I’ve been playing Mumford & Sons’ “And I will wait, I will wait for you” lyrics in my car for years now. But you know what, I was so tired of waiting!
Mumford & Sons, a band I have followed since 2012 when they released their second studio album: “Babel”, have never been to Tampa!
Back in 2015, they were scheduled to headline the inaugural year of Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival, which was their second performance in Florida ever, so I knew I had to go.
I filled out the festival volunteer form and went through two stages of online interviews. Everything was set; I would volunteer at the festival and finally see Mumford perform live.
But then it came time to tell my parents. The idea of me camping out in my car for a weekend, alone, didn’t really scream “YES! Let your teenage daughter do it. Totally safe!”
So, I didn’t get to attend the festival.
Fast forward to 2017. Mumford & Sons announce a new tour that included dates in Florida! But not just that, Tampa, Fl!
Purchasing tickets to the tour was a no brainer. All we had to do now was wait for the concert.
However, with Hurricane Irma causing such a mess, many concerts have been cancelled as of late. Would Mumford & Sons cancel their debut performance in Tampa?
In an Instagram & Facebook post on Sunday, September 17, 2017, the band posted a picture from their very first performance in Florida and included a caption that said the following: “On the 14th of September, 2013 we played a Gentlemen of the Road stopover in St Augustine, Florida. In March last year we were back to play in Okeechobee at the Music & Arts Festival. This week we return to Florida to play our first ever shows in Miami, Tampa and Orlando and couldn’t be more up for it. We know it’s been a very hard time in the face of these storms and you have been in our thoughts everyday as we have been preparing for the shows. Let’s unite and have some fun…. we can’t wait. Love from the lads x”
Picture of Mumford & Sons 1st performance in Fl.
September 20, 2017. Amalie Arena was filled with fans who had waited years to see this band play their music live.
“Only took us 10 years, but we’re here, and there’s nowhere else we’d rather be,” said Marcus Mumford, singer for the band.
I’ll be the first to say it: the show had A LOT happening at once.
From confetti cannons, various strobe lights, and Marcus Mumford running around the arena, the show was very rock and roll.
Mumford & Sons surprised fans back in 2015 with their release of “Wilder Mind”. The album was different for the band and showcased a new rock/electronic sound that diverged from their “folk/Americana/grass-root” sound.
But, they did an incredible job of showcasing that they can handle doing both. The performance allowed fans to dance and sing along to their newer songs as well as the older hits that made me fall in love with this band in the first place. “Little Lion Man”, “Where Are You Now”, and “I Will Wait” being some of my favorites.
The band even performed a stripped down acoustic of “Timshel” on a smaller stage surrounding the soundboard. All four band members huddled around one single microphone to perform the song. But, not before Marcus asking for “f—ing quite”.
Andrea Cline, a friend of mine who also attended the concert says, “I can die happy! I have wanted them to come to Tampa since their 1st album and all I can say is amazing! Truly an awesome show!”
Fan, Andrea Cline, dancing along to Mumford & Sons
“It was my first time being barricade at a concert and there was so much energy throughout the night. The music was amazing and hit you right in the feels,” said Kasi Nelson, a USF St. Petersburg student who was also in attendance.
An encore performance of three more songs ended the night with more confetti and even a mic-drop from Mumford himself.
“You’re good people, Tampa, Florida. Sorry it took us so long to come, but we’re so glad we came.” -Marcus Mumford
HCXOXO,
Vanessa Rivera