Live Review: Mumford & Sons at Madison Square Garden

On August 12, Mumford & Sons graced the stage at Madison Square Garden as part of their 24-date Prizefighter North American Tour. The trio from the UK played three sold-out shows at the world’s most famous arena in support of their latest record, Prizefighter, released back in February. The solo act Medium Build opened just before 8 pm with an acoustic guitar and shared stories between songs, keeping the audience engaged throughout his 45-minute set. Mumford & Sons took the stage just a few minutes after 9:00 pm, opening with “Run Together.” With one guitar, a keyboard, and synthesizers, the band was full of energy heading into their second night at Madison Square Garden. The group has a loyal following of supporters who have been listening to Mumford & Sons for two decades, since the band formed in 2007 in London.  

The energy on the floor before the show was high, and fans were walking around wearing merch from the various tours they have seen. Jumping into their second song, “Little Lion Man,” from their first LP in 2009, “Sigh No More,” brought a more acoustic / folk sound, which is what the group does best on stage. The 22-song set was spread across their deep catalog of six albums. Staying in the acoustic lane for the early part of the set, the group went into their recent song “Rubber Band Man” as MSG was filled with string lights from the stage to the back of the arena, creating an immersive experience similar to an outdoor amphitheater in the summer. The heavy folk influence in the music blends with pop and rock sounds to set the tone that this is not a typical concert but a band that has been able to experiment in many genres while staying primarily in folk/rock. 

The trio had an array of G-Flame pyrotechnics lined up across the production that went off at various points in the set, lifting songs that were more acoustic into a real moment in the show. During the song “The Wolf,” the climax of all production elements went into full swing with a waterfall and a display of flashlamps going off.  Marcus Mumford spoke to the crowd about touring and celebrating three nights at MSG. Utilizing all the venue has to offer, Mumford jumps into the crowd during the song “Ditmas” from the group’s 2015 LP “Wilder Mind.” From the left end of the stage, he jumped down and ran through the floor level to the 100s in the back, where he performed on the 100 level with fans in the corner. Fans allowed Mumford to make his way around the venue with minimal issue. Getting back to the main stage, he introduced Medium Build, who returned to the stage to perform the track “Here,” which opens the Prizefighter album and was a highlight of the show, as that track is popular. 

In the latter part of the show, the house lights dimmed, and the trio took their guitars to the back of the arena to the B Stage for an acoustic set, where they performed three songs: “Clover,” “Ghosts That We Know,” and “The Boxer,” a cover from Simon & Garfunkel. At this moment, fans from the floor ran over to the back of the B stage, some even standing on seats. The arena went silent during these songs; the house lights were partially on, which created a respectful and communal atmosphere. The 22-song set concluded on the main stage with the fan favorite “I Will Wait,” which is their second top-performing song on Spotify with over 922 million streams. The Prizefighter tour is a celebration of the new Mumford & Sons era while showcasing their twenty-year catalog in an hour-and-50-minute set. 

Setlist

1. Run Together
2. Little Lion Man
3. Rubber Band Man
4. White Blank Page
5. Rushmere
6. Awake My Soul
7. Lover Of The Light
8. Hopeless Wanderer
9. Prizefighter
10. Alleycat
11. Believe
12. Ditmas
13. The Cave
14. Here – with Medium Build
15. Delta
16. The Wolf
17. Clover
18. Ghosts That We Know
19. The Boxer – Simon & Garfunkel Cover
20. Conversations With My Son
21. The Banjo Song
22. I Will Wait