Mumfords The Word

Joe Dunne is the owner of McGann’s Irish Pub and Grill located on a fairly quiet side street a block away from the Boston Garden.  On the front of the restaurant Mumford and Sons written in chalk and baiting Mumford Mummies to enter his restaurant for some fine dining this side of Boston.  McGann’s Irish Pub’s spirited lasses lure you in through the double doors of #197 Portland Street with a warm welcome and a freshly poured cider from the tap.  The mouth watering menu fills the room with infectious scents of perfectly cooked hot buffalo wings and the juiciest burger with a side of extra crispy peasant fries.  The patrons fill up all available space and the music exposes you to the top Irish and English music artists of today and yesterday.  U2, Thin Lizzy, and even a side of Cranberries.  Nothing was more refreshing than hearing Mumford and Sons while edging closer to the US concert tour kick off happening less than one black away.  

“I’m from Dublin and I heard about Mumford and Sons in Dublin about five years ago and before they got big they came to Boston and played their first show at a venue called the Middle East.  There were about 300 people at the show mainly Irish and English.  That’s when I first got to see them.  Then they came back about six months later and exploded with “Little Lion Man” I think.  That show was at the House of Blues which is around 2,500 capacity. Now they are playing across the street and I because am such a fan of their’s I wanted to share and acknowledge their talent by welcoming in their fans to my restaurant for some fine food and fine people.”  Joe hasn’t had any direct connection with the lads of London but tonight Glass Note Music’s Chris Scully was scheduled to drop by for a well earned pint on the house.

“I’m most excited to hear the new album live.  My favorite band is Arcade Fire and Mumford reminds me of Arcade Fire but with a banjo.  I can’t believe how big Country music has become and even more so how popular Mumford and Sons are in the US.  So many people are just fed up with the bubble gum music like Nicki Minaj and Britney Spears.  Mumford and Sons is a breath of fresh air.”  Joe continued to cook up his house specialties of fine traditional Irish delicacies.  Fish and Chips, New England Clam Chowder, and Ground Beef gravy covered Shepard’s Pie all surrounded on a tray of Guinness Stout sent out piping hop and ready to be ravaged.

Outside the venue the snow started falling and Finn was bunched together with some friends trying to keep warm while waiting to enter the general admission entrance.  “Beatles Who?” he asked one blatantly sarcastic with scented breath.  The lads of Liverpool have been nudged out by today’s youth and replaced by the tremendous tenacity and sound of Marcus Mumford, Winston Marshall, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane.  The four folking rock stars have been marking history while making wave after wave across the big pond.  The band is young and they are on their way to a long successful road as a band with two sensational albums that have added to the British Invasion part two.  

Mumford and Sons kicked off this 2013 US tour to a sold out crowd of over 17,000 adoring fans followed by another sold out show in Brooklyn, New York the following night.  The band is now in New York City for a nine day lay over before continuing on their tour in support of their most recent album, "Babel."  This group is the real McCoy and their live performance was as perfect as their album recordings.  The energy and exuberance omitted from their instruments and voice has taken something timeless and made it new again.  Marcus Mumford stole the stage with his raspy voice.  This multi-instrumentalist current day Cockney jack-of-all-trades could turn out to be his own one man band.  Mumford, Marshall, Lovett, and Dwane pull together to drive this on peak bound express train to an enlightening level of sound along with the tightest harmonies and instrumental precision.  

A canopy of large strands of lights hung loosely above the audience like a fish net with stars cascading down to the stage.  The visuals are not flashy and anything more than what was present would have only taken away from the purity of the Mumford experience.  “I have never been to a show like this.  I feel such a positive synergy from the fans and the band.  It’s like a weird connection between the music and the fans around me.  I see a lot of shows but this one is not your ordinary show.  It has substance.  It’s fun, and it leaves you wanting more.  A second or even a fourth encore would have been welcomed by this fan.”  said Jennifer, 39 from White Plains, NY who also bussed out from New York City to catch the show.  “I have been listening to “Babel” and “Sighs No More” on repeat on my iPod since the summer.  The music ages gracefully and doesn’t get old.  You just have a natural tendency of wishing for more.”  

In under six minutes Brooklyn not only sold out the second show, Brooklynites raised their mighty voices in one roar as the lights turned down at the Barclay Stadium for another sold out show on the second night of this tour.  “Folk Rock in Brooklyn?  What’s next Gluten Free Italian food?  Brooklyn’s going to the pigeons.”  Perfectly spoken from this local poet.  “I won’t lie.  I dig their music.  It’s different.  I mean it’s an old sound made new again with a banjo.  I never listened to banjo music but this is really good.  Banjo and rock?  Fuggeddaboudid!”  Joey walked away with a beer in one hand and his 1980‘s acid wash jeans with the cut off sleeved t-shit exposing a superman logo on his left shoulder.  Brooklyn’s show was filled with a lineage of families from grandparents with their grandkids, young lovers of all kinds, and Joey.

