Despite The Storm, The Lumineers Show Crystal Palace Park The Brightside



There’s no dampening this crowd’s spirits as the rains came down on a muggy summer’s evening in London, even after a somewhat false start where a short pause between songs over the speakers led the crowd to believe The Lumineers were about to don the stage but didn’t. Eventually lead man Wesley Schultz and the band bound onto stage to a somewhat soggy, but exuberant crowd and started straight into hit Brightside without skipping a beat.

The Lumineers @ Crystal Palace Park

The Lumineers @ Crystal Palace Park (Lauren Patel)
The Lumineers @ Crystal Palace Park (Lauren Patel)

After watching these guys for even just a couple of songs you have to question; do these Colorado based multi-instrumentalists know no bounds? Is there an instrument this band can’t play? With tools of the trade ranging from, but not limited to, cello, bass, accordion, tambourine, percussion, violin, piano, and even a mandolin. If anything it makes you feel sympathy for their roadies, who are certainly given a run for their money, moving equipment across this Crystal Palace stage with long walk way platform, because the band members spent almost half their time to and froing between main stage and the walkway amidst the enchanted concert goers. At one stage this even included a string section being performed, mid walkway, for the track from the self-titled album Charlie Boy. One thing is for sure this band know how to perform, no matter the medium.

For all the musical equipment tonight, and I’ll admit I lost count of Schultz’s guitar changes, what didn’t go amiss was the charm of just how well loved some of his guitars were, with the wear and tear of well-played instruments. No matter the guitar, the frontman hits the right chord with his spectators.

This foot stomping, alternative folk, 6-piece powerhouse seem to not only have a boundless energy but also give off an endlessly positive effervescent vibe. From Lauren Jacobson skipping onto the stage, to our barefoot pianist, Stelth Ulvang, rocking the piano with such velocity as he plays it, and on more than one occasion this debauched shoeless wonder used his foot to play, instead of his fingers. Later still he is seen posing a headstand atop said piano, during the performance of Big Parade whilst the other band members posed perfectly stock still. I don’t know why he bothers with a stool; it was one of the least used pieces of equipment on the stage this evening. 

Encore demands come in the form of chants of “one more song” and the masses didn’t have to wait long for our folk rockers to reappear and to not only 1 more song, instead they got 5 and a short birthday homage to their long term guitar tech.

After said return to stage Wesley perches on the piano to sing Donna from their concept album III, whilst drummer and founding member, Jeremiah Fraites, plays the keys. At this stage of the evening what little light we had has left the sky and the crowd, now mellowed out, light up the park by swaying their mobile phone lights setting quite the atmosphere.

Fast forward to Jeremiah returning to drums and Wesley back on guitar for Submarine, a surprise treat for fans at the main stage as the singer walks down the stage steps and walks the line reaching out to the elated crowd as he passes.

The night comes to a close with one final hit from the self-titled album and this time it’s Stubborn Love. Even after their music finishes and Protocol Harum’s A Whiter Shade of Pale comes on over the PA these entertainers don’t stop performing, Lauren does a cartwheel onto Stelth’s shoulders and with her still on his back he runs on to main stage and with that the night was over.

  • 53035565131 f988b4693d o
  • 53034985207 c15de62b6b o
  • 53034985217 26d3bcc0f4 o
  • 53035748144 84efddfcf9 o
  • 53035748069 e1699e98f5 o
  • 53035958430 248ce33c29 o
  • 53035748059 e2b4247132 o
  • 53035748129 5f2897fc45 o
  • 53036050333 9d68b734ab o
  • 53034985117 7bc3bb3f9d o
  • 53036050313 5df6877b62 o
  • 53035565046 aaf505f811 o
  • 53035565061 83108512d8 o
  • 53034985112 437f544643 o
  • 53035565131 fa16a45e9d n
  • 53034985207 1e6715ca80 n
  • 53034985217 0e99cd1d33 n
  • 53035748144 f4ef6b45df n
  • 53035748069 a6869f9874 n
  • 53035958430 bebcd613cf n
  • 53035748059 273135e00a n
  • 53035748129 dc09ab0a63 n
  • 53036050333 e741e8ee83 n
  • 53034985117 35c22fd374 n
  • 53036050313 789993dc28 n
  • 53035565046 7e948defce n
  • 53035565061 1535fa35d0 n
  • 53034985112 fae574ee55 n

Review of The Lumineers @ Crystal Palace Park on 8th July 2023 by Bernadette O’Malley. Photos by Lauren Patel.

Pretending Like It’s The Weekend Now (On A Wednesday Night) With Jack Johnson In London

Black Spiders

New Black Spiders Tour Blows The Cobwebs Away

Hard rock band Black Spiders have been around for a while. Having formed in 2008, they delivered a brace of well...
Triumph Of Death (Roland Moeck)

Tom Gabriel Warrior’s Triumph Of Death Announce Hellhammer Live Album

The impact of Swiss extreme metal forefathers Hellhammer is one that still resonates around the global metal scene...
Jungle (Filmawi)

Jungle Announce Major Outdoor Manchester Show

UK production duo Jungle have announced a major outdoor summer show headlining Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl on...
BLACK GRAPE 2023 PROMO SHOT BY PAUL HUSBAND scaled

Black Grape Declare Pimp Wars

Black Grape have just dropped Pimp Wars, the second single to be taken from their forthcoming album Orange Head which...
Punk Rock Factory (Press)

Punk Rock Factory Take The Fun Down Under

Punk Rock Factory are a band on the rise. Their seventh album of pop punk covers has just been released, and the...
The Courettes @ The 100 Club (Pauline Di Silvestro)

The Courettes Close Their UK Tour With A Dynamite Double Header

This show at the 100 club was the last night of The Courettes current UK tour, ahead of their upcoming US leg that...
Chris Shiflett of "The Churnups" @ Glastonbury Festival 2023 (Kalpesh Patel)

Foo Fighter Chris Shiflett Sits Down With Nile Rodgers

On the newest episode of the Shred with Shifty Podcast, Foo Fighters guitarist and Honky-Tonk frontman Chris Shiflett...
Randall King at Bush Hall (Pauline Di Silvestro)

Randall King Brings The Honky-Tonk To Bush Hall

Tonight, Bush Hall’s ambiance transforms. The vintage West London theatre could easily look like a museum or a...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing