The Lumineers at Terminal 5

In the spring of 2005 in Ramsey, New Jersey, two childhood friends, vocalist/guitarist Wesley Schultz and drummer Jeremiah Fraites began to write songs together. They played the New York club circuit, mostly under the name Wesley Jeremiah, but disillusioned by its difficulties, the two musicians packed everything they owned—a couple of suitcases of clothes and a trailer full of musical instruments—and headed for Denver, Colorado. In Denver, they placed a Craigslist ad for a cellist, attracted Neyla Pekarek in 2010, and began playing a gritty basement club’s open mic night. Neyla added mandolin and piano to the trio, and the Lumineers’ energetic Americana sound took form. Pianist Stelth Ulvang and bassist Ben Wahamaki joined the band as full-time members in 2012. A self-titled debut album was released in April 2012, eventually peaking at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart in January 2013.

The Lumineers returned to Terminal 5 tonight and once again brought front-porch folk to a cavernous space. To accentuate the down-home feel, the Lumineers’ stage sectioned off their cello, drums, and piano on diamond-shaped platforms backed by patio railing, with large chandeliers hovering over the musicians. A show based on one album can be limiting, so the band added covers and new songs to round out its lively 80-minute performance. Who could have imagined that rustic-sounding, stomp-and-clap acoustic folk-styled songs could be so much fun? In the roots revival style of the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons, the Lumineers built its music on old-fashioned instrumentation and simple vocal harmonies. Then frequently changing instruments, the musicians injected youthful vigor into these heart-swelling Americana-inflected barn burners. Schultz in particular added passionate, heart-on-the-sleeve authenticity while stomping and hollering throughout most of the songs. Towards the end of the show, several of the musicians performed from the audience for a pair of songs as if it were a campfire-like sing-along. In concert, the Lumineers did an outstanding job taking traditional-sounding music and making it new.