By contributor Nell Alk
“This is one of the biggest shows I think we’ve ever played. We’re very excited.” Marcus Mumford, the lead singer and namesake of English folk rock band Mumford & Sons, couldn´t have sounded more English as New York´s Webster Hall erupted in applause at their sold-out show last week.
Mumford & Sons manage to marry delicate and disarmingly down-to-earth subject matter with an energetic performance style that matches their oftentimes raucous, but precise, instrumentation (which, in addition to the traditional guitar & percussion set-up, includes an accordion, double bass, banjo and dobro).
The semblance of an intimate relationship began to develod between act and audience, as Mumford & Sons figuratively shrank the space to a pint-sized local watering hole, tricking us into believing everyone knew our name and we’d been hanging out together for ages.
As the set’s momentum built, the room shook, the upper level giving the impression it might just fall as we pretended we were at a hoedown, stomping our feet and clapping along. Following the poignant lead single Little Lion Man, Marcus turned things up a notch, abandoning guitar and mandolin and repositioning himself behind the percussion set.
The four members didn’t speak much, which was a welcome relief (we were there for the music, right?) and, when they did, it was a goofy quip here or a brief expression of gratitude there, reaching its zenith when the charming Marcus sang a high-pitched riff from Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind.” It lasted no more than 15 seconds but had us howling, moved by his absurd but sincere way of paying homage to our hometown. “We really love your city,” he added as if we were in any doubt.
The evening ended with an encore and the heart-wrenching “White Blank Page,” a pain-laden ballad oscillating between tenderness and anger, proving that Mumford & Sons have breadth as well as depth.
The wildly talented and passionate quartet continues to tour the U.S. to support their critically acclaimed debut album, Sigh No More, which was released in the UK in October, and dropped in the U.S. in February on Glassnote, (though all but a couple concerts are sold out).
Plan B ? Haunt Craigslist and Stubhub for tickets. Don’t miss this memorable event. End of story.
Mumford & Sons on MySpace
Mumford & Sons official site
Photos by: Nell Alk
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I love the Mumfords, I’ve been seeing them since they were just breaking in tiny sweaty venues and they are consistently brilliant and haven’t lost any of their humility or gratitude to their audiences, whether they are playing to 50 people or 500 or what I’m sure will end up being thousands.