Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to see the Lumineers when they rolled into Mansfield, MA in support of their newest album Brightside. The Lumineers are just one of those bands that feel like they’re meant to play in open air, and for once in Massachusetts the weather cooperated on an early June day for a beautiful evening in live music under the stars.
The Ohio group Caamp opened the evening with a laid back set that gave me everything I could possibly want from a folk show. With a mix of strings, full bodied harmonies, and poetic lyrics, Caamp charmed the audience from the first chord they played. Caamp’s lead singer and guitarist Taylor Meier’s iconic raspy vocals were on full display in their live performance, bringing another dimension of emotion to their set. The group played a short-but-sweet set, with crowd favorites like “Vagabond” and “Peach Fuzz” slipped in for good measure.
Okay. Let’s talk Lumineers.
As if the feat of selling out an almost 20,000 capacity stadium wasn’t enough, The Lumineers’ set itself proved that they are vetted professionals who are truly at the top of their game. Their set was sonically tight, but still featured The Lumineers’ brand of warmth and humility fans gravitate towards. The group somehow made the massive stadium feel incredibly intimate as they performed, telling stories of their lives, their families, and the road they’ve traveled.
Their set heavily featured tracks from their most recent album, Brightside, alongside mega-hits “Cleopatra”, “Ho Hey”, and “Ophelia”. In addition, The Lumineers brought their friends in Caamp back to the stage midway through the set to perform a cover of “Walls” by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.
I know it’s the cheesiest thing to say that a band is “so good live” (my friends make fun of me incessantly for it), but in the case of the Lumineers I can’t think of a better way to phrase it. It was truly such a treat to see each of the members perform their piece of the puzzle in The Lumineers multi-layered sound. The energy each brought to the performance as well was the cherry on top of a stellar night of live music.
My personal highlight of the night had to have been the encore. One of the best things about outdoor venues like the Xfinity Center is what touring bands can’t control. In this particular case, the uncontrollable came in the form of a rainstorm perfectly timed to hit for the duration of The Lumineers encore, and the encore alone. Folks around me were wrapped arm in arm, singing along as the rain poured down through “BIRTHDAY” and “Stubborn Love”.
When the rain had let up and The Lumineers had left the stage, fans walked to their cars contented, hair wet and hearts full. Congrats to the Lumineers and Caamp on a beautiful night of music, and to everyone who chooses to celebrate life singing as loud as possible in the pouring rain.
The Lumineers' most recent album, Brightside, was released this past January, and can be found anywhere you stream music. They are also set to release a 10 Year Anniversary edition of their debut self-titled album later this year - pre-order it on vinyl now!
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