Mumford and Sons Return to NYC After Trying to Be ‘a Serious Band’
After a rainy first show in MCU Park at Coney Island in Brooklyn on Tuesday (June 2), Mumford and Sons were more than happy to return to that same stage the following night to entertain more of the fans who've been waiting for their return to the New York City. "It's been two years," frontman Marcus Mumford said. "Way too long. We were spending too much time trying to be a serious band. It was a nightmare, but now we're back on tour again."
Mumford went on to talk about how the band are still trying to get into the swing of living on the road. "You lose certain things," he admitted. "You lose that rhythm like sleeping on a bus. It's a beautiful thing, but hard thing to get back into that rhythm. [And] stage banter – [it's a] really hard thing to do. We're just easing back into it. I keep telling myself, 'Don't talk about politics, pedophilia [or] anything dodgy. Don't talk about it. Not that I naturally would. So we're just getting back into it."
While their set was filled with the new songs from their latest album, Wilder Mind, Mumford and Sons made sure to bring back their old hits (as well as the banjo and stand up bass) from 2009's Sigh No More and 2012's Babel including "I Will Wait," "The Cave" and "Awake My Soul." Even though it was clear that the fans were ecstatic to hear their older material, the crowd jumped around and danced to their more electrified songs like the ones that were inspired by the Big Apple including "Tompkins Square Park" and "Ditmas." Perhaps the most noise came during the band's encore featuring "Little Lion Man" and "The Wolf."
Son Little and the Maccabees warmed up the crowd with their own sets. The Maccabees, who will be releasing their new album, Marks to Prove It, on July 31 via Fiction Records, are also joining Mumford and Sons at Seaside Heights, N.J. this weekend for their first official stop of the Gentlemen of the Road Stopovers Tour.
Check out Mumford and Sons' set list and photos from the show below.
Mumford and Sons Set List:
"Snake Eyes"
"Ditmas"
"The Cave"
"Lovers' Eyes"
"Broad-Shouldered Beasts"
"I Will Wait"
"Only Love"
"Lover of the Light"
"Thistle & Weeds"
"Awake My Soul"
"Monster"
"Believe"
"Tompkins Square Park"
"Ghosts That We Knew"
"Just Smoke"
"Below My Feet"
"Dust Bowl Dance"
Encore:
"Hot Gates"
"Little Lion Man"
"The Wolf"
The Maccabees