Mumford & Sons turned their Madison Square Garden show last night (Aug. 11) into an unusually star-studded affair, with Jason Sudeikis and Oscar Isaac both joining the band onstage for surprise performances. See fan-shot footage below.
First up was Sudeikis, who paired with Marcus Mumford for the theme song from Ted Lasso, the Apple TV+ series he co-created and stars in. After Sudeikis playfully slapped Mumford member Ben Lovett on the rear end, the crowd erupted as the pair sang the familiar tune together before hugging and sending Sudeikis back into the audience.
The collaboration had a particularly circular quality, as Mumford has contributed multiple pieces of solo work and compositions to the Ted Lasso universe, including 2020’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” while the show’s theme song was nominated for an Emmy in 2021. Munford also jokingly instructed the audience that he was going to “sic Ted on you” if they didn’t pipe down.
Later in the night, Isaac took the stage for “Dink’s Song (Fare Thee Well),” his collaboration with Mumford from the 2014 Inside Llewyn Davis soundtrack. The performance marked the first time Mumford & Sons have played the song live, adding a major deep cut to an already unexpected evening. Isaac is hardly a stranger to the Mumford camp either. He has performed live with the band several times over the years and also appeared in the band’s recent “Here” video.
Throughout the evening, Mumford & Sons were augmented by violin/fiddle player Rob Moose, whose new string arrangements were featured in the group’s Amazon Music Songline performance. He also guested with the group at Chicago’s Wrigley Field in June.
Mumford & Sons return to MSG for additional shows tonight and tomorrow. The group has also launched a pop-up store and photo gallery three blocks from the venue at 362 8th Ave. and is offering 10 “golden tickets” hidden in purchased items. Its accompanying prizes could include lifetime tickets to a Mumford & Sons headline show, a meet and greet, autographed guitars and vinyl and a special New York merch package.