Fresh off winning two Grammys for both Album of the Year and Best Long Form Music Video, Mumford and Sons began the first of two sold out shows at the Patriot Center. This was the East Coast swing portion of their tour and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
I am a strong believer in momentum. Once you have it, you become an unstoppable force. For Mumford and Sons, they are just enjoying the ride. They must be on cloud nine. You score a couple of Grammys and then are greeted to a string of Sold Out concerts, of which also include additional stopover dates that are Sold Out. I personally find this amazing! I mean no offense to bluegrass and folk music, but that genre of music doesn’t exactly coincide with Sold Out arenas, especially in the year 2013. I personally love those genres of music, bluegrass especially but I could of never of imagined a Sold Out Patriot Center for a folk/bluegrass headliner, let alone two Sold Out Patriot Centers. Maybe I’m over reacting but on the same token maybe this concert was more than just another night at the office. Maybe it was something else, something truly legendary and historic.
Before Mumford and Sons there were a couple opening acts one of note was Haim who yields from Los Angeles, California. I liked them; they have a lot of spunk. Not to mention they sounded good. I would be lying if I said I had the complete low down on this band, but you might compare them to an Alternative Fleetwood Mac. I’m going to listen to them to get more acclimated with their work, their live concert was awesome.
There was a special anticipation I felt prior to seeing Mumford and Sons. At this point the arena was at full capacity and the wait made you feel like you were slowly climbing a roller coaster. You’re just about to reach the top, now its time to throw your hands up and scream. That’s exactly what happened too. Everybody screamed, loudly. If I ever attend another Mumford and Sons concert, I’ll be sure to bring earplugs. Not because the music is too loud, but because the women screaming will pierce your eardrums. Marcus Mumford is a lot to thank because of that. Mumford and Sons came out and if they weren’t the happiest band I have ever seen. Their enthusiasm was shooting through the roof.
One of the best aspects of their show is their multi-instrumentation. Marcus would be playing guitar and singing while tapping on his bass drum for one song, playing mandolin and singing the next. Ben Lovett would be rocking on keyboards only to pop out on top of some speakers with an accordion. I love the way Ted Dwane plays that upright bass, like there’s never a dull moment and Winston Marshall’s singing and Banjo playing is so catchy. There are so many instruments involved I’m just sort of calling them the Mumford and Sons Orchestra. Every move they made the audience reacted in a positive manner. They had my attention!
I don’t know what else I can say. They sound great, their one of those special bands that sounds better live than they do on their studio album. They have great showmanship; their positive attitude and smile are infectious and seems to resonate throughout the whole crowd. It was an awesome show, hands down, if you ever have the chance to see them, do it! That is, if the show isn’t already Sold Out.
TRR Concert Revue & Photography by Alan J. Duckworth
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