Concerts Reviews
Music as Medicine: The Lumineers Play Two Nights at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum
On September 8th, 2010, Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites played their first show in Los Angeles; in the back of Molly Malone’s, an Irish Pub that is beloved by Angelenos. Fifteen years later, the pair better known as The Lumineers, headlined two nights at one of the largest venues in the city, the Kia Forum. In a night celebrating five albums and twenty years of musical partnership between Schultz and Fraites, rather than simply playing to August 9th’s sold out crowd, The Lumineers performed a love letter to the community they have cultivated.
London based singer-songwriter Tom Odell kicked off the night with ‘“Don’t Let Me Go”, the lead single from his upcoming album A Wonderful Life that is set to release on September 5th. With a four piece band backing him, Odell played piano while alternating between songs from his debut album, Long Way Down, and previous album Black Friday. Halfway through his set, he introduced his newest song “Ugly”, which had only been released the day before. Odell began the song with a dedication: “To anybody in the audience who might’ve had a moment in their lives where they looked at themselves and didn’t like what they saw, I want to remind those people tonight that you are in fact incredibly beautiful, and I dedicate this song to you,”. Odell’s powerful vocals warmed up the crowd quickly, with even those who had never heard his music before loudly cheering him on. While his set was short, it set the room abuzz and laid the groundwork for an incredible night to follow.
The Lumineers followed soon after, opening with “Same Old Song”, the lead single from their newest album Automatic. The energy in the room was immediately electric. The band played old favorites like “Flowers in Your Hair” and “Charlie Boy”, and sprinkled in hits from the new album. Before playing “Asshole”, Schultz remarked that several people in his life, including his wife of over ten years, Brandy, thought he was an asshole when they first met him. In a way, Schultz presented “Asshole” as an ode to those in the audience who seem rough and ragged around the edges.
They then played “BRIGHTSIDE”, the titular track off of their fourth album, and Schultz jumped down into the pit to make his way through the crowd. He made it all the way to the rafters in the section farthest from the stage, giving fans high fives along the way. Shortly after, the band started their dark ballad “Salt and the Sea” from their album III, and brought Tom Odell back out to the stage with loud cheers from the audience ensuing. He joined Schultz on vocals for the second verse, adding a deeper layer to an already emotionally charged song. They couldn’t let Odell leave without showcasing his incredible piano playing alongside Fraites’ own talent; Fraites slid over on his bench making room for Odell to sit next to him, and the two played the piano outro together.
As the night continued, a fan favorite, “Big Parade”, began. Schultz announced that the band was going to try something different– instead of him singing the whole song, all seven of the band members were going to take their own verse. As they traded off, Schultz gave a quick intro for each of them. First up was Lauren Jacobson, violinist extraordinaire. Guitarist and percussionist Brandon Miller took the next verse, and the crowd learned that he initially started as a member of the band’s crew, but he was so talented that they asked him to join them on stage. Then came Byron Isaacs’ turn, The Lumineers’ bass player of over ten years who they met while recording their second album, Cleopatra. Stelth Ulvang was next, who Schultz coined the “Pedro Pascal of the piano”. Ulvang was so excited to take his turn that he accidentally ripped the cord out of his microphone when running over to center stage. While he didn’t sing, percussionist Reverend Derek Brown was the next to be featured; Fraites let him take over his drum kit for a solo that made the crowd go wild. Finally, Schultz put the spotlight on Fraites, who according to Schultz was about to do something that in the twenty years of making music together he hadn’t done– sing in front of a crowd. The crowd went wild. In the verse Fraites sang, the final line was fittingly “They know all his words by heart, by heart and they all sing”.
As the evening was starting to come to an end, Schultz let the audience know that they had been playing with heavy hearts– at the end of May, his younger brother, Sam, suddenly passed away from a heart attack. The band was in Europe at the time, over 4,000 miles away from their shared hometown of Denver, Colorado, but Schultz decided to carry on with the tour. He remarked that “nights like this are really healing,” and that he was “in a strange headspace, but [he’s] also in one that provides [him] with a little bit of clarity on what music has meant to [him],”. Just the week before their run at The Forum, the band headlined Mile High Stadium in Denver, making Colorado history by being the first local artists to do so. The very next day they all attended Sam’s funeral. Following Schultz’ tribute, they then dedicated their next song to Sam, an emotional cover of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind”.
