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Last night (Saturday, May 24th), The Lumineers graced the O2 Arena stage for an evening of joy, celebration and camaraderie.
Indie-folk prodigy Michael Marcagi kicked off proceedings with a stellar opening set. Few artists can spark an arena-wide sing-a-long this early in their careers, but when the Ohio native launched into his viral 2024 anthem, ‘Scared to Start’, he was greeted by a sea of fans roaring the evocative, yearning lyrics right back at him.
Back in January 2024, Marcagi was playing his first ever UK show to around 300 people at Omeara - now, with a headlining show at the O2 Forum Kentish Town and a set at the O2 Arena with The Lumineers under his belt, it’s exciting to think what heights the ‘Stick Around’ crooner will have reached by this time next year.
It’s difficult to think of a better choice as a support act, with Michael Marcagi having written extensively with The Lumineers’ Wesley Schultz in recent months. It’s rare for the headliner to make an appearance during the opening set, but Schultz teamed up with Marcagi for a haunting rendition of their 2025 duet, ‘Wish I Never Met You’, taken from the latter’s impressive April ‘Midwest Kid’ EP.
It set the tone for the good-natured, convivial ambience that ultimately pervaded The Lumineers’ headline performance. Opening with the galvanising ‘Same Old Song’, from their lauded new album, Automatic, Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites created an air of generosity that permeated their performance.
From the playful band introductions - a forgettable element of many shows, but a highly entertaining event in itself here - to Schultz’s moving tributes to both Fraites and his wife, The Lumineers went out of their way to lace their set with warmth and jubilation.
The nearly-two-hour show flew by, with Schultz interacting with the crowd between almost every song, and even jumped the barrier and wading into the the audience as he delivered one of the stand-outs in the setlist, the rousing, rock-infused ‘BRIGHTSIDE’.
The early inclusion of the iconic ‘Ho Hey’ had the crowd leaping to their feet, while ‘Ophelia’, ‘Gloria’ and ‘Dead Sea’ served as further highlights of this galvanising performance.
The duo had a slew of surprises up their sleeves, with Schultz offering an unexpected cover of Oasis’ ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’, as well as bringing out Marcagi for ‘Charlie Boy’.
As was perhaps to be expected, ‘Cleopatra’ - a perfect encapsulation of The Lumineers’ ear for a soaring hook and their visceral storytelling ability - served as the jewel in the crown.
As the band waved to the crowd and made their way off stage, you couldn’t help but feel it won’t be long before the duo set their sights on Tottenham or Wembley Stadium.
For more on The Lumineers, see below:
