Mumford & Sons under the stars

Last night, four of us went to see Mumford & Sons at the Raleigh Amphitheater. As much as I enjoy outdoor concerts at night, I have to say that the conditions for this one were far from ideal. The day was hot, the sun set late, and the night cooled very little, so we all ended up steaming in our own sweat.

None of that mattered to me, however, once the band took the stage. They were exactly as they come across in their videos, maybe a bit more energetic, and their music was even more powerful live than on their marvelous debut CD.

They opened with "Sigh No More," which is also the first track on the album of the same name.



During the rest of the show, they mixed all the other songs from that album with several new tunes, including two they debuted here. About two-thirds of the way through their set, they hit us with their first single, "Little Lion Man." It was amazing to hear live!



The encore was short, just a couple of songs, but it ended with a surefire winner, "The Cave."



I should also note that we had the pleasure of listening to two opening bands.

The first, Matthew & The Atlas, quite charmed me, and I picked up two CD singles of theirs.

The second, The Low Anthem, is better known than Matthew & The Atlas but did not interest me as much. Still, I plan to give their music another listen.

Overall, the evening was magical, and I feel very lucky to have gotten to attend the show.