By Scott Tady

PITTSBURGH — Bands must strategize when booking Sunday night concerts,  Mumford & Sons keyboardist Ben Lovett told the 14,000 or so fans who packed PPG Paints Arena last night.

And Pittsburgh proved to be a smart Sunday night choice, he said, explaining to fans, “You don’t make it feel like a Sunday night.”

Indeed, a carefree — don’t have to wake up early and start the workweek — mentality was pervasive throughout a night that felt special, as band and fans strongly connected.

The mixed-ages audience recognized without prompting the right moments to sing along, even for the wordless, ambient bit of “Little Lion Man,” one of Mumford & Sons’ twin signature peaks, trotted out as song No. 4 of a 21-song set that never waned in energy.

Even the brand-new “Rubber Band Man,” scheduled for release this Friday, received a warm and rapt audience response.

Enthusiastic fans stayed out of the way to allow the four primary Mumford men to sprint to the back of the arena’s fully occupied floor for a few lovely, stripped-down songs featuring upright bass guitar.

Outside of standard high-five slapping with their musical hero, fans later let Marcus Mumford do an uninterrupted, much more daring solo romp atop the arena’s lower bowl, an exhilarating stretch where the band’s namesake frontman leaped onto tables, climbed atop hand railings and ran down a flight of steps on the complete opposite end of the arena from his bandmates.

Oh, how did we go seven paragraphs before mentioning Mumford, a dynamo of a singer and thrilling guitar strummer, particularly on acoustic-based songs like the set-launching trifecta of “Run Together,” “Babel” and 2025’s album title track “Rushmere.”

Flanking Mumford, Lovett and bassist Ted Dwane expertly worked the front row of a main stage, with a six-person backline that included banjo and three horns.

Pretty overhead stage lights added visual flair, with Metallica-caliber fire shooting up from the stage, linked to the “there’s a fire in the almost places” line in “Truth.” A shower of sparks waterfalled down to the stage amid “The Wolf.”

Mumford’s vocals rang out with pristine clarity and authentic feeling all night long. A few songs ended with elegant a cappella vocal harmonies.

The London band’s timing was razor sharp, as showcased by members’ dynamic, precision instrument strikes when “White Blank Page” restarted dramatically after slowing to a momentarily stop.

Mumford’s banter spawned smiles, as when he talked about hanging out, viewing American football at Tom’s Watch Bar on the North Side, adding encouraging words about Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (there were a smattering of audience boos.)

Mumford joked that it’s tricky getting 15,000 Americans to remain quiet simultaneously, but he issued a challenge for silence as core band members huddled around one microphone to a cappella sing the encore-launching “Timshel.” For the most part, fans heeded his plea to stay quiet for that song, though impatience and mischievousness eventually spawned a handful of loud “whoos” from concertgoers.

The band’s third of four encore selections brought out the ebullient “I Will Wait,” that other twin peak of Mumford & Sons uplifting magnificence, with banjo and acoustic guitar strummed at supersonic speed and fans dancing along.

Powered by skilled musicianship, catchy songcraft and joyful vibes. the Mumford & Sons live experience was absolutely worth a bleary-eyed Monday morning.