They finished the night with arguably their biggest hits– “Cleopatra” and “Stubborn Love”. One of the most powerful lyrics in the latter is “It’s better to feel pain, than nothing at all. The opposite of love’s indifference”; a very fitting closing to an emotional night of both the band and audience coming together to use live music to heal. “I’m also just grateful that I get to pour my heart out and just give some sort of service to other people in this time, because I feel like I would be useless otherwise. So thank you for letting us serve you guys… thank you for being here, thank you for letting us pour our hearts out and mean something,” said Schultz.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
The Lumineers have several stops left on their Automatic World Tour; find more info here.
Upcoming Automatic World Tour Dates:
2025
8/13 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater
8/14 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater
8/16 Seattle, WA T-Mobile Park
8/30 Chicago, IL Soldier Field
9/3 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Amphitheater
9/6 Washington, DC Nationals Park
9/8 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage
9/9 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage
9/11 Louisville, KY Bourbon & Beyond Festival
9/13 Detroit, MI Comerica Park
9/16 Raleigh, NC Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
9/17 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion
9/19 Philadelphia, PA Citizens Bank Park
9/21 Richmond, VA Iron Blossom Music Festival
9/23 Greenville, SC Bon Secours Wellness Arena
9/26 Charleston, SC Credit One Stadium
9/27 Savannah, GA Enmarket Arena
9/30 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
10/1 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
10/3 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
10/4 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena
10/7 Hollywood, FL Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
10/8 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
10/10 The Woodlands, TX The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
10/11 Fort Worth, TX Dickies Arena
10/14 Austin, TX Moody Center
10/17 Mexico City, MX Pepsi Center WTC
10/18 Mexico City, MX Pepsi Center WTC
11/7 Scottsdale, AZ Dreamy Draw Festival
2026
1/3 Christchurch, NZ Christchurch Town Hall
1/6 Auckland, NZ Spark Arena
1/9 Melbourne, AU Sidney Myer Music Bowl
1/13 Brisbane, AU Brisbane Entertainment Centre
1/16 Sydney, AU Qudos Bank Arena
1/18 Adelaide, AU Adelaide Entertainment Centre
1/21 Perth, AU RAC Arena
1/24 Singapore, SG Fort Canning Green
1/27 Manila, PH New Frontier Theater
1/29 Tokyo, JP Zepp Haneda
2/1 Delhi, IN Huda Ground
2/4 Cape Town, ZA Grand Arena at Grand West
2/7 Pretoria, ZA Sunbet Arena at Time Square Casino
THE LUMINEERS
TOM ODELL
All Photo Credit: Kelsie Kerr
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Goldfinger Keep the Pit Moving and the Shoes Flying in Vancouver
On April 17th, the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver felt like a ska-punk time warp, with California punk legends Goldfinger supporting their new album, Nine Lives.
Sullvn got things rolling with a set that didn’t waste any time. Within minutes, hats were flying into the crowd like it was a merch-based game show, and the vibe quickly turned into organized chaos. They brought to the stage Dicky Barrett, former frontman of Mighty Mighty Bosstones for their hit “Raise a Glass”.
Next up was Broadway Calls, proving once again that a three-piece can absolutely shake a room. Their brand of fast, hooky punk tore through the crowd, with songs like “Call It Off” and “Back to Oregon” landing like instant jolts of energy. By the time they wrapped, the room was fully ready for Goldfinger.
Right away, frontman John Feldmann started doing crowd math. “How many of you are under 20?” A few scattered hands. “Over 40?” A lot more hands. He laughed and proudly stated that to still be doing this 32 years later as the best feeling in the world. This wasn’t a band clinging to nostalgia… but they also weren’t about to ignore it.
From there, it turned into the kind of chaos Goldfinger shows are known for, a non-stop blur of songs, crowd surfers, and, of course, the sacred tradition of shoes flying through the air. Somewhere along the way, footwear stopped being optional and started being part of the performance. Pairs were held up like trophies, launched across the room, or lost to the pit entirely. If you managed to leave with both shoes still accounted for, honestly, that’s a personal victory. The setlist leaned into exactly what people wanted. “Here in Your Bedroom,” “Chasing Amy” “Counting the Days”, all the hits, all loud, all sung back at the band like it was a group project. The floor barely stayed still for more than a few seconds, and the security team definitely got their steps in from the steady stream of crowd surfers.
