The Lumineers + The Kopecky Family Band at Cafe 939

Should The Lumineers have asked that this show be moved to a larger venue? Could The Lumineers have asked that this show be moved to larger venue? Arguably, the answer to both of those questions is yes. But they didn't. That might say a lot about the Denver-based outfit. And it may even bode well for their sophomore effort.

Am I crazy to be talking about The Lumineers second album when their debut album was released less than a month ago? I might be. Maybe I'm becoming a bitter old man. Let me first address last Friday's performance at Cafe 939, and then hear me out about the sophomore jinx thing.

< review >

Leading off the evening at Cafe 939 were Nashville's The Kopecky Family Band. This tour was originally booked as a co-headlining tour, but it seemed the The Family had openly accepted the fact that they were going to be the openers for the media darlings that are The Lumineers. This comes as no surprise from a band who leaves a jar on their merch table, soliciting donations so they can help to sponsor less fortunate children.

That kind of spirit, which most native New Englanders would probably raise an eyebrow of disbelief to, seems completely genuine. The "family" grabbed ahold of their chances, traded instruments, bounced off each other and put on a rollickingly electric set which, I dare say, left a house packed full of drooling Lumineers fans happy that they'd arrived early for the evenings festivities.

But make no mistake about it, that crowd was there to see if their love for The Lumineers album would translate to a live performance.

I was lucky enough to receive a preview copy of "The Lumineers" and, with no reservations, fell swiftly for the bands brand of classically american roots folk (yes I just fabricated another genre.) Featuring perfectly strung together lyrics, instrumentation and arrangements that resonate with virtually everyone in earshot, and a heart-on-the-sleeve delivery, it seems like this release is headed for a whole lot of "Best of 2012" lists. In case you haven't picked up on it, I'm completely enamored with these guys.

I didn't always feel this way about The Lumineers, though. I remember being exposed to the bar room video of "Ho, Hey" a good five or six months before hearing their debut album. Latching onto that video quickly, I scoured the internet for verification that this band was my next obsession. Unfortunately, what I saw at the time didn't pull me in the same way the "Ho, Hey" video did, and I decided to put them on the back burner. It didn't take long for me to go back on that decision.

The show on Friday was packed tighter than any I've been to in recent memory. Granted, Cafe 939 is a small space and The Lumineers have just blown up on a exponential level, but man, that was one sweaty mass of humanity ready to chant, sing and bounce up and down with the band's every word.

As the band took to the stage, before they'd spoken a word or played a note, you could feel the wave of anticipation cresting and see on the faces of audience members that kind of giddy christmas-morning smile that we all get when something really fucking good is about to happen.

The five-piece, ably led by Wesley Schultz (vocals, guitar) made their way through most of the songs off of their debut effort and also managed to weave in a few covers, like Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and "I Ain't Nobody's Problem" written by a friend of the band who's name I failed to catch. Depending on when you looked up, you might catch Jeremiah Fraites and his instantly recognizable fedora, black suspenders and white t-shirt sitting behind a kit or standing along side Wesley, bellowing a chorus, stomping a kick drum and pleading for the crowd to sing louder. No matter when you looked up, Neyla Pekarek could be found stage right, behind her cello, smiling, singing and bringing an air of calm to the contained ball of energy that was occupying the small stage that evening.

To the delight of the audience, there didn't seem to be a minute's rest during the entire set. Band members and revelers alike wiped sweat from their brows and dreamed of swilling a cold beer. Cafe 939 is a coffee shop, dontchaknow. A slightly cruel truism that us of legal age had to deal with for that evening. The perfect compliment to that performance would have been a tall frosty one (or four.) Still, I can't recall a time recently when I've seen so many sober people have that much fun. A testament to the performance power of The Lumineers.

During the encore, that ball of energy that had been contained on stage finally broke free. The crowd parted to allow the band to perform a song from a top, and gathered around, a single stool in the middle of the venue. It's not the first time that's been done, but it was certainly one of the better mid-crowd performances I've seen. Actually, the only thing that was lost were the hot lights from under which the band was performing on stage. Maybe they just needed a break from the heat.

Closing out the evening, the band returned to the stage and belted out a fairly spectacular version of "The Weight" as a tribute to the legendary Levon Helm. I'll bet that kind of tribute took place across the country this week, but I'm certainly glad I was able to be present for that one. Levon would have flashed that mile-wide smile at the sing along that occurred that evening at 939.

In summary: Get out and see The Lumineers before this train passes you by and you have to go see them with 1,000 other people at a really big and impersonal venue. I'm sure those performances will be great as well, but they'll be no substitute for having experienced the band in an intimate setting.

< /review >

< speculation >

Re:The Lumineers and The Sophomore Jinx

After the show, as we walked across the street for a much needed beverage, a friend (Hi, Sharon!) asked me what I thought would happen to The Lumineers if their star continued to rise at the meteoric pace that it is currently. I ventured a guess that she could probably expect to hear most of those songs she heard that evening in the background of her favorite prime time television shows. The money is there and it seems to be a fairly effortless way to get your work heard by a large swath of the non-concert going population. Just ask Mumford and Sons. Certain TV shows seem to pride themselves on using songs from artists that main stream America hasn't heard of yet. Then again, perhaps I'm giving those shows too much credit, as those songs are also infinitely cheaper to use. None the less, the avenue exists and it's easy to see The Lumineers choosing that as a revenue stream.

I also told Sharon that she can probably expect to not like their second album as much as their first. After all, the Lumineers first release took four years to write, three years of home recording (according to their site,) and was emotionally spurred by the death of family member/close friend. A sad fact about the music business is, once you've caught that break or "made it" the motivations for the making of your music change. Certainly there are exceptions to this rule, but a majority of bands fall into this category and seem to be unable to climb their way back out.

As a musician, you probably start out doing something you love (making music) for virtually or literally no money. If you're lucky enough to separate yourself from the pack as a musician, all of a sudden there are a lot more people invested in what you're doing with your creative schedule. You've got contractual obligations that need to be met. You need to produce an album on a someone else's schedule and not let it happen organically as it did before anyone knew who you were. On top of that, your fans want you to crank out more songs for them to adore. Hell, you might even have a stable of people who you feel you need to support. The very foundation of why you made that first album(s) before the big break changes completely. It's no longer solely about your love for music or your passion about the subject of your writings, it's also about hard dollars and cents. It's not called the music business for nothin'. That alone is likely a large enough issue to shake the ethos of your favorite underground musician.

Another ingredient some people fail to consider is the plight of the artist. You've worked your tail off to find the sound that people love and that you feel comfortable playing, you evolved your presence on stage and maybe even the way you dress. You've finally got those adoring fans and they love what you've done! Now at least some portion of your fan base is probably going to want you to make that same record over and over and over again. You as an artist, however, probably ~~want~~ need to continue to grow. That means you're going to be disappointing a bunch of your previous fans (or at least there's a good chance of it.) So do you disappoint them and do what you need to do as an artist or make the same album, keep them happy and keep your own lifeline filled with the almighty dollar. I'm terribly over simplifying, but I'm sure it's not an easy decision to make.

Coming full circle now, stick with me.

The fact that The Lumineers stuck with their original contract and played a venue at least three times smaller than they could have filled gives me hope that they're the kind of artists who have the courage and will to take their musical future into their own hands and make sure things happen in a way that's right for them as well as their audience. It's a vital ingredient to good music that is too often lost in the world of manufactured bands and big record labels. With this kind of music especially, if the soul of the artist isn't taken care of, the music will suffer and so will the audience.

So take care Lumineers, we're all pulling for you. Here's hoping you take a cue from Sinatra and make music for the rest of your years the best way that you know how: your way.

< /speculation >

Actually that's not the end of the speculation, but I fear I may have lost a good few of you already. If you actually read this far, find me at a show and I'll buy you a beer.

Or a coffee if we're at 939.

Slow It Down