The Lumineers are an American folk rock band. The founding band members are lead vocalist Wesley Schultz and drummer Jeremiah Fraites (pictured above) (Courtesy of wikimedia commons).
On Wednesday Feb. 26, The Lumineers—an alternative rock band best known for their song, “Ho Hey”—performed at the Key Bank Center in Buffalo. Their opening acts were Kenyan singer J.S. Ondara and alt-rock band Mt. Joy.
Geneseo Campus Activities Board provided Geneseo students with a limited number of tickets to attend the concert. GCAB arranges transportation to and from concerts in the area at discounted prices with great seating.
The Lumineers performed songs from each of their albums—The Lumineers, Cleopatra and their newest album III. However, it was a wild surprise to the audience as to how they would convey the lyrics to every person in attendance.
III covers the effects abusive relationships and addiction have on those surrounded by the person, as well as the impact misguided decisions can have on many people. The lyrics had the audience in silence with the added effects of the arena whether it be through the color of the lighting effects or the videos they had to match the songs being played.
The videos displayed a story depicting how lives were ruined and difficulties stemming from one’s addiction; how addiction and abuse can be interconnected. It was a fragmented frame, each piece showing who would be involved in the next part of the story, a storyline that would shock the audience with its powerful message.
The Lumineers song choices ranged from “Dead Sea” to “Ophelia” with most people singing the loudest they could. “Gloria,” from the new album, had people wanting to know more. The dark red lighting, the flaming background and the serious ambiance created a new feeling and a new association when someone speaks about The Lumineers.
Lead singer Wesley Schultz had also spoken about the history behind certain songs, such as the “Gun Song,” which was about the gun he had found in his father’s sock drawer after his passing. This brought a connection between the audience and the band as we have all been through tough times.
Their new album emits a lot of melancholic emotion resulting from this upsetting storyline that pulls at the heartstrings of anyone listening. Every pause looms in a person’s mind. This feeling continued throughout the entire night until the band’s older songs lightened up the mood that had somewhat fallen due to the weight of every song on III.
The band went on to sing “Democracy” as one of their ending songs, which brought about controversial topics such as the LGBTQ+ community. The lyrics include everyone in a song about unity and being together. The band brought back the lead singers from their opening acts to include them in this moment.
The applause before the encore was deafening and the audience seemed to be even bigger fans of the band than they were coming in. The band’s openness and willingness to speak about such heavy topics was admiring and they enthralled the audience with their beautiful songs and sounds.
The violin was one of the most impactful instruments as it had an intensity that could not be matched. The piano was a close second depending on the song; the instruments also had a voice as the songs were being sung.
The concert was a magnificent production and its message was forever engrained in the audience’s mind and their phones. All and all, the concert was definitely worth every minute.