Review: Mumford & Sons

Photos by Allison Long/The Star

Friday night’s concert at the City Market was a study of two bands in different places on the career spectrum. The headliner was Mumford & Sons, a West London band that comes off as a Celtic/bluegrass/folk/British rock hybrid, down to the banjo and standup bass.

In their bio, they cop to some affection for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, but their music bears some occasional and subtle similarities to others: Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay, a sprinkling of the Pogues, a bit of our own Elders. 

The City Market is the worst outdoor venue in town. Unless you want to get there four hours before the headliner goes on to get a good standing position (or barge in later and plow by those who already have one), it’s tough to find a good listening and viewing vantage point.  M&S, however, helped ease the problem.

For the most part, the crowd of about 9,000 – not counting the several hundred watching from buildings outside the market -- stayed engaged through most of the 80-minute set, which started late and threatened to breach curfew.

The set suffered a few down moments – the band standing and talking and no sound coming off stage. One lasted more than a half-minute and nearly extinguished the good vibe. The mood also lagged during a few of the ballads and the several new songs they presented, but when they launched into “Little Lion Man” or its kissing cousin (and the show’s closer), “The Cave,” the crowd erupted in unison – in song, dance, clapped hands and pumped fists, like beer-buzzed patrons at a pub. 

They opened with “Sigh No More,” the title track from their platinum album and a song that bears a heavy CSN&Y vibe, then “Roll Away Your Stone,” a jaunty and florid folk-rock tune with a rollicking banjo line. 

They played the stormy-blues number “Dust Bowl Dance.” They sang of love and romance in “White Blank Page” – one of those down-tempo moments that aroused some restlessness  -- and “Winter Wind,” a lovely ballad with an Irish heart and one that took advantage of the horn quartet that sat in with the band. 

Throughout the set, Marcus Mumford lubricated the warm vibe with some charm, wit and sincere gratitude.  This is a band to be seen again, but in a better locale.

Cake’s set was something all together different.  John McCrea has perfected his own brand of deadpan snark and sarcasm.  Warmth is not in his repertoire. He joked: “Nice to be in the Midwest, where there are no earthquakes or tsunamis or hurricanes. … or tornadoes or floods.” Um, it’s still a little too soon for that. 

The venue did his band no favors.  From all of my remote and unsatisfactory vantage points, most of the crowd wasn’t interested in what was going on up on stage. At one spot, the conversations going on around me drowned out the music.  Lots of fans who’d been in the place for three hours took seats on the asphalt or on the curbs under the shelters, completely ignoring the show. 

Cake opened with “Sad Songs & Waltzes,” then “Opera Singer,” “Frank Sinatra” and “Love You Madly,” before trotting out a new one.  McCrea has recently expressed his fatigue and disappointment with the music industry, suggesting his career as a touring musician may be nearing. Maybe that has something to do with what song got the biggest response during Cake’s one-hour set: “Sick of You.” 

| Timothy Finn, The Star

 

Comments

[Penny]

What a lovely show. I was fortunate enough to be out of the crowd and on the inside of the fence close to the stage, so I got to appreciate the show from a great vantage point. The reason for the lull in the show half way thru was because the band was very concerned about the audience and someone started yelling "help" between songs and Marcus Mumford told them to bring up the house lights so they could see what was going on. A girl had fainted and they lifted her over the barricade to waiting paramedics.

Met the band members and they are really a bunch of
sweet, unaffected guys. They are certainly bringing back the feel of concerts of the past, where the band cares about their fans and keeps their ticket prices low enough for them to afford it. Excellent show...

I'm posting clips of it on YouTube.

[Marcos]

Tim, this venue, much like the Beaumont, has kept many a fan away from some performers they would like to see. Too bad for the band, promoter and fans. Marcos

[Pie]

Cudos (again) for TF telling it like it is. Everytime I have ever go to this NONvenue, it is a nomadic trek the entire time.

There is no way am I getting there early to secure a spot only to have some moron frat boys show up (ramming and jamming) just before the show starts.... thus we arrive later and it is a constant roam, searching for a spot with good sight lines, not too many LOUDblabbing idiots and a good soundhear.... but alas, just like my eternal search for ________, I have never achieved the goal. What a crappy place for a show. period. This show should have been moved to Sandstone.

ps
80 minutes is not a concert. I dont care who the band is, 80 minutes is a rip off NONshow (and in this case) in a NONvenue.

pps
:P
sticking tongue out at Penny for bragging up her inside track.... but it will all be ok if she posts video, as she does...... and yeah I know it has taken years of dedication to get the cloat to have that stand... but still...

:P sticking my tongue out ;)

[Green]

Well said Tim, City Market is horrible, it just sucks, no perks at all, worst place for a show, why the buzz has a love affair with this so called venue is beyond me. Stop and think for a moment, no seats, poor sight lines, terrible parking, aweful access, all pavement, 24 hour setup/tear down factor and if you have disablities you better stay home. Someone explain why the Buzz sets up shop there year after year, I dont understand it at all. It's gotta be the money, it must be cheaper than everything else. I was lucky and found a pretty nice spot up close but I did have to get there at shortly after 5 in order to hold that spot, my feet and back were sore after the show, 6 hours on your feet is no fun at all. And there were people pushing through the crowd, not as many as I would have thought, but they would usually follow someone else who was returning with a beer or water and it was always a group of cute girls, guess they can get away with it because they are cute and female.

[Green]

Pie I think the time was about right, its short but you have to understand you have 4 bands playing, the show started at 7 and ended at 11.30, right there your over 4 hours, Mumford did only play for 80 minutes but they only have one album, they had to mix in new songs from an unreleased album just to fill the time. I know I was more than satisfied with the concert length, people were passing out during Mumford too, being on your feet in the heat is tough on your body. Wouldnt hurt the Buzz to set up water stations at future shows. Security was kind enough to pass water to those up front, they get an A+ in my book!

[perky]

""they can get away with it because they are cute and female.""

well... duh

[Penny]

Here's a couple of links to clips, Pie. Hope you enjoy. Not the best sound quality, but visually good. Haven't had the privilege to be backstage in a long time, sorry if it sounded like bragging... I'm just a fan at heart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs7hlHaryx4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWZNcYtq9W0

[:P]

Thank you Penny, great quality,
youre the best, as usual, but still,
:P

btw- take the poking as love :P

[mankvill]

I think the crowd at City Market can be good only when the show isn't sponsored by 96.5 The Buzz. Nothing against the radio station, but when I went to Buzz Under The Stars there last year (Ben Folds, Devo) the crowd was one of the worst crowds I've ever been a part of - and this is coming from a guy who usually sees violent crowds at metal shows.

I've seen Ben Folds there twice before and also Judas Priest and the crowd was always really engaged and attentive.

There's something about people spending anything over $20 a ticket and then just stand around and talk with their friends that irks me.

[nickthenerd]

Pretty much, a spot on review...I really, really wish they would of played at a better venue. Starlight would of improved this concert ten-fold.

I am a HUGE CAKE fan and for the last year, really enjoyed listening and jamming out to MUMFORD.

I can't wait for the next time that they roll back into town (and pick a different venue).

The worst of the worst, even more-so than the sightlines, is the horrible audience, each and every time I have gone to a buzz concert @rivermarket. The kids just won't shut up..even during little lion man, you could hear the reverberation of kids talking. It is sickening and made this concert a B level grade for me.

The only reason I came back to this venue was because of these two bands. I will probably never go back there again, no matter the cost.

[Derek]

I went for Cake, and they were 100 times better last year when they opened for the Smashing pumpkins at sandstone. The venue is a great location, but I hate outdoor concerts in general, this should have been at the Sprint Center, we spent 100s of millions of $ to not use it?

[mankvill]

@Derek: I assume shows like this wouldn't draw nearly a big enough crowd to justify the Sprint Center and have it financially successful. It'd be cool if there were smaller venues inside the Sprint Center (Wrigley Field regularly hosts grindcore shows!)

[UK Business Directory]

Mumford & Sons. I hope they have rocked the audience

[TrueFan]

Would have like to have seen the set lists for these two bands. I agree with City Market comments, though it does make one become a little nostalgic for all those general admission shows "back in the day". When we were all younger, this would have been more of our bag and we would have gladly pushed our way up to the front to get a better look/listen.

[Caroline]

Glad I missed this one.

[Competitions]

I'm not so good fan of music but some time it works very good when some one wants to get some change in his daily routine.

[skipper]

""Mumford & Sons. I hope they have rocked the audience""

Please try to keep up. M&S is not a rock band, thus, they did not rock anybody.

Maybe someday real rock and roll will make a come back, but for now, we are stuck with these bs mellow fest "bands" which are better suited to play renaissance festivals.

[james]

I agree. The name of this site should be changed to "backtomellowfest.com".

[Davey]

I wish I could get my money back on this. Even though M&S was on stage for about 80 mins, they probably only played about 55-60 mins of the time. The review is right on about their delays between songs, and I mean every song. They did not once play consecutive songs. The momentum continue to be lost, but they gained it right back through their great talent as musicians. M&S was good, but could've been even more great.

Cake = awful, seriously awful. They did not care to be there, no emotion, didn't even play several of their better songs. Their new album will hopefully be their last.