“Ho Hey” once soundtracked my 4 a.m. drives through freezing Kansas — me and my best friend in a beat-up Chevy, half awake but alive. More than a decade later, hearing it echo through Bridgestone Arena in Nashville felt like stepping back into that memory, only bigger, louder, and wrapped in something deeply spiritual.
The Lumineers brought their Automatic World Tour to Bridgestone Arena for a night that turned the massive venue into something intimate and almost spiritual. The tour celebrates the band’s fifth studio album, Automatic (released February 14, 2025 via Dualtone Records) and has been filling stadiums, arenas, and amphitheaters across North America since July.
Formed in 2005 by Wesley Schultz (vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, piano, percussion) in New Jersey and now based in Denver, The Lumineers helped lead the 2010s indie-folk revival with songs like Ho Hey, Stubborn Love, and Ophelia. Over five albums, they’ve gone from coffee shops to headlining the world’s biggest venues, all while keeping the heart of their music — raw, acoustic-driven storytelling — intact.
From the first notes of “Same Old Song” into “Flowers in Your Hair”, the arena felt less like a concert and more like a spiritual gathering. The stage design — warm golden lights, massive panoramic screens, cinematic backdrops — made the space feel like a sacred hall. The projections shifted from dreamlike road trips to slow-motion car crashes during “Where We Are”, and city skylines rose and fell behind “Gloria.”
The musicianship was stunning. The band members swapped instruments seamlessly; the percussion pulsed like a heartbeat. Wesley Schultz, dressed head-to-toe in white, walked deep into the crowd — hugging fans, singing from the floor, making a 20,000-seat arena feel small and personal. Pianist Jeremiah Fraites played barefoot all night, later appearing far from the main stage, strumming guitar among ecstatic fans — one of those did-that-just-happen? moments.
Then came the night’s most moving moment: “Ghost.” Before the first notes, Schultz spoke softly about losing his father and brother, about the weight of grief and the role music plays in healing. His voice cracked as he urged the crowd to allow themselves to feel and cry. Joining him was Josiah Leming (Josiah and the Bonnevilles), whose warm, aching tone intertwined with Schultz’s
Songs about resilience and struggle hit especially hard: “Charlie Boy,” performed with Chance Peña, felt like a quiet hymn; “Ativan” and “So Long” turned personal pain into soaring catharsis; “Where We Are” came alive against visuals of a slow-motion car crash, cinematic yet tender.
The setlist balanced fan favorites with fresh material. New tracks like “Automatic” and “You’re All I Got” stood shoulder-to-shoulder with career-defining hits — “Sleep on the Floor,” “Ophelia,” “Dead Sea,” and the show-stopping “Cleopatra.” Each felt reimagined for the live stage, bigger and more dynamic but still deeply human.
The encore sealed the night’s emotional arc: “REPRISE,” “Cleopatra,” and the anthem-like “Stubborn Love.” By the final chorus, strangers were singing together like old friends — arms raised, voices cracking, hearts wide open.
Two hours flew by. The Lumineers gave Nashville every song we wanted, plus enough unexpected moments to feel fresh. They built a show that was both massive and intimate, a balance few bands pull off. This wasn’t just nostalgia — it was proof that the folk revival still has fire.
If you get the chance to catch the Automatic World Tour, do it. Bring your voice, your heart, and maybe a tissue — you’ll sing, you’ll sway, and you might cry a little too.
