Entering against visuals that resembled the artwork of their latest album, The Lumineers made their India debut in Gurgaon. Delhiites swayed to hit tracks Ophelia and Ho Hey as the American folk-rock band brought high energy to match the city’s vibe, with laughs, cartwheels, medleys and more.
Band members Wesley Schultz, Lauren Jacobson, Brandon Miller, Byron Isaacs, Stelth Ulvang, Reverend Derek Brown and Jeremiah Fraites at the gig
Songs with StoriesDressed in a white Billy Joel t-shirt and flaunting pigtails, Wesley Schultz interacted with the audience as the band opened with Same Old Song. Sharing how the band’s drummer Jeremiah Fraites led to the idea behind Ativan from their latest album, Schultz said, “Imagine a love song coming from a drug, just trying to convince you to take it, trying to seduce you. So when you hear this song tonight, imagine there’s a little pill behind the microphone singing.“During Dead Sea, Schultz acknowledged the crowd with a tip of his hat and led a brief harmonised interlude before the music surged again. At one point, Jeremiah flung his drumsticks into the audience, sending fans scrambling to catch them.
Co-founders of the band, Wesley Schultz (L) and Jeremiah Fraites (R )
‘A toast to our first night in Delhi’In a candid toast to imperfection and embracing one’s flaws, Schultz said, “I’d like to give a toast tonight to our first night in Delhi. Some of my best friends, even my own wife, told me years later that when they first met me, they were pretty sure that I was an a**hole. I’m glad that you’re cheering for that. I heard this recent quote that made me feel a little better about that judgement. It said ‘you should be suspicious of those who present themselves as perfect, because those are the ones who are hiding the darkest secret in their hearts. And what you should really aim to do is try to welcome those who are a little bit sloppy and rough around the edges, and don’t always say the right thing at the right time,’ So my toast tonight is to all the a**holes out there, of course myself included.”
We never, in our wildest dreams, imagined we’d ever get to play somewhere as special as this tonight. Thank you so much for being here from the bottom of our hearts. We’ve had the time of our life, and we’ll see you again, I promise
Wesley Schultz on behalf of the band at the end of the night
Jeremiah’s singing debutBig Parade took an unexpected turn as Wesley cued each bandmate for a brief spotlight moment singing a few verses. At Jeremiah Fraites’ turn, Wesley revealed, “In the twenty years that we’ve been playing together, Jeremiah has never sung in front of a huge crowd like this.” Stelth Ulvang was a dynamo on stage – playing multiple instruments, even using his feet on the piano – before punctuating the spectacle with a cartwheel atop the piano as the crowd roared. Moments later, he stepped off the stage and into the audience, strumming his guitar among fans. Wesley took a stroll through the crowd as well, sending fans into a frenzy.
Wesley took a stroll through the crowd sending fans into a frenzy
“We travelled from Mumbai for this show and bought tickets three months back. We got to interact with the artistes and I caught the drumstick Jeremiah Fraites (above) threw! It’s truly been a surreal night,” shared Sarthak, an attendee who has been following the band for seven years. His partner Muskan added, “Sarthak and I bonded over the Lumineers’ songs, especially the new album Automatic. We didn’t expect this gig so we instantly got tickets.“
