The Lumineers Live at the Xcel Energy Center

I wouldn't have imagined that a Friday Night Lumineers concert would be as healing as it was. Then again, the band has been a consistent music staple in my indie-folk playlists for the past ten years. 

The Lumineers stopped at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul Minnesota on Friday July 25th as part of their Automatic Tour. The Stadium was packed with an absurd number of long white skirts and denim vests, but spirits were high, and I was fairly impressed by how calm and laid-back attendees were. While it was routine for me to check the setlist prior to the show, I was still left shocked by the number of big hitters that were dropped within the first hour of the show. “Ho Hey”, “Flowers in Your Hair”, “Donna”, and “Gloria” all dropped in the first 10 songs and “Ophelia”, “Slow It Down”, and “Sleep on the Floor” within the first 20? Not what I was expecting, but I'm impressed that a band as consistent as the Lumineers managed to keep me on my toes with the structure of the setlist. At about song 15, which is one of my favorite Lumineers songs, “Sleep on the Floor”, I started to feel mid show energy dip creeping on. However, that was short lived as confetti exploded from the stage right as they started on the final chorus. While I've seen my fair share of confetti releases, I'm not sure why this caused my jaw to hang open. Something about it felt so healing, like I was 13 again and experiencing my first live show. 

Their stage presence also felt nostalgic and home-y , unlike the lighting situation during the opener but I will get into that later. Lumineers's set was illuminated by soft and hazy blues, oranges, greens, and reds with what looked like big reflectors and strobes building the background of their stage. Wesley Schultz was in an Automatic Tour classic look, braids, a baseball cap, and a monochrome suit moment. Jeremiah Fraites on the other hand appeared as though he just stepped out of a time machine arriving from 2012 Lumineers self-titled album. Rocking a black fedora, skinny suspenders, and a classic white shirt - I'll say I'm impressed by Fraites commitment to the foundation of the Lumineers vibe.

Now speaking of the opener, kicking off the show was Minnesota local band, Hippo Campus. As a Minnesota local myself, this is a band I've seen many many times, from sneaking out to their show at a charity event in the middle of no-where-Minnesota, to seeing them at a sold-out Red Rocks show. I feel as though I can confidentially say that I've seen all the stage personas of Hippo Campus. While it is always cool and exciting to see a Minnesota band playing big stadiums and festivals - I wasn't as impressed with this performance in particular. Perhaps it was just an off day for the band or maybe it was the dull lighting that was dampening the mood or their stationary positions throughout most of their set. In the end, I’ll give credit where credit is due, its always exciting to see local bands grow and succeed as Hippo Campus has.

Overall, Lumineers is a band I've loved for a long time. While I haven't followed their recent releases quite like I used to - there's something to be said about the healing feeling that comes with hearing your long-time favorites played live. I don't go to stadium shows very often, but I'm glad I got the chance to go to this one and finally experience a Lumineers show and all of its glory.

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