I get to the back of the line at the Triple Rock shortly before the doors are supposed to open and immediately notice something: I’m easily the youngest person there. Ah well, at least I look really sophisticated and mature for my age now, right? (Riiight…) When I envisioned myself seeing Vampire Weekend, I pictured myself surrounded by 21 year old hipster girls with bug-eyed, non-prescription glasses and American Apparel neon colored tights; much like every night of mine (surrounded by girls). However, that crowd is surprisingly absent, and in its place is a mix of people in their mid-twenties to early-thirties wearing pant-suits and top hats (ok, so maybe I’m exaggerating a bit lot).
The atmosphere inside the club during the nearly hour and fifteen minutes before the opener, YACHT, takes the stage seems to be full of nervous excitement. With Vampire Weekend being the unopposed band of the indie hipster moment, expectations are high.
But first: YACHT, the pleasant surprise of the evening. I had heard a couple tracks of Jona Bechtolt’s laptop-pop moniker before, but I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the dance-a-thon that hit the Triple Rock. Jona walks on stage, does the usual cordial greeting to the crowd, asks the Triple Rock to turn off the lights, presses play on his laptop and leaves the stage to the sounds of sirens and bass beats. He emerges half a minute later in front of his 3-foot tall, lit up anchor and proceeds to begin his first song, “We’re Always Waiting”, with an insane, choreographed dance. If you would have told me that watching a guy with just a laptop and a mic could be this fun, I would have never believed you. The entire crowd just sits in awe for the first couple of songs. You know that guy that goes crazy at parties and dances like a maniac while everyone else stares? Jona is that guy. But the crowd doesn’t stay dormant for long as the inhabitants of the Triple Rock quickly catch YACHT fever. Bechtolt, smiling, gives words of encouragement asking, “Let me see your jazz hands; you’re not too cool here, it’s okay!” Midway through his set (taking a well deserved rest), Jona