Originally published at AXS.com on Oct. 20, 2016 (now archived here as part of my portfolio).
It was just a few short weeks back that life, love and listening were happening in all sorts of ways through 18 city blocks of downtown Las Vegas. The Life is Beautiful Music & Art Festival transformed these city blocks for the fourth year into an oasis of learning, art and music. More than 120,000 fans witnessed the magic as Mumford & Sons, Die Antwoord, Bassnectar, J. Cole, Jimmy Eat World, The Strumbellas, Third Eye Blind and Major Lazer (to mention only a few) rocked five stages over the course of three days.
It was on one of these stages, the Ambassador Stage, where things were put into motion for something truly special and inspiring. Closing out that festival stage were none other than The Lumineers. And they came prepared to wow, woo and inspire the crowd. This was made evident when early on in the concert, lead singer Wesley Schultz encouraged the crowd to take their pics during the third song and then put their phones away and enjoy the moment together.
Living In The Moment
A moment indeed it was as The Lumineers played their first ever concert in Las Vegas. Schultz thanked the packed festival grounds for sharing the moment with them, and then The Lumineers took the crowd through a 19-song set that not only hit on all of their beloved songs, but also many of the stories behind those songs.
Stories That Make Life Worth Living
It was this storytelling that made their set the exclamation point to a festival focused on life and the beauty found therein. Stories of love and loss were told on stage. From the explanation of a particular song lyric to remembrances of Schultz’s father, the singer let the crowd in for just a second to his own life. And as they were let in, they were in turn allowed to reflect and remember the stories of their own lives.
You see, life as a whole is made up of many, many stories. When taken individually, these stories are but disparate pieces that may cause anger, confusion or even depression. But when one backs up and sees the stories as a whole, one is able to see life lived. Why? The stories of a life are like chapters in a book. When you back up and see the whole, you see the life.
People don’t always recognize this. They can get lost in one particular story and seem to stumble, to slow or to quit. Thankfully, Schultz and The Lumineers allowed the crowd that entry point not just to the stories, but their lives as a whole. So when the crowd saw that life, they saw how beautiful indeed it is. How helpful, then, this became in seeing our own lives in that different fashion.
Love, Loss, Life
Schultz told stories of his love, his wife, and how she was the one who inspired the line, “You told me I was like the Dead Sea” in their hit, “Dead Sea.” When taken on its own, it can be confusing. But hearing Schultz explain ever so briefly that line and how his girlfriend (at the time of writing) spoke it as a compliment and term of endearment sheds light on what can now only be seen as a beautiful and formative moment in their relationship..
When the band broke into “Charlie Boy” it was after a brief, but stirring explanation of a picture that Schultz grew up with in his house. One day as he gazed upon it he realized that the young man in the picture bore a striking resemblance to his father. He learned that the young man in the picture was his father’s older brother, an idealistic man who went off to war after hearing the challenging words of JFK. This man had dreams and hopes and expectations, but they came to an end with the war as he soon lost his life there. A stirring song that speaks to not only the loss of life, but at times, the loss of hope.
Even more stirring was Schultz’s own recollection of dealing with the death of his father, who passed away from the same type of cancer that also took the life of his grandmother. Processing the loss of loved ones is always difficult; it can take time and can come in the most unexpected of fashions. Schultz shared how a hidden gun in a dresser drawer suddenly brought the stark reality of his father’s death into sharp focus for him. Never even knowing that such a gun existed, he realized that his questions of why and for what purpose would never be answered because his father was gone. Thus, the “Gun Song” was born; not written, but born within his heart as a way of managing and processing his grief.
Snapshots Woven Together Into A Beautiful Tapestry
His stories came like snapshots to the crowd. Snapshots of life lived through the lyrics of songs. Stories told. Stories shared. These and more were told on the Ambassador Stage that final night of Life is Beautiful. And as the crowd shared in these stories told, they shared in a life being shared on that stage. This is what life is about. It’s seeing the ups and downs, the triumphs and defeats, the loves and sorrows that life has to hold. To look only at one too intently is to get lost in that particular story; but when you step back and see them collectively as a whole you see them as a life being shaped and transformed by these stories.
This concert was more than just listening to a song or two. It was a journey of insight happening before the eyes of the crowd. They were invited to see life for what it is…if you want it, it’s beautiful. Yes, there are times that will trouble. There is a harsh reality to life itself, but at the same time if you take a moment to step back from that particular situation you will see more. You will see the beauty of life, your life, lived out in the chapters of your own book.
A Fitting, Final Note Showing How Beautiful Life Really Is At Life is Beautiful 2016
A fitting final note to a festival that is built around this very concept. The Lumineers captured in so many ways what the Life is Beautiful Music & Art Festival is truly about. When Schultz encouraged the crowd to put those phones away and enjoy the moment, he personified the very message of this festival. Life all around us is beautiful in all of its myriad shapes, sizes and colors. All we need to do is take a step back and see it from a new perspective. We need to take our eyes off of those phones, away from these monitors (yes, this monitor) and look up. We need to look up and breathe life in. When we do, we will see the beauty of life.
Take a moment to enjoy different snapshots of this year’s Life is Beautiful Music & Art Festival in our slide show above.
And don’t miss out on your opportunity to grow through music, art and lectures; Life is Beautiful will return to downtown Las Vegas, Sept. 22-24, 2017. Until then, check out their recap video from this year’s festival here.
And finally, take a look at The Lumineers as they close out their set with their hit, “Ho Hey.”
Catch The Lumineers on their concert tour; tickets are available here at AXS.