Mumford & Sons fill the interests and hearts of all kinds of music fans.  They prove you don’t have to be a cowboy to enjoy Country or a metal head to enjoy Megadeth.  Mumford & Sons make liking something different something cool.  With all the music artists and groups available this group has climbed to the top and moved a world in shift of consciousness.  The US has no other option but to hear their songs mixed with the likes of Rhianna, Kesha, Justin Bieber and LMFAO.

Mumford and Sons continue their US tour on February 12th back in Brooklyn to the lucky many who were able to purchase tickets prior to selling out again.  They are supported throughout the tour by award winning Singer/Songwriter Ben Howard.  His music compliments Mumford and Sons perfectly with an array of acoustic pieces.  Howard’s adolescent love songs get you thinking.  It’s more of a melodic rootsy folk music with perceptibly darker lyrics gently playing on acoustically to softer topics.  Music fans were also treated to the sounds of The Felice Brothers from Upstate New York who opened both nights with equally impressive folk rock music.  As the US continues its downward spiral in the world of music rest assure music has finally taken a turn for the best and Mumford is the word.

SIDE BAR PLEASE!  This is the opinionated section of this article.  My perspective all due respect to you the reader.

On a side note and for your reading enjoyment this is what Mumford and Sons revealed to me in their existence as a band.  It’s seemingly eerie when comparing the music of today to that of the music history of yesterday.  The Supremes break up and Diana Ross goes solo, so did Beyonce when she parted ways from Destiny’s Child.  Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons go splitsville and Frankie Valli continued on to write some of his best music in his own spotlight much like Justin Timberlake continuing his success away from his former boy band NSYNC.  Little Richard shock the the US with his flamboyant over the edge performances now mirrored by Marilyn Manson and even Lady Gaga.  1950’s America’s music movement transformed from Earth rattling and deeply defining contributions to music history to an empty calorie package of extra sugary Bubble Gum Pop music.  

Chubbie Checkers, The Brady Bunch, Fats Domino, Gary Glitter, The Osmonds all became short term novelty fads that we can glance back on with such TV shows as VH1‘s “Where are They Now."  The music industry forgot to hold the value of music to its best regards and thus ushering in a levee breaking leak for such groups as Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and other bands who became part of the British Invasion.  This was America’s second wake up call since the famous ride of Paul Revere shouting “The British are coming!  The British are coming!”  Except the British are here, again.  Adele, Coldplay, The Darkness, Underworld, One Direction to name a few.

We pulled in our reigns and regrouped.  We brought value back to our singer/songwriters.  Folk music spoke to the souls of the world seeking relief from the Vietnam War.  Sound familiar yet?  America stood up and answered back screaming “We’re not going to take it, any more.”  From the late 60‘s of the hippie movement to the sizzling experimental trials of the 70‘s, America grew in popularity producing some of the biggest and most iconic names in music history.  

We were told to not shoot until we saw the whites of their eyes and when our guitars shot out we fired back with Janis Joplin, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, The Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Chic, Madonna, Prince, Fourplay, Whitney Houston, Run DMC, Bon Jovi, Soundgarden, Mary J Blidge, Metallica, Bruce Springsteen, Motley Crue, and even Weird Al.  The names go on and on and so does the longevity each and every music artist who thrived during this music peak.  

The US became innovative and explorative with newly invented sounds and genres such as New Wave, Rap, Hip-Hop and Grunge.  The US was on top of the charts in every genre and there was no stopping this train, until Quad City, and I’m sure others before them, derailed our locomotive clean off the tracks.  “Woo Woo C’Mon N’ Ride It.”  

Pop took over and fused the genres together.  Siouxsie and The Banhees relocted just behind Paul Simon on the CD shelf of your local music shop along with Nine Inch Nails just behind Neyo.  Seriously?  Alternative Rock fused with Rap, Country Music mashed up with R&B collaborations, and even Swing Music came back with a little Lindy Hop of a time.  Yeup, the 1950’s came back and the music trend in America today is almost as valuable as the US dollar and that ain’t sayin’ much, folks.  Somehow, someway America lost its creative edge and what was growing started to wilt and fade to the greed of the fatcats.  It’s the price one pays each time attaches with a price tag.

Music inflated by excessive revenue dollars for temporary quick buck ponzi scheme like promotional campaigns.  Merchandise such as ring tones, reality show placement, schwag, and any other sensationalistic means, but there are some names bringing music back to America such as John Legend, Bruno Mars, and Taylor Swift and other veteran and young music artists still writing their best music to date.  Maybe the British and irish have it right.  Sing about unity and not separation.  Write more songs to get together and not for breaking up.  Promote more songs of being happy and less of being jaded.  In the meantime, welcome back to the second British Invasion brought to you tonight by the most amazing awe inspiring music by the new Kings of England, Mumford and Sons.