LOS ANGELES, CA- I can vividly remember being 10 years old and hearing “Ho Hey” on the radio for the first time. It is one of those songs that you just can’t seem to get out of your head. One of my favorite things about music is how it can be used as mile markers for personal growth. The Lumineers are a band that has been on my playlists for as long as playlists have existed. I very much feel as though I have grown up with them. I have not only had the pleasure of watching them grow and evolve as a band but also watching myself grow alongside their music.
For the release of their fifth studio album, Automatic, The Lumineers made a stop in Austin, Texas, for the Automatic World Tour at Moody Center. This performance commemorated the last 20 years of founding members Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites making music together. The duo met in New Jersey in 2005 and began collaborating to cope with the death of a mutual friend. They later moved to Denver, Colorado, where they recruited other long-time band members and began releasing music. Two decades later, The Lumineers celebrated the closing night of their biggest tour yet with a trip down memory lane. Their setlist included many of their greatest hits, new releases, and old-time fan favorites.
The Lumineers opened the night with “Same Old Song,” the lead single off their 2025 album Automatic. To me, this song encapsulates the energy of The Lumineers’ fifth album perfectly. Its fast tempo, nostalgic nods, and ability to bring people to their feet pay homage to what I think The Lumineers are all about. They invited the audience to clap along to the beat as the room erupted with fans singing along. There is a certain energy to a folk-rock show that I feel can’t be replicated with any other genre of music. Folk music nurtures this sense of community and celebration, only accentuated in an arena full of people.
As a long-time fan, Automatic sounds the most mature out of all The Lumineers’ work. I feel connected to its nostalgia and longing for the past while also being hopeful for the future. Getting to experience this song and this moment live felt incredibly full circle. Everyone in this room was there for the enjoyment and commemoration of music, something only possible as a result of years of dedication to creating and nurturing a fan base. By the end of the song, the audience was tapped in and ready for the night of iconic folk tunes ahead.
The night continued with a memorable performance of “BRIGHTSIDE,” the titular track off The Lumineers’ fourth studio album released in 2022. For this song, lead singer Wesley Schultz took a trip around the arena to visit fans in the stands. As a fan, I always love to see artists interacting with the crowd. Wesley did an impressive amount of dancing, shaking hands, and weaving through the stands, all the while performing the song with perfection.
I remember the time of the release of “BRIGHTSIDE” and being so excited. It was The Lumineers’ first post-COVID project, and I was excited for the band to potentially be back on the road soon. For me, it came at a time in my life when I was more eager than ever to get out and travel, enjoy live music, and connect with people after feeling locked up for so long. Fast forward over three and a half years, and this was the fourth time I have seen them live since the release of this album.
Something I really admire about The Lumineers is their dedication to paying homage to some of their greatest works, even if they are not their most popular songs. “Leader of the Landslide” is a song off their 2019 album III, my personal favorite Lumineers project. Standing at almost six minutes long, I would certainly not consider this song to be a “greatest hit.” Nonetheless, I think it is objectively one of the greatest songs they have ever released. The track describes the point of view of a child growing up with an alcoholic mother, who is essentially the “Leader of the Landslide” for their entire family. The song started quiet and slow but built to the strength of an anthem. You could really feel the passion of the band as this song progressed, leaving the unfamiliar audience members on their feet by the end of it.
One of my favorite subgenres of folk is something I like to call “angry folk”; think “White Blank Page” by Mumford & Sons or “Homesick” by Noah Kahan. “Leader of the Landslide” takes this subgenre to a new level. It is a song that came to me at a point in my life when I felt very limited by my own circumstances, where music felt like my only escape. I remember turning to this album when I felt hopeless or alone and feeling comfort in its metaphorical invitation to wallow. I come back to this album often, not necessarily to return to that headspace but to remind myself how far I have come in the last six years.
As the night came to a close, The Lumineers teased the audience with a stripped-back opening to “Cleopatra,” the title track to arguably their most iconic album. The audience returned to their feet as the song picked up in pace. I admired how The Lumineers seemed to flip the energy of the show on its head following a section of slower songs. I took this opportunity to direct my attention to the crowd. Even after nearly two hours of music, people remained dancing and singing their hearts out.
When I think of The Lumineers, I think of the golden era of modern folk that was 2013–2017, and I think of the Cleopatra album cover. The song itself reminds me of when I really fell in love with folk music for the first time. Rather than just listening to whatever was playing on the radio, 2016 was a point in my life when I started developing a taste in music, buying my own albums, and attending live shows. My music taste has grown and evolved so much in the last 10 years, but this album has remained a constant.
Taking us all the way back to their debut album, The Lumineers fittingly closed the night with “Stubborn Love.” Released in 2012, The Lumineers’ self-titled album is home to many of their most iconic hits that have withstood the test of time. Multi-instrumentalist Stelth Ulvang took his guitar to the crowd to sing and celebrate with fans. The night ended with all music and vocals coming to a halt as The Lumineers allowed the crowd to take on the last lyrics of the song.
The opening chords of “Stubborn Love” will always remind me of childhood. Even so, I feel that I relate to this song more now, in my 23rd year of life, than I ever have before. The meaning of this song has changed for me in every phase of my life—from simply enjoying the melodies and singalong qualities as a kid to fully understanding the complex feelings of love and grief that have lived in the lyrics all along. “Stubborn Love” has been a song that I can always turn to no matter what I’m feeling, as it reminds me that “It’s better to feel pain than nothing at all.”
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