Concert review Vampire Weekend
April 7th, 2008, 4:42 am Hobbies And Interests
Thirty-nine minutes into Vampire Weekend’s sold-out show, youthful frontman Ezra Koenig made an announcement that was less apologetic than matter of fact: “This is our last song.”Nobody groaned at Neurolux, even if some fans had probably paid extra bucks for one of the 300 sought-after tickets. Vampire Weekend knocked out a dozen tunes Sunday night. What else could you expect from a young New York quartet with precisely one album under its belt?The three-quarter-hour set mirrored Vampire Weekend’s meteoric rise to fame in early 2008, as well as the potential lifespan of similarly hyped bands. Yet Vampire Weekend - whose members met while attending Columbia University - gave fans reason to hope that it could be around for a few years. Or at least as long as grad school takes.Brimming with energy and confidence, Vampire Weekend played nearly every song from its self-titled debut, as well as a nameless new tune and a B-side called “Ladies of Cambridge.” With roots in African pop, Vampire Weekend’s joyful indie-rock isn’t particularly complex. But the four musicians were convincing and polished, particularly for a band that played frat bashes a year or two ago. And Vampire Weekend’s easygoing melodies don’t sound like other indie acts.Koenig danced and stabbed the air with his guitar, his perky riffs mingling playfully with Rostam Batmanglij’s sunny keyboards. He nearly bounced out of his penny loafers leading the fast-paced, ska-tinged “A-Punk.” Pumping up the room for the euphoric “One (Blake’s Got a New Face),” Koenig got the blissful audience to sing responses to his cried-out calls. It resembled an impossibly white Ladysmith Black Mambazo.You won’t see fights at a Vampire Weekend gig. Smiling young women swayed with their eyes closed. Gray-haired men shouted lyrics about Cape Cod and sweaters. Trendy-looking hipsters - the breed that often flocks to blogger-hyped bands - were surprisingly scarce.But with massive hype comes sneering backlash, and yes, critics could nitpick. Some might barf about the scarf: Koenig wore a plaid one. (Fans could even purchase “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” scarves at the merch table.) And, yes, it felt like a stretch when Koenig unnecessarily tried to convince the crowd that songs about being a privileged East Coast preppy were relevant in Idaho.Still, Vampire Weekend was fun and often irresistible. Perhaps Koenig was crooning to the doubters on the clever “Oxford Comma”: “Take the ChapStick,” he sang. “Put it on your lips. Crack a smile.”That was easier said than done during opening act Yacht. Cavorting ostentatiously, a man and woman hollered and sang while backing tracks delivered electro-thump beats. It was entertaining for about 10 minutes. It’s difficult to stay interested in a geeky duo whose chief instrument is a MacBook Air.
Tags: amp, audience, lai, oxford, privilege, unday, weekend gigRelated posts
