It might seem as if Imagine Dragons has been taking the year off after wrapping its epic Evolve World Tour in November in Mexico City, but the Vegas-bred rock band has stayed active through activism and charitable work. Last month, the group hosted the sixth-annual Rise Up Gala at Wynn Las Vegas and raised more than $3.2 million for its Tyler Robinson Foundation, which supports families facing pediatric cancer.
More recently, drummer Daniel Platzman spearheaded a partnership between Birmingham, Alabama-based startup nonprofit KultureCity and Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas that has created the first known sensory-inclusive bowling alley in the world.
KultureCity was founded six years ago with the mission of “creating a world where all autistic individuals can be accepted, included and fulfill their potential.” Platzman, a native of Atlanta, was drawn to the cause because his mother is a child psychologist who has dealt with autism. He was invited to get involved by former Atlanta Hawks NBA star Dominique Wilkins.
“I’m not autistic, but I’m a bit obsessive. I have definitely have OCD. As a child I had nervous ticks as well,” Platzman says. “The idea that there’s a pretty large community out there that feels unspoken for and stigmatized really resonated with me because of my childhood and because my mom is a total badass at what she does and [her work] has always interested me.”
Platzman says the primary work of KultureCity is to remove the stigmas surrounding autism and other related special needs and sensory issues. After he hosted a trivia night at the Linq Promenade’s Brooklyn Bowl, he started to discuss the potential of a partnership. “I saw Ween there ,and it was one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen. I was at one of the bowling lanes 15 feet away from the keyboard player,” he says. “I started to think about bowling as one of those activities everyone should be able to do. Just because there are loud noises doesn’t mean someone shouldn’t be able to bowl, we just have to train the staff and make headphones accessible. The idea of making the bowling and the music more accessible to more people was a no-brainer.”
One way KultureCity’s programs focus on serving children and families is helping venues like Brooklyn Bowl become sensory-inclusive, and training is the biggest part of that conversion. Employees learn how to spot sensory issues and to identify someone in a crisis. The venue might also supply a kit that includes headphones, fidget toys, a weighted blanked and other items that make a difference for a person having a sensory crisis, and sometimes the venue might convert a small room into a retreat where a person in crisis can gather themselves and relax.
“There are a lot of places that claim to be sensory-friendly, but that’s not the same thing as inclusive,” Platzman says. “I’m happy to tell you the Cosmopolitan has joined on as well, and MGM Resorts and their [many] locations, including T-Mobile Arena.”
While Platzman and his bandmates pursue various causes, they’re making the most of their time away from the road and the studio while continuing to create music. And bassist Ben McKee has joined Platzman on the KultureCity board.
“To say we are not writing is a lie, we are absolutely working on stuff, but we haven’t figured out what the fifth album sounds like,” Platzman says. “There’s this Charlie Parker quote: ‘If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.’ So we’re trying to dive into the swimming pool of life and feel some inspiration.”
