Florence + The Machine Flourishes In Front Of Packed Governors Ball Crowd: Live Review

Carl Williott | June 6, 2015 8:50 am
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The last time Florence + The Machine performed in the US, Florence Welch broke her foot when things got a little too rowdy at Coachella. On Friday (June 5) as the sun was setting on the main stage at Governors Ball, she performed her first full set on the healed foot, thanking her US fans for the love and support she received after the injury. And then she returned the love for the next 60 minutes, at one point even pausing the show so that a sign-wielding fan could be crowdsurfed to the front to get a hug from Welch. It was that kind of show, with the good vibes apparent from Welch dashing and hopping across the stage with no trepidation, to all the praise hands being thrown up throughout the crowd.

The hour-long set balanced How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful material with her hits, each performance a reminder of why they became hits in the first place. After opening with “What The Water Gave Me,” Flo soared through recent TV staple “Ship To Wreck,” which seems more likely to be added to her list of unassailable singles with each passing day.

After that came “Shake It Out,” which coaxed any holdouts who still weren’t singing yet to join in. “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful” sounded just as majestic as the title, and during the horn-laden coda, the British wailer began flailing like she caught the Holy Ghost. The most striking moment of the show, though, was “What Kind Of Man”: In the middle of the song she ran through the crowd before returning to the stage for a goosebump-inducing final eight.

They closed things out with “Dog Days Are Over,” and as soon as those twinkling opening notes rang out across Randall’s Island, hoards of fans stormed across the field to jump and sing along with the rest of the crowd. That’s the thrilling might of Florence + The Machine.