The band's been on tour promoting "Babel," their second album. (Andrea Sartorati/Creative Commons)

Their last appearance in L.A. was about four years ago, so they were long overdue for visit. Tickets for Saturday sold out within 5 minutes, forcing the band to add a second night. To the band's surprise, the second show also sold out within 5 minutes of going on sale. 

Mumford & Sons have recently received criticism for their upper-middle class background and lack of “roots” in folk music, essentially being called a band a faux-folk band for white, middle-class people.

Although I didn’t want to acknowledge any truth in this criticism, the crowd at the Hollywood Bowl was almost exclusively white, middle to upper-class folks. I’m also not saying there is anything wrong with the audience towards Mumford & Sons, but there is validity to the criticisms of the “realness” of their folk stylings. 

"Babel," Mumford & Son’s sophomore album, was released on September 21st of this year. It received mixed criticisms based on the lack of diversity in the album and growth between "Babel" and "Sigh No More," the band’s first album.

ALSO SEE: Mumford & Sons Please Again On "Babel"

Well clearly if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it because based on their performance last night, they’re doing something right. Mumford & Sons fanbase is stronger than ever, evidenced by the two shows sold out this weekend, totalling in about 17,000 seats per night. The pulsating drum beats and folk fiddle kept the audience on their feet through the whole show.

The opening act of the Mumford & Son’s current tour leg is Los Angeles natives Dawes, who opened on Saturday night. Because last night’s show was added as an afterthought, Dawes were not booked to open. I do highly suggest you check out their work if you are a fan of Mumford & Sons though. They could be described as west coast indie country rock, similar to Mumford & Son’s folk, with just a dash more southern twang for your ears.

Instead, The Apache Relay and Dirty Projectors opened. 

The Apache Relay started off the night, their upbeat indie-rock tunes vibed quite well with the audience. The music is what you may hear any night at the Echo: a solid, good sound that fit well for the indie crowd.

Dirty Projectors on the other hand was not as pleasant... I’m assuming it was the clash between the Hollywood Bowl acoustics and Dirty Projectors’s experimental sound; whatever it was, their act fell flat. The entire audience seemed to grumble through the performance and most went to refill their beer or use the restroom. 

Then, it was time for Mumford & Sons to take the stage. The 17,000 stadium roared as the lights dimmed in the bowl. The band began with “Babel”, the first song off of their album Babel. This was immediately followed by the lead single for Babel, “I Will Wait”. The combination both prominently known songs caused an overwhelming of the senses for the audience, with fans dancing, screaming and even crying over Mumford and Son’s live performance. I would be lying if I denied that I got choked up during their opening songs. 

The excitement was sustained throughout the entire performance as the band went between both "Sigh No More" and "Babel," satisfying both the longtime and recent fans. To my surprize and dismay, “Little Lion Man,” the single which caused the band to gain mainstream recognition in the United Kingdom, the United States and around the globe, was played six songs into the act. I was just secretly hoping for it to be saved for the encore. 

In regards to the criticism about each song sounding too similar, it could not have been more wrong, at least for Mumford & Sons live. Each song evoked a different mood, allowing you see the exactly how Mumford & Sons felt creating their work. 

The band ended the set with “Dust Bowl Dance,” a treat for those who have been following the band since their rise to fame. The drum and guitar breakdown allowed the audience to jump and dance as they clapped along to the band hamming it up on stage, imitating the moves of past rock legends.

ALSO SEE: Mumford & Sons Perform Show on "Kevin & Bean's Breakfast" in Secret Location

As the band came back for their encore, I was most curious to see what songs they had saved for the last moments of the night. They came back with “Lovers’ Eyes,” a heartbreaking ballad which describes the sting of past lovers’ eyes and the inability to shake those moments with past loves.

The song silenced the audience. In between the breaths of Marcus Mumford, there wasn’t sound in the 17,000 crowd. This moment was the most genuine moment I’ve witnessed at a live show.

The band followed this with “Whispers in the Dark” and “The Cave,” the current encore traditions. The show ended with Dawes coming on the stage to help with a cover of “With a Little Help from My Friends” by the Beatles. 

Although the critics may like to pick on Mumford and Sons for their “faux-folk” feeling or lack of diversity, their style clearly has gained dedicated fans who like the unchanging folk songs and beautiful lyrics within them. 

Read more of NT's show reviews here.

Reach Staff Reporter Matthew Del Muro on Twitter here.