Imagine Dragons performed a stripped-down rendition of "Radioactive" for striking writers because, sure!

Early audience reviews of the bands impromptu park-bench performance opined that the group was "totally crushing it"

By Hattie Lindert  |  May 10, 2023 | 2:42pm
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Imagine Dragons performed a stripped-down rendition of
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Wayne Sermon, Daniel Platzman, Dan Reynolds, and Ben McKee of Imagine Dragons Photo: Emma McIntyre

For writers picketing in New York and Los Angeles as part of the ongoing WGA strike, using the old imagination is no new territory, whether it’s dreaming up a perfect end for Logan Roy or imagining better, fairer, more sustainable working conditions becoming a reality. But one thing Guild members don’t have to imagine anymore? Dragons. Literally: pop rockers Imagine Dragons performed an impromptu acoustic show for a select few chosen picketers at Los Angeles’ Netflix headquarters.

Two members of the band—comprised of pianist and vocalist Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee, and drummer Andrew Tolman—took a break from their ongoing Mercury World Tour to stop by the picket line on Tuesday afternoon. From atop a park bench and accompanied by only Sermon on an acoustic guitar, Reynolds stood (and sung) in solidarity with striking writers, performing Imagine Dragons tracks “Whatever It Takes” and “Radioactive.” He even rallied the crowd into a singalong at one point. (Side note: does this officially make “Radioactive” a protest song?)

Despite the somewhat tepid tenor of the aforementioned singalong, early audience reviews were pretty glowing. TV writer and WGA member Gennefer Gross, whose recording of Reynolds’ performance went viral Tuesday, opined in her caption that the duo was “totally crushing it.”

Reynolds and Sermon are only the latest public personalities showing up at picket lines to support writers on the front lines of the strike, now in its second week. At Paramount Studios also on Tuesday, Niecy Nash offered picketers a performance of her own, a rousing karaoke rendition of “I Will Survive.” Last week, Jay Leno stopped by the picket line at Disney in Los Angeles to hand out donuts to striking writers; a few days later, Pete Davidson—whose scheduled Saturday Night Live hosting slot was recently canceled due to the strike—followed suit, slinging pizzas in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Seth Meyers, Jason Sudeikis, Rob Lowe, Bowen Yang, Cynthia Nixon, Ilana Glazer, and Nicholas Braun have all also been spotted at picket lines.

 
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