definitive answer which is
the superior venue, the Hollywood Bowl or Red Rocks. Let's
find out Ben McKee from Imagine Dragons on the Brett

(00:24):
Sonders Podcast.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
Wonderful to be hearing your voice. Good morning, Brett.

Speaker 4 (00:28):
Thanks Ben, It's nice to hear from you too. Let's
get right to this exciting Imagine Dragons news. There's a
film live from the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Film Orchestra.
You'll be able to see it in theaters. Is this
the band's first foray into filmmaking.

Speaker 5 (00:45):
It's the first foray into filmmaking.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
We have done films scoring before.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
You've got been in the studio with Hans Zimmer working
on films before. But this is the first time that
we are going to to be, you know, taking a
full feature length performance and putting it into theaters. And
what a special performance it is. We were able to
collaborate with the fifty piece LA Film Orchestra. We arranged

(01:18):
every single song.

Speaker 3 (01:19):
We played that night.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
We didn't just have them come out for you know,
four or five of the hits or something. They're on
every single song we played that night, and man, it
was such a special performance. We're so grateful that we
were able to capture it all on film and release
it in this way share with our fans across the world.

(01:44):
We've never been more proud of a project.

Speaker 4 (01:47):
I did want to ask you, how does the Hollywood
Bulls stack up against Red Rocks?

Speaker 1 (01:53):
They are totally totally different. Red Rocks is one of
my favorite places to play because the way, like the
view from the stage is such that, you know, the
audience is stacked in such a vertical way that you

(02:14):
can see everybody's face. It doesn't feel like you're playing to,
you know, a amphitheater full of people. It feels like
you're playing to a wall of your fans that just
extends up into the sky. And I always get a
lot of energy from our fans. I'm always watching people

(02:36):
and looking at faces, and for me to be able
to see everybody is really something.

Speaker 3 (02:41):
That I get excited about.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
And the stage is so close to everybody, it's a
really intimate feeling venue the Hollywood.

Speaker 5 (02:53):
Bowl is a little more spread out, it feels whereas
Red Rocks feels intimate, Hollywood Ball feels grand and.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
You know, there's just so much history there. It's such
a beautiful place.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
I think if I wanted to go see a concert,
that would be the venue that I would most want
to see a concert from the audience member. Like Red
Rocks is my favorite place to perform from stage, Hollywood
Bowl is probably the place I would most like to
see a performance from.

Speaker 6 (03:30):
Ben. That is one eloquent answers.

Speaker 3 (03:31):
Oh, I thought about it a lot.

Speaker 1 (03:33):
These are two of my favorite outdoor venues in not
just the United States, but in the world. You know,
I'm always thinking about I'm always comparing everything or outdoors
to Red Rocks and Hollywood Ball.

Speaker 3 (03:48):
So yeah, it's right at the tip of my brain.

Speaker 4 (03:52):
Hey, I did want to ask you Ben about what
happened down the moon is And I don't completely comprehend
this story, but you guys are supposed to have a
song broadcast from the moon, Children of the Sky, and
then there was some sort of mishap on the moon.

Speaker 6 (04:07):
Am I accurate?

Speaker 5 (04:09):
Yeah, there was, I guess some equipment fell over on
the landing or something. But I believe they were still
able to broadcast our song. I know a lot of
the other stuff didn't happen. I'm still a little confused
about it myself.

Speaker 1 (04:28):
I was at a doctor's appointment with my ten month
old right at the moment when it was supposed to
be happening, so I just was able to hear about
it afterwards.

Speaker 3 (04:42):
But yeah, we may.

Speaker 1 (04:46):
Or may not have been the first song broadcast from
the moon.

Speaker 4 (04:51):
Well, I'm glad that your priorities are in order. You're
ten month old, going to the doctor. Pediatrician is much
more important than a song on the moon.

Speaker 1 (04:58):
I think, Yeah, I mean, for in my world, for sure,
she is. She's everything to me.

Speaker 4 (05:06):
Live from the Hollywood Bowl with the La Film Orchestra
in March twenty sixth and twenty ninth at a theater
in your neighborhood, Ben, It's so nice to talk to you.
It's been a minute and you sound great.

Speaker 3 (05:16):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 1 (05:17):
And you can go to Imagine dragonsmovie dot com and
find out you know where.

Speaker 3 (05:22):
It's playing near you. It's playing all over the world.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
March twenty sixth and March twenty ninth, and truly truly
a very special performance, maybe the most proud we've ever
been of something we've put together. I hope everybody can
get out there and see it.

Speaker 6 (05:38):
I'm really happy you could listen. I'll see you next time.
I'm Brett. It's the Brett Sanders Podcast.