Mumford and Sons to invade St. Augustine in September

By Elizabeth Thabault | gargoyle@flagler.edu

St. Augustine residents and fans across the country were shocked and excited to hear that popular English folk band Mumford and Sons added St. Augustine to their 2013 tour. Mumford and Sons are scheduled to play in a two-day music festival coming up Sept. 13-14 on Francis Field in downtown St. Augustine. This will be the closing concert of their summer “Gentlemen of the Road Stopover” tour.

The band, whose fan base is largely made up of college students, has made many Flagler students’ dreams a reality. Bridget Heenan, a student at Flagler, and a die-hard Mumford fan has always wanted to see them play.

“I was planning to road-trip to Ohio or wherever else they played this summer to see them. When I found out they’re playing in my favorite place, St. Augustine, I was beyond excited. I bought my ticket as soon as they went on sale,” Heenan said.

On Feb. 8, 25,000 tickets went on sale Friday and the show sold out in a matter of days.

The weekend invasion will take place on St. Augustine’s highly anticipated 450th anniversary celebration. Part of the reason the band chose to play here was for the city’s unique and historic charm. The show will be Mumford and Sons’ first ever concert in Florida.

Small towns are popular hosts for Mumford and Sons, as they often choose uncommon locations for their concerts. The British band will be making stops in Troy, Ohio, and Guthrie, Okla. before arriving in St. Augustine.

The band’s official website announced their summer tour dates in Jan. 2013, and explained their decision to perform in such uncommon venues.

“We deliberately look for towns that have something unique, or some vibe of which they are proud, explore them and enjoy what they have to offer,” the site said.

They will be accompanied by 2013 Grammy winner for best new artist, fun., Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Willy Mason, The Vaccines, Bear’s Den, Half Moon Run, Those Darlins and more to be announced.

Mumford and Sons became a group in 2007, and have since gained increasing popularity across Europe. They began to be noticed in the U.S. in 2010 when their album, “Sigh No More,” was released. The debut of “Babel” in 2012 caused the band to blow up in the U.S.

Mumford and Sons were nominated for six Grammys in 2013, and took home the award for album of the year. “Babel” became the fastest selling album of 2012 in the UK, and was the second fastest to reach the top in the US.