They also seem to be, well, normal - four guys who wear clothes from the Gap and who don't seem to care that they aren't wearing complicated shoes. Vampire Weekend is a rock band without rock stars, and that's a relief to a large number of people. They are relatable, and that was very clear Thursday.
Lead singer Ezra Koenig looked at us, pointed at us, led us in a hootenanny during "One" and seemed to even care about us and about our town. This is clearly what the audience wanted, and one of the things that seems to make Vampire Weekend unique.
They didn't bring an elaborate stage setup, and they didn't wow us with overly complicated instrumentation; but they did allow us all to be happy for a couple of hours, and isn't that what we asked for?
The audience at Verizon was transfixed - giddy, even - during the time between each song, wondering aloud what would come next. Things like "Do you think they'll sing 'White Sky' here?" (they did); "I bet 'Oxford Comma' is gonna rullle" (it did); "Is there anything better than screaming 'Fuck' during a song ['Walcott']?" (there isn't); or "Do they really have the balls to cover Springsteen?" (yep, "I'm Going Down").
It made us realize that this is what music and what live shows are supposed to do - galvanize hundreds or thousands of people into one, making us forget that we're different just for a second, and helping us realize that when set to the right happiness, music can make us friends.
Personal Bias: Came in as softies for penny loafers; left feeling validated.
The Crowd: Millions of Kelly Kapowskis, billions of Zack Morrises, a couple of Screeches. Dancing. Wearing collars.
Overheard In the Crowd: "Dude? Hey, dude. Oh, hey dude. What's up, dude? Not much, dude; you? Eh, not much."
Random Notebook Dump: "Ezra's cherubic face and voluminous hair conjure disturbing images of Jonas."
VAMPIRE WEEKEND SET LIST
Holiday White Sky Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa I Stand Corrected M79 Bryn California English Cousins Taxi Cab Run A-Punk One I'm Going Down (Bruce Springsteen cover) Diplomat's Son Giving Up the Gun Campus Oxford Comma
ENCORE
Horchata Mansard Roof Walcott
