The Audio Perv

By Michel Dussack

To say Mumford & Sons have come a long way in the past two years would be a gross understatement. It’s hard to even fathom that the band that played Bowery Ballroom in 2010 opened their 2012 Summer Tour playing to 15,000 people on Hoboken’s Pier A, a venue which has never seen a concert that large ever.

Opening the show was Aaron Embry, the former touring pianist from Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. He took the stage armed with a guitar and harmonica and played a soft and quiet thirty minute set that didn’t quite grab the audience as it should have. His music was heartfelt and delicate, particularly his last song, which comprised simply of him playing the piano without even singing.

Next was Dawes who ramped up the energy significantly. Vocalist Taylor Goldsmith ran about the stage with his guitar and frequently posed for photographers when he wasn’t singing. The band has a distinct folk sound to them, but also seems to take a cue from jam bands as well, leading to an interesting blend of the two genres. A few guitar solos that seemed improvised made their way into the set, and they definitely succeeded in winning over the crowd.

As the cloudy sky cleared and the sun went down, it was immediately obvious why Mumford & Sons chose to play in Hoboken. The stage was framed by the gorgeous Manhattan skyline, and was easily accessible via public transportation. The band took the stage to screams and shouts and immediately began playing a song from their upcoming sophomore album “Babel”, ‘Lover’s Eyes’. While at first I was concerned as to how the folk band would translate into such a large space, it only took a few minutes for all my fears to be relieved. Their 16 song set spanned about an hour and forty minutes, and consisted of a fairly even mixture of songs from their debut and new songs.

‘Little Lion Man’, one of the bands biggest hits, came second in the set and hearing 15,000 people scream the chorus along with Marcus Mumford is something that the band probably never could’ve imagined. Throughout the night, the band had numerous moments of funny banter, something that has been a trademark of their shows since the beginning. A couple songs later, much to everyone’s delight, the band unveiled a never before played song entitled ‘I Will Wait’. In general, the new songs seem a lot fuller than their first album, and the band has definitely succeeded in their goal of making the quiet moments quieter and the loud moments louder.

Perhaps the most unique thing about a Mumford & Sons concert is the way the members regularly switch instruments throughout the night. While Marcus typically plays acoustic guitar, a kick drums and sings, he also had some time behind a full drum kit (while still singing) and an electric guitar. Ben Lovett switches between keyboards and drums, Country Winston Marshall plays banjo and guitar, and Ted Dwane plays both upright and electric bass. That’s all not counting the four part harmonies that the group so effortlessly pulls off.

The band concluded their main set with ‘Dust Bowl Dance’ which starts off slow and somber but quickly explodes with a sense of anger thanks to Marcus’ part on the drums. Before they came back out for their encore, their brass section returned to the stage for a brief rendition of ‘New York’, a perfect acknowledgement of their location. Also in the encore was a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘The Boxer’ which seemed lost on the younger segment of the crowd, and an energetic rendition of their biggest hit ‘The Cave’ to close out their set. It should be noted that the band had tried to add a song between these two; however they were quickly shut down as there was a strict 10pm curfew. As the final notes of ‘The Cave’ rang out of the speakers a three minute barrage of fireworks erupted from the Hudson River and capped off a wonderful night with one of the fastest rising bands around.

Mumford and Sons setlist

1. Lovers Eyes
2. Little Lion Man
3. Roll Away Your Stone
4. I Will Wait
5. White Blank Page
6. I Gave You All
7. Timshel
8. Lover of the Light
9. Thistle & Weeds
10. Ghosts That We Knew
11. Awake My Soul
12. Whispers
13. Dust Bowl Dance
Encore
14. New York (horn section)
15. Winter Winds
16. The Boxer (cover)
17. The Cave