It’s rough out there. The world, I mean. Between multiple wars and seemingly endless political unrest, it’s a little difficult to want to go outdoors at the moment (for me, anyway). The Lumineers strive ever onwards, though, and this weekend they were keen to bring fans into their bubble.
The American band, who hail from Denver, Colorado, have enjoyed a respectable amount of success over the years, with multiple platinum-certified albums and a slew of top-three singles around the world. And this month, their tour across Europe and the UK is in full swing, deftly removing the cobwebs from audiences before summer’s festival season.
From the moment The Lumineers hit the stage at Munich’s Olympiahalle, they knew they had a job to do.
The band – which is made up of Wesley Schultz, Jeremiah Fraites and a few other sensational musicians – performed with a delicate resonance throughout more than two hours of glorious entertainment.
While performing such hits as Same Old Song, Flowers in Your Hair and Donna, the band showed off how much effort and detail they put into their craft.
A lot of the time, artists and bands might substitute technical ability for a little more glamour when they begin performing at arenas around the world – moving away from live music while inching closer to glorified click tracks. The Lumineers are not that kind of outfit.
Across the night, the rockers whipped out every kind of instrument one could think of (ukuleles, banjos, two pianos, guitars, violins, etc), showing off their mastery of each weapon in the process.
It wasn’t perfect though – technically speaking, that is. A couple of issues popped up through the excitement, with faulty microphones and guitar issues, but it was all part of the charm.
“I’d like to remind you were playing live music up here,” Schultz said before thanking his fans for their patience. They didn’t mind – and nor did I. Like seeing a singer-songwriter down your local pub, it was further proof that we were watching musicians definitively at work. No Hollywood sheen here.
And they did it with joy in the foundations of their craft. The Lumineers are one of the few bands I have had the pleasure of seeing who really performed for the audience rather than themselves.
This was emblematic in their setlist composition, as well. Hey Ho, perhaps their best-known song, was plonked in the centre of the night’s entertainment (a little twee, sure, but absolutely something one couldn’t help screaming along to).
Lesser-known songs were – naturally – peppered towards the end of the night’s setlist. And the real fans knew the real meat of the band’s expertise. Ophelia, Angela and Cleopatra were all present, complementing the night with their ethereal lyrics.
This isn’t a band that simply feasts on its older hits, though. Newer tracks from their latest album, Automatic, were given fair spotlights as well. Namely, the record’s title track, Automatic, was a particular treat.
Schultz brought the 15,000+ people to absolute silence as he dared his “lover” to respond to the question: “Will it ever be enough?”
Star of the show, though, was Fraites. Bounding barefoot across the stage for two hours, the piano man absolutely thrilled his fans. And while he and Schultz are the main heroes of The Lumineers, a particular emphasis was placed on the rest of the band, as well; shining a light on fiddle players, drummers, pianists, banjos, and plenty more. It truly felt like a classic country/folk band, where everyone mattered.
If I’m honest, though, Schultz’ voice was the real standout man of the match. Echoing through the arena, serene, calming and stiflingly beautiful, his vocals are the beginning and end of what makes The Lumineers so enticing. But that foundation has something bigger built upon it, and it is easy to see why countless fans have stuck around for almost 20 years in the community the band have nurtured.
And, although the band does not often talk publicly about their convictions, they wear their hearts on their sleeves.
The Lumineers are on tour right now. You can buy tickets using the links below: