Pack yourself a toothbrush, dear, pack yourself a favorite blouse, The Lumineers are on their Automatic World Tour and might make you take your savings out.
Kidding. Ticket prices aren’t bad at all, especially for the caliber of show that the New Jersey folk act puts on.
Presenting Automatic
The Lumineers visited the greater Houston area on Friday in support of their fifth Studio album, Automatic. Those who grew up in the 2010s may associate The Lumineers with the optimistic stomp-clap storytelling that gained popularity alongside acts like Mumford & Sons and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. But don’t get it twisted, these acts are not the same.
Musically, the Lumineers are really good at sharing the stage with each other. This comes in handy with the amount of touring musicians singer/songwriter Wesley Shultz and drummer/songwriter Jeremiah Fraites play with. Better still, they aren’t afraid to stretch silence; not every sonic second needs to be stuffed with sound.
They opened with the new track “Same Old Song,” smiles plastered on everyone’s face. “Flowers In Your Hair” followed, and the crowd went truly wild. For a band whose biggest album to date dropped in 2016 (Cleopatra), it was surprising to see so many faces that appeared 20 or younger in the crowd. The uniform of long linen skirts and two-piece sets screamed along to tracks like “Angela” and “Asshole” alike, taking quick breaks to take group pictures with their backs to the stage.
“BRIGHTSIDE” graced the audience interaction with an up-close and personal experience with Shultz. He ran in an exaggerated U around the seated area of the pavilion before returning to the stage for “Sleep on the Floor.” Confetti cannons burst with white and gold flakes at the top of the song. Some people cheered, others rushed to scoop as much confetti up as possible.
All Hands on Deck
Drummer Derek Brown, affectionately called The Reverend, spent the show smiling through shake-ups in the percussion department. Then, it was all hands on deck for “Gloria, where he, Fraites and multi-instrumentalist Stelth Ulvang all whipped out their drumsticks for the song.
The band glows with visual delight during “Parade.” Everyone takes a turn singing a verse and showing off their personality during the song. Their optimism is millennial to the core, as are wardrobe choices like suspenders, fedoras, bright silks and Dutch braids. It doesn’t come off as performative, more so free-spirited. After all, it’s their talent and personality carry the show. In fact, no set or costume changes required, just the occasional switch-up on the LED backdrop pieces.
The band treated fans to “Salt and the Sea,” arguably the greatest song off 2019’s III, before things got a little somber. Wesley opened up about what he described as the three or four hardest months of his life.
In Memory of Sam
“About four months ago, we were on tour and found out my little brother (Sam) passed away at the age of 39 of a heart attack,” Wesley said. “There’s no lead up, he was a healthy guy. He had a beautiful family, a wife and two kids. They were my kids’ age. We lived in Denver together, and I’ve been struggling to find my way through this time, trying to make sense of anything, because nothing really makes sense when something like that happens. The one thing in my life that I’ve always leaned on is music.”
He described the blessing he feels to be able to channel emotions and find meaning through music. On Friday, he wanted to play a cover of Justin Bieber’s “Ghost” to honor his brother.
“It has this beautiful, beautiful line in the song that always brings me to tears,” he said. “The line is, I miss you more than life. And I think even though I’m really upset, I’m really missing my best friend and my brother, I feel very lucky to miss someone, that I had someone so good in my life that I could miss him. That’s the risk you run when you love somebody. I don’t regret it. If you love somebody out there on any level, put this out to you too.”
hus, The Lumineers truly brought something special to “Ghost.” No shade to Bieber, but the loss of a lifelong brother and best friend stings differently than youthful heartbreak. It’s a different loss for a different life stage.
Closing in Style
“Ophelia” was another standout moment, where everyone, save for violinist Lauren Jacobson, took someone else’s instrument for a song. Jacocbson widens each song with her strings, making them feel infinite, invincible. Above all, her playing adds a soaring quality to the songs. It helps make hearing the band live worth the ticket fees.
Ulvang arguably stole the show, despite it being bassist Byron Issacs’ hometown show. Although the shoeless showman spent most of his time alternating between pianos, he made time to do handstands on the piano, sing and twirl during “Parade” and switch between playing everything from a giant bass drum to an accordion. During closer “Stubborn Love,” Ulvang figuratively (and sometimes literally) crawled between rows of people, surprisingly friends and alike as he crept up around them, finishing up in front of the pit, dumping and dancing with fans.
Don’t sleep on The Lumineers. On the contrary, take whatever preconceived notions you have in your head and toss them in the paper shredder. If what you’re after is a break from the world, a good time, look no further than a city near you. They are touring North America through the beginning of November before heading overseas, so catch them while you can.
I am a multimedia journalist with a passion for guitar-based music – be that rock-n-roll, bachata, or anything in between. When not in a mosh pit, I can be found knitting, collecting CDs, thrifting, journaling, or attempting to incite chaos among feuding global powers. I hold a bachelors degree in Broadcast Journalism and a masters degree in Mass Communication from the University of Houston, making me twice the Coog you'll ever be 😉
