When I bought a ticket to the Sept 10 The Lumineers concert at the Merriweather Post Pavillion, I was just expecting to have a fun time and dance along to the music. But this concert exceeded all my expectations. The atmosphere was calm and light, everyone seemed friendly, and every act was entertaining. The show opened with Rayland Baxter, a laid back singer originally from Annapolis, Maryland and BØRNS, of which I’m already a fan. I’ve been to a lot of concerts, and I rarely go to a concert and come out absolutely loving all the acts , but this was an exception.

I wasn’t a huge Lumineers fan prior going to this concert. I mean, I knew the very popular song, “Ho Hey,” and a few of their new songs off the Cleopatra album, but I wasn’t a devotee by any means. After going to the concert I now can proudly say I am a Lumineers fan.

First Rayland Baxter performed. His music gave me a folksy country vibe. If you like Hozier, you’ll like Rayland Baxter. His songs “Yellow Eyes” and “Mr. Rodriguez” were some of my favorites and worthy of investigation. His set was at the best time of the day. While I was listening to the music and swaying along, the sun was setting to the right of me. It was like a scene out of a movie. Even though it felt like 150 degrees outside, his music was the only thing the crowd was focused on.

Next up was BØRNS. Now, I am in love with the music of Garrett Borns, the lead singer in the band. BØRNS is the band for everyone. I got the impression everyone else was in love with the band also because when the lights dimmed and he walked out in one of his signature crop tops, the crowd went nuts. BØRNS music just pulls you in and doesn’t let you go. Every song on his new album, Dopamine, is phenomenal. I have memorized every lyric. He ended with set with his very famous song, “Electric Love,” which got everyone on their feet dancing.

I have to say The Lumineers surprised me. They are a folk rock band made up of the main vocalist, Wesley Schultz, as well as Jeremiah Fraites and Neyla Pekarek. You would like their sound if you listen to Mumford and Sons or Vance Joy. With Wesley’s soothing vocals, Jeremiah’s sick drumming, and Neyla’s one of a kind sound on the cello, the performance was exceptional, and gave both me and the audience so many emotions. One minute we were crying to the song “Charlie Boy” and the next we were screaming our lungs out to “Ophelia.”

Even though the majority of the attendees had lawn tickets and were hundreds of feet away from the stage, The Lumineers made sure that everyone in the audience of 17,000 feel like they were standing right next to you. They even ran off the stage and came and sang “Classy Girls” at the bottom of the lawn. I have never seen any artist in all the concerts I have been to be that involved with their fans. The Lumineers concert was a 5/5 in my book and I will definitely be adding much more of their music to my Spotify playlist.