Folk-rockers Mumford and Sons are coming off of a successful year in 2015, having released their third studio album titled Wilder Mind and embarking on a list of successful festivals and tours. The festivals included Bonnaroo Music Festival, Reading & Leeds Festival, and a UK, Ireland and North American Tour. The band also supported Wilder Mind by performing on shows such as Later… with Jools Holland on the BBC, Saturday Night Live on NBC, the Late Show with David Letterman and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Wilder Mind was received with much anticipation from fans and critics alike, debuting at number one in the UK, Australia and the United States. Mumford and Sons is now on the road, promoting their latest release, the EP titled Johannesburg. The lengthy tour which includes dates in Germany, Denmark, and Sweden made a stop in the US, playing the historic Forest Hills Stadium on June 16th and 17th.
The Forest Hills stadium has been closed for years and has made a comeback with Mumford and Sons kicking off the festivities. What better way to open the show than with an up and coming pop-sensation? Garrett Borns, better know as Børns opened up the show with tunes that got everyone warmed up with some dancing. Børns’ debut album Dopamine was released on October 16th, 2015 via Interscope records. Dopamine has been received with critical acclaim and has helped catapult the singer into the mainstream music world. Mixing indie pop with synth pop, Børns creates a perfect soundtrack for the avid radio listener. The track “Electric Love” has received heavy radio airplay and was even used as a promotional song by the streaming service Spotify. With much critical acclaim through his first album release, Børns is surely an up and coming sensation ready for mass success.
Forest Hills Stadium quickly filled up its large capacity, right in time for the main act of the night. As soon as members Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall, and Ted Dwayne stepped out on stage, the audience cheered in excitement. Mumford and Sons strapped on their instruments and kicked things off with “Snake Eyes”, a song off of Wilder Mind. Mumford and Sons have not made it back to New York State since their show last summer at Brooklyn’s MCU Park and for many fans that is long enough to miss them. The band has become wildly successful since their first release Sign No More in 2009, and only receiving increased critical acclaim with their 2012 release Babel, winning the Grammy Award for Album of The Year. Wilder Mind has produced radio hits of its own such as “Believe” and “The Wolf.” The album also marked a change in the bands sound, as they ditched their folk-rock sound for a more electric feel. The change was welcomed by all fans and was also responsible for developing a wider appeal to the band.
The larger fan base was apparent, as the local streets had were shut down in order for the large crowd to head towards the venue. Fans were packed in close together near the stage, hoping to catch a better glimpse of the band. Singing along to all their songs, the venue echoed with the background singers in the audience. Mumford and Sons latest release, their EP titled Johannesburg features artists like Senegal based Baaba Maal, one of the countries most famous singers. The band brought along Baaba Maal to play a few songs off of the EP, serving as an introduction to the new sounds displayed on the new record. Although some lyrics were not in English, the fans welcomed Baaba Maal and danced along to the beat. Mumford and Sons played for a near two-hour set, including an encore that was requested by fans. Mumford and Sons gave Forest Hills an energy filled kick off show and will now head over seas to Sweden and Denmark to continue their tour.
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