Opening with exquisite harmonies a capella while slowly introducing the picking of an acoustic guitar, then adding a faint bass life, and working into a full thumping rush of their stunning song "Sigh No More," Mumford & Sons had arrived in Atlanta.
Mumford & Sons is an anomaly of sorts. You don't expect a band from the UK to use accordians and banjo's as staples of their music but this band does. You don't expect a band that only has one album to sell out a Sunday night show (let alone the rest of their American tour) at the newly renovated (old Roxy Theatre) Buckhead Theatre but they do. You don't expect to see people go absolutely berserk from seeing Mumford live in other towns to spontaneously find overpriced tickets on Craigslist and travel to shows in other towns but they do.
If you don't know Mumford & Sons, their music has provincially been called "hoedown pop" but it's a limited view. Every one of their song has an urgency that grows to epic proportions with the intensity of a cinematic death scene. In this case, the real story wasn't necessarily the stellar performance of the show, but the story was in the crowd.
Their reputation for their live shows preceeded the actual show. It reminded me of when Kings of Leon played the Tabernacle in 2008 (before all their original fans dismissed them as sell outs) and the band's energy and buzz were just peaking. Tonight, everyone had done their best to get as close to the stage as possible for the general admission show. It was so tight on the floor that the audience could bearly jump up and down because there just wasn't enough room. This wasn't the show where you only went crazy for the only knew the released singles "White Blank Page" and "Little Lion Man." The entire audience knew every word of every song. People were dancing and the energy was intoxicating.
The musicianship was tight and the quartet was literally an exercise in musical chairs where lead singer Marcus Mumford would jump in the back and play drums for some songs and each of the other musicians would swap out instruments and move about the stage like a pinball machine. Show stopping moments were for the slow build of "Awake My Soul" and "White Blank Page" had fists in the air like they were waving their pints in an English pub. In short, the show rocked from start to finish including inviting members of openers Cadillac Sky and King Charles to join them onstage for family-style captivating performances.
Even the openers King Charles and the mostly bearded band Cadillac Sky with new member, Levi Lowrey (of the Zac Brown family) were commanding. Side note on King Charles. He looks like Voltaire and has been winning songwriting competitions throughout the world. Originally from West London like Mumford & Sons, he's been blazing his own name for himself. Cadillac Sky, critically acclaimed bluegrass band rich with violins, mandolins, banjos, an upright bass, and engaging vocalist David Mayfield got the crowd clapping their hands and stomping their feet before the headliners exploded the night.
Buckhead Theatre @
- Atlanta @
, GA @
- Sun, Nov 7, 2010 @
Favorite moment: "White Blank Page" and "Awake My Soul" @
Setlist: 1. Sigh No More, 2. Roll Away Your Stone, 3.Winter Winds, 4. White Blank Page, 5. Below My Feet, 6. Timshel, 7. Gave You All, 8. Little Lion Man, 9. Lover of the Light, 10. Thistle & Weeds, 11. Broken Crown, 12. After The Storm, 13. Awake My Soul, 14. Dust Bowl Dance, Encore: 1. Lady of the River (written by King Charles and performed with Cadillac Sky), 2. Go to Sleep (Avett Brothers cover and performed with Cadillac Sky), 3. The Cave @
Opening act(s): King Charles, Cadillac Sky @