Wow! What a difference the Grammys make. Say what you will about the relevance of the annual awards show, but judging from the subsequent success of crossover country act Lady Antebellum last year to the increased exposure it generated this year for already celebrated indie acts like Arcade Fire (due this weekend at 1STBANK Center) and Mumford & Sons -- who we've just learned are slated for a pair of back-to-back shows at the Fillmore on Wednesday, June 15 and Thursday, June 16 -- it can have a pronounced and measurable impact. The last time Mumford & Sons were in town this past fall, for instance, they played at the Ogden, and now they're doing two dates at the Fillmore!
If seeing Mumford & Sons two nights in a row weren't already enticing enough, we've received confirmation that their pal Nathaniel Rateliff is opening both shows! In case you haven't picked up the May issue of Q (which you probably haven't since Tattered Cover doesn't purportedly have it in stock yet), Rateliff and Marcus Mumford have evidently become pretty chummy over the past year, with Rateliff crashing on Mumford's couch whenever he's across the pond.In addition to the Fillmore dates, Nathaniel Rateliff & Fairchildren (the new name of Rateliff and his band) will be opening a pair of dates in Kansas City and Council Bluffs, Iowa, prior to the Denver run. On a related note: Rateliff is also performing a three-song set at the TEDx conference this Thursday at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, and Mumford & Sons are due at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival following the Fillmore dates.
