Live Report: The Lumineers – St Anne’s Park, Dublin

Celebratory, reflective and enthralling, The Lumineers put on one hell of a show in St Anne’s Park in Dublin on Friday night to a sold-out crowd.

The Colorado natives were back in the Emerald Isle ahead of their highly-anticipated gig at Crystal Palace in London on July 8th where they will be supported by Rag‘n’Bone Man, Ella Henderson and other fantastic acts.

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It’s been eleven years since The Lumineers released their barnstorming eponymous debut album and several of the tracks from that album, ‘Cleopatra’, ‘III’ and their most recent album from 2022 ‘Brightside’ were showcased.

The folk-rock six-piece were on top form and had the audience in the palm of their hands; we were treated to spectacular sets from Australian singer-songwriter (and former Aussie Rules footballer) Vance Joy who dazzled with tracks new and old like ‘Saturday Sun’, ‘Georgia’, ‘Missing Piece’ and of course his breakthrough song, ‘Riptide’ which really caused a sense of anticipation for the crowd.

Constructing an assured yet mesmerising performance, Norwegian singer-songwriter Sigrid put on an energetic display. Her set was chock-full of some of her most-loved tracks which included ‘Sucker Punch’, ‘Head on Fire’ and ‘Never Mine’ which effortlessly was interwoven with two of her most popular offerings ‘Strangers’ and ‘Don’t Kill My Vibe’.

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But, it was positive vibes all the way throughout their twenty track set that effortlessly showcased why The Lumineers are masters of storytelling. Charming, positive and laid back, the band navigated their way through both deep cuts and fan favourites giving a well-rounded and captivating performance.

With their warm Americana folk-pop sound, The Lumineers are one of those rare breed of bands whose intimate soundcan translate and elevate from a recording studio to fill up huge arenas and indeed parks.

Laid back, joyous and mesmerising, the six piece turned out track after track of both big hitters like ‘Ho Hey’, ‘Ophelia’, ‘Stubborn Love’ and one of their most recent releases ‘A.M. Radio’ which is fast becoming a fan favourite. 

With musicality and lyrical intelligence in abundance, The Lumineers have a real stage presence and the bands’ frontman and co-founder (alongside Jeremiah Fraites) Wesley Schultz easily engaged with the crowd interspersing heart-rendering storytelling in-between songs which included him recalling a harrowing experience of how he and his now wife were involved in a near-fatal car accident.

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Their gratitude for their survival along with the appreciation for being able to enjoy performing and watching live music after the pandemic was the inspiration for the stunning track ‘Where We Are Now’. Schultz showed his appreciation for the crowd whilst commenting that we all “shouldn’t take this for granted…” The key takeaway was hope and this was reflected throughout the entire set.

Charming, positive and laid back, Wesley’s honeyed vocals also took on a rousing version of ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ by The Rolling Stones and a heartfelt and stunning reimagining of ‘Just Like Heaven’ by The Cure which was elevated even further by some glorious piano playing by Jeremiah was one of the standout performances of the night.

This was a masterclass in delivering catchy choruses, intoxicating hooks and rousing riffs, The Lumineers gave a first class and enthralling performance under a falling sun in the Irish capital.

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Words: Emma Harrison / @EmmaHWriter
Photography: Rachel Deeb