Mumford & Sons + The Middle East - Webster Hall (New York, NY; May 18, 2010)

“We’re going to try something we’ve never tried before,” announced Marcus Mumford as Mumford & Sons took the stage for their encore at Webster Hall on Tuesday night. “We’re going to try playing without the microphones and the PA.” I’d seen this trick before – Loney Dear pulled it off in the tiny confines of Great Scott in Boston when I saw them last October. But here? In the massive, 1400 person capacity Webster Hall? You must be joking.

As a hush came over the crowd, the band started an acoustic rendition of “Sister” – their contribution to a London-centric compilation titled Communion - that left me breathless. Not only did they manage to fill the expansive space with sound, their instruments and voices rose above a crowd that was stomping and singing along. Only the last few notes of the song couldn’t be heard, drowned out by an upwelling of hoots and applause. In the words of Mumford, as he looked out over the adoring crowd, “Wow.”

Just wow. What a show. I suppose after what I had seen in the hour preceding the encore I shouldn’t have been surprised that Mumford & Sons were able to take control of the large hall so easily sans amplification. This band has mastered the interplay of dynamics in music better than almost any I have seen before; their songs are full of troughs and crests, peaks and valleys. Moments that leave Mumford’s voice alone on stage are swiftly followed by furious banjo and a thumping bass drum that makes it impossible not to move your feet and raise your voice. “This is one of the biggest shows we’ve ever played,” said Mumford to start the show. Had he not mentioned it, I would have thought this band was accustomed to playing stadiums.

Mumford & Sons took the stage after a solid opening performance from The Middle East, a seven-piece band that played nearly twice as many instruments. After starting with three stellar tunes, The Middle East’s momentum faltered a bit and they lost the crowd to conversation during some slower songs. The band managed to end on a high note, though, closing the opening set with their best song, “Love.” The Middle East was rewarded with appreciative applause from an audience primed for Mumford & Sons to take the stage.

After a long set break, Mumford and co. finally ran jubilantly out to their instruments. The band was on point from the start, kicking off with the title track from their debut, Sigh No More, and immediately hooking nearly every pair of ears in the capacity crowd. After two songs that were followed by huge applause and raucous screams from the floor of the hall, Mumford noted with a smile, “I think we’re going to have fun tonight.”

Eschewing the drum kit for most of the set, Mumford played guitar and sang while furiously stomping a bass drum that kept the heartbeat of the ensemble, which stood four abreast at the front of the stage. A banjo manned by Marshall “Country” Winston and an upright bass plunked by Ted Dwayne gave the band a bit of a folky feel - a vibe that was only strengthened when Mumford confirmed with the crowd, “I’m correct in thinking that Americans know how to hoedown, right?” Oh they can dance alright, as the floor of Webster Hall can attest; it bounced more on Tuesday than it did two weeks prior when Sleigh Bells played.

The set was phenomenal from beginning to end, running through most of Sigh No More and splicing in a few new songs for good measure. New tune “Lover of the Light” was a treat, as was the slowly building “Awake My Soul,” a song that showcased Mumford’s textured and emotional voice. The two high points of the evening, however, coincided with my two favorite songs from Mumford & Sons’ debut album, “Little Lion Man,” and “Roll Away Your Stone.”

I challenge you to find a song released in the last few years that lends itself better to a sing-along than “Little Lion Man.” The chorus, with the memorable line “But it was not your fault but mine/and it was your heart on the line/I really fucked it up this time/didn’t I my dear?” rang out from a thousand throats.  The band finished the tune a cappella, joined by the entire audience. It gave me goosebumps.

Where “Little Lion Man” was a predictable smash in concert, “Roll Away Your Stone” took me by surprise. It’s a simple little song that doesn’t particularly stand out, but Mumford & Sons picked up the pace and turned it into a brawl. Keyboard player Ben Lovett stole the spotlight with in shimmering glissandos and solos, taking the song in an energetic new direction that was only ramped up further when The Middle East joined Mumford & Sons on stage. Fittingly enough, eleven people jumping, singing, and dancing on stage seemed to be just the right number to match the enormity of this music.

Throughout the entirety of this show, Webster Hall was filled with smiling faces. From the dancing crowd to the jubilant members on stage, everyone in the joint was having a blast and it showed. It was a celebration of upbeat music, a reminder that shoegaze isn’t the end of the line for indie rock. And when it was all over, Marcus Mumford simply said to the crowd, “Thanks. We’ll see you next time.” Damn right you will.

Setlist:
Sigh No More
Awake My Soul
The Cave
I Gave You All
Nothing
Little Lion Man
Lover Of The Light
Thistle & Weeds
Timshel
Roll Away
Whispers/Dust Bowl Dance
Encore:
Sister
White Blank Page

DOWNLOAD: Mumford & Sons - Awake My Soul (MP3) or Follow us for more Mumford & Sons MP3s (Twitter)

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