Concert review: The Lumineers w/ Hippo Campus | 07.23.25, Hollywood Casino Amphitheater (with photo gallery)

Photo of the Lumineers by Laura Jerele

The Lumineers’ gig at Hollywood Casino Amphitheater was the kind of hot, muggy, electric summer night that only St. Louis can summon, where it’s hot enough you’ll stick to your seat, but you’d never sit anyway. Lumineers frontman Wesley Schultz joked more than once that this was “the biggest crowd we’ve ever played to in St. Louis,” and boy, you could believe it: the lawn was packed, the aisles full of dancing, and those early‑2000s throwbacks of long white skirts, gaucho belts, and flowered headbands were in full effect.

They kicked things off with “Same Old Song” (and kept playing for nearly two hours) followed by the bouncy “Flowers in Your Hair” (see previous paragraph for the aforementioned dress code), hitting strong with “Angela” and “You’re All I Got.” It was a fabulous start to their set. They’re a fun band to see live, with a lot of energy and a super-rich sound, no doubt thanks to the seemingly endless rich voice that is uniquely Schultz’s. It’s rich and heartfelt—whether he’s singing a song about loss or love, you feel it. Sure, they were put on the map for their megahit “Ho Hey,” but that’s actually a great song and it’s full of layered vocals that aren’t just studio magic. The Lumineers have been, and always will be, a live band. I’ve loved every time I’ve seen the Lumineers, they are one band that just does not disappoint. If you’ve never seen them before, you’ll walk away impressed.

A huge moment from the show was Schultz leaving the stage, walking off with merely one camera person and one security person, making his way through the venue from the front row, snaking through the seated section allllll the way to the last row, and then making his way to the lawn! THE LAWN! He was swarmed by fans, phones out, screaming, singing along. IT. WAS. FABULOUS. And not to be outdone, pianist/vocalist Stelth Ulvang did the same thing later that night, only I didn’t catch if he managed to put on shoes? Or was he in the lawn barefoot?

Never a band to shy away from a good cover song, in a surprisingly vulnerable moment Wesley dedicated a cover of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” to his brother, who he recently lost. His voice cracked just enough to make the whole amphitheater pause, holding that moment like a shared breath because, sadly, we all know loss. And with that, St. Louis lit up the night with their mobile phones blazing their flashlights, singing along to every word (not sure how all these young kid knew that song, but they knew it sand sang it hard!). Well done. 

By the time they wrapped with “Stubborn Love,” everyone was drenched in sweat but bursting with joy. I could hear the entire lawn screaming behind me “keep your head up…love.” Moments like that are POWERFUL. People were still dancing in the aisles and on the lawn, caught up in a rock n’ roll communal glow that only The Lumineers can conjure. There was no leaving the stage and returning for an encore, they just powered through like the heat wasn’t trying to kill them and performed one hell of show despite it. All in all? An epic, damn fine, sold-out, sweaty, unforgettable sing-a-long of a night under the summer sky. The Lumineers showed once again that their songs can feel deeply personal even when performed in front of thousands. 

Hippo Campus kicked things off in the best way—shirtless, super-chill, but somehow still electric. They’ve got that autotune-meets-indie-pop groove that makes you sway without even realizing it, and the crowd was definitely vibing. Nathan Stocker’s guitar work was tight and jangly in all the right ways, and Jake Luppen’s vocals just floated over everything, clean and weirdly emotional. You could tell they weren’t trying too hard—they just showed up, played their hearts out, and totally set the tone for the night. It felt like the perfect soundtrack to golden hour, if golden hour had a bad ass bassline and was pouring sweat. | Laura Jerele

The Lumineers setlist:

Same Old Song
Flowers in Your Hair
Angela
You’re All I Got
A.M. RADIO
Asshole
Charlie Boy
Plasticine
Donna
Ho Hey
Dead Sea
BRIGHTSIDE
Sleep on the Floor
Gloria
Ativan
WHERE WE ARE
Slow It Down
Automatic
Ophelia
Big Parade
Leader of the Landslide
So Long
New York State of Mind
Cleopatra
Stubborn Love