There was so much going on in Philadelphia today. It’s Valentine’s Day. The Eagles’ Super Bowl victory parade took over downtown today. It’s the second of two special concerts to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Free At Noon. And in the thick of it all, The Lumineers took the World Cafe Live stage, with something of their own to celebrate — the release of their fifth studio album Automatic, out in the world today.
Frontman Wesley Schultz took the stage appropriately attired in green — a green trucker hat, a warm-looking green knit cardigan — and though he copped to being a Giants fan (this prompted boos from the audience, largely clad in Birds jerseys and knit caps), he shouted out his family from Doylestown who clued him into the cultural juggernaut that is the Eagles, and when he sang a few bars of “Fly Eagles Fly,” the crowd erupted into a singalong. “See, the Eagles are more musical than the Giants,” he said. “We don’t have a song like that. I’m jealous.”
Football aside, it was The Lumineers day in a big way. Their new album sounds awesome, and half of the set was comprised of a hearty dose of new cuts. “You’re All I Got” made for a pensive opener, while the single “Same Old Song” – which Schultz told the room they debuted on Fallon last night — was a rousing rocker. The title track simmered the room down on the second half of the show, and the album closer “So Long” was an epic build of guitar riffs, vocal shouts, and soaring violin from Lauren Jacobson. We also heard back-catalog highlights like “Gloria” from III, “Where We Are” from Brightside, and “Sleep on the Floor” from Cleopatra.
A closing cover of Tom Petty’s “Walls” brought drummer Jeremiah Fraites and keyboardist Stelth Ulvang out from the wings to join bassist Byron Isaacs and guitarist Brandon Miller in a singalong at the front of the stage. Shortly after the show was over, the band was interviewed by Raina Douris for World Cafe; listen for it on the show later this year. The Lumineers return to Philly on Friday, September 19th to headline Citizens Bank Park with Dr. Dog; tickets and more information can be found at the WXPN Concert Calendar.