During “Mable,” they pulled fans up on stage to dance, turning the whole thing into a slightly chaotic, very wholesome party. And then… “Superman.” The reaction was instant. Like, no hesitation, full-body nostalgia. The second it started, it felt like half the room got mentally transported back to playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 in their living rooms. Suddenly, everyone knew every word (even the ones they probably didn’t know they knew), and the energy somehow went up another level. It wasn’t just a highlight, it was the moment.
When it wrapped at the Commodore Ballroom, the place was wrecked in the best way – sweaty, shoeless, and buzzing. Still, no one seemed in any hurry to leave.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
GOLDFINGER
BROADWAY CALLS
SULLVN
All Photo Credit: Heather Horncastle
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Face to Face with Sevendust in Riverside, Iowa
For close to thirty years, Hard Rock’s Sevendust has graced hundreds of stages all over the world, playing sell-out shows to rabid fans. The band, fronted by LaJon Witherspoon, has been recognized for its soulful vocals, hard-hitting riffs from Clint Lowery and John Connolly, thumping bass from Vince Hornsby, and monstrous drum sounds and screams from Morgan Rose. Riverside, Iowa was treated to the full Sevendust experience on Friday night.
The Riverside Casino Event Center has played host to events ranging from poker tournaments to keynote speakers, but on Friday it served as the setting for an amazing night of rock. The show started off with Iowa City–local band NonGrata. NonGrata has become very well known in the Eastern Iowa music scene, having opened for bands like Alien Ant Farm, Norma Jean, Archers, and will be opening for DED this summer. Blending groovy guitars with crisp clean vocals and harsh screams, the band delivers a sound that makes you want to jump out of your seat and stage dive. Although Sevendust was the main attraction on Friday night, everyone enjoyed NonGrata. They were a great choice to open the show and get people excited before Sevendust took the stage. NonGrata will be playing shows in Eastern Iowa throughout the year, and Midwest locals should take the chance to see a new band.
After an hour pre-show delay due to the weather, fans were itching to get out of their seats as anticipation for Sevendust taking the stage rose. Riverside was the second show of the One Tour, but there was no sign of early tour woes as the band broke right into Home. The 1999 track off the album of the same name was a great opener, carrying a hint of nostalgia and a whole lot of feeling. Witherspoon made an early effort to cross from side to side, ensuring every fan had the opportunity to interact with him. Stage presence is always among the highlights of a Sevendust show. Fans know they are going to get two things when they go to a Sevendust show: amazing music and plenty of interaction. The great music kept rolling as the second track of the night was a crowd favorite, Denial. The band was joined by hundreds of backup singers who knew every word, creating an ambiance that added essential energy to the environment.
The band seemed emotional in response to how well they were received by the Riverside crowd. After spending significant time in Europe to start the year, Sevendust said it was good to be home. Because these were among the first U.S. shows of the year, American fans had not yet had the opportunity to hear songs from the band’s upcoming album, One, live. The first chance came with the third song of the night, Is This the Real You. Although the Riverside crowd had never heard the song live, that did not stop them from singing along. Sevendust also played two other new tracks from the forthcoming album, Unbreakable and Threshold. Both sounded great live, and anticipation for the new album is high. Based on the reactions to the new material, the album will likely be well received when it comes out in two weeks on May 1.
The focus on new music did not stop Sevendust from breaking into its classics. The setlist was full of songs a Sevendust show would be incomplete without; Praise, Enemy, Waffle, and Black all had their place in the night. It truly was the complete Sevendust experience. The night could not end, however, without an encore of Rumble Fish and Face to Face. Even though the crowd was treated to a 15-song main set and a two-song encore, they still yearned for more. Unfortunately, all good shows must come to an end, but with 25 dates left on the One Tour, there will be plenty of opportunities to see Sevendust again this year.
One comes out May 1.
Check out our favorite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming tour dates:
4/20 – Indianapolis, IN
4/21 – Lexington, KY
4/22 – Birmingham, AL
4/24 – Mobile, AL
4/25 – Destin, FL
4/26 – Atlanta, GA (supporting Alter Bridge)
4/28 – Dallas, TX
4/29 – Oklahoma City, OK
More information on the band’s website.
SEVENDUST
NONGRATA
All Photo Credit: Ryan Renger