Mumford & Sons • Good Neighbours • June 14, 2025 • Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe
There are just some shows that are more anticipated than others. Mumford & Sons was that show for me. It had been six years since the guys had played Utah. This would be my first opportunity to review and photograph one of my favorite bands. It seemed very clear inside Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre that I was not the only one eagerly anticipating this concert. We had waited long enough, and now we were all getting to experience the North American Tour promoting the release of “Rushmere”.
Mumford & Sons did a good job of drumming up interest in the album and the tour. They would go on social media earlier in the day and name a time and place where they’d perform that night. Sure enough, the secret location would be packed, and the band would play a series of songs totally acoustic. I would have loved to have been there for one of those intimate concerts. But on Jun 14, 2025 there was nowhere else I would have wanted to be than Utah First Amphitheatre.
I have a couple of regrets when it comes to Mumford & Sons. They played Utah for the first time in 2012 out at The Great Saltair. I intended to get tickets multiple times. I procrastinated that purchase, and sure enough, the show sold out. But not sold out, and I could get tickets on the second-hand market the day of. Like sold, sold out! There wasn’t a ticket to be had. I was devastated to miss that show.
The second regret is pretty similar. A friend of mine was heading out to Colorado to see Mumford & Sons at Red Rocks. He tried talking me into going. I decided to be responsible and save some money. Well, not only did I hear that the show was amazing, but I the concert was filmed for us to consume for the rest of our lives. So I’m regularly reminded of what I missed out on. Fortunately, I haven’t missed any of their other Utah stops.
Good Neighbors
The show started with England-based duo Good Neighbours. Leading up to the show, I had several people tell me that this was a band I needed to check out. What a huge opportunity to join Mumford & Sons on this tour. They were joined by a great backing band. Despite the sun beating down on the band, they seemed to be having a lot of fun and were full of energy!
I quickly understood what people were telling me. Good Neighbours had some more than good songs. Songs like “Ripple” and “Keep It Up” seemed to win over the crowd. It was nice to see some Good Neighbours fans in the audience. I thought the large Utah First Amp crowd was very welcoming. Especially when the band played “Home”. These guys are up and coming, and I can see them stopping by Utah for a long time to come.
Mumford & Sons
Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” played over the speakers as Marcus Mumford, Ted Dwane, and Ben Lovett walked onto the Utah First Amp stage. I looked over the GA Pit as I began taking photos, and the excitement in the fans close up was an amazing sight to see. I turned around, and the lawn looked like a huge wheat field, but with arms and hands waving.
Mumford & Sons started things off with two songs off of “Rushmere”. The title song and “Caroline” were excellent openers. They were upbeat and had the crowd going from the first note. Now, the third song, I was not expecting so early in the set. “I Will Wait” sent the audience into a frenzy. I have only heard this song towards the end of the set. It was exciting to hear it so soon. This is a thought I would have often at this show. Mumford & Sons’ setlist was surprising. I’ve seen a lot of shows, and I can often predict what song will go where. Not with this setlist. I would not have predicted when some of these songs appeared. It made for a very fascinating evening.
I heard the intro chords to “Awake My Soul” and I became fixed on the stage. I usually look around, but I was so drawn into this moment. I absolutely love this song. And this night’s performance of it did not disappoint. It was an amazing part of the show. And we were only five songs in.
“Little Lion Man” was the seventh song. Again, earlier than I had expected, but very much welcomed by me and everyone else in attendance. I should have said this earlier, but it almost goes without saying just how good this band sounded. Mumford & Sons were as good as I’ve ever heard them, if not better. Marcus Mumford’s vocals were on point. He sounds so good live, it almost isn’t fair. I became more and more impressed with each song. Not that he needed it, but he had plenty of assistance from this energetic audience. People were almost drowning him out during “Little Lion Man”. As I’m sure you might expect.
Anytime Mumford & Sons would play new songs, which were very well received by the crowd, they would follow up with a favorite like “Believe” or “Ditmas”. And wow, did they ever give a memorable performance of “Ditmas”. The song began, and as it went, I saw Marcus sort of meander towards the edge of the stage. I remember saying, “He’s going into the crowd!” Sure enough, he did just that! But he didn’t just go into the crowd. He went all over the crowd. He ended up on the lawn! Everyone in this venue got to see him perform up close. Because he was on the move and he was engaging with the crowd as he moved. It was so high energy and so exciting. As he would pass by a section of the crowd, he would leave this wave of happiness. People were elated. What a cool moment!
Marcus Mumford told us that when you get to Utah coming from the east, “This is the beginning of cowboy country. And I know there are a lot of hipsters here tonight. And that’s cool. I identify as at least half hipster. But I’m also half frustrated cowboy. Or closeted cowboys. So when I get to Salt Lake, I feel a bit of the Wild West. And I f**in love it.”
You would have thought that after that moment, Mumfor & Sons would have given us a moment to catch our breath. I was fully expecting a slow song or something to settle us down. Nope. Marcus Mumford had barely returned to the center of the stage, and right when he got to the microphone, they began playing “The Cave”. Picture this moment, folks! It was beyond exciting. Beyond electrifying. The moment was euphoric. I loved it so much! This song is so beloved. The eruption of the crowd at this moment was awesome.
The band left the stage. I guess this was their encore break. But instead of returning to the stage, I see them running through the venue to a B-Stage just in front of the lawn. There was one area mic, and the three men surrounded it. Marcus Mumford told us that it needed to be very quiet for them to perform. He said, “Salt Lake City, we thank you so much for coming. Now shut the f**k up.” A crowd of that size being so silent was impressive as the trio performed “Timshel” and “Reminder.” That would have been special enough. But Mumford & Sons then performed Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer”. The best part about this is the song wasn’t on the setlist. What a memorable moment.
Mumford & Sons then returned to the mainstage to finish out the show. I couldn’t believe we had reached the end of the night. Time flew by. Every minute was enjoyable. This was a top tier concert for me. The band finished the show by playing, “Malibu”, “Delta”, and “The Wolf.” The night ended as strong as it started. I hoped the show wasn’t over, but sure enough the lights came on and we were left with our amazing memories of this night. I sat back in my seat as people filed out and just took in what we just saw. Mumford & Sons is a great live band. I challenge anyone to deny it. I hope it’s not another six years before they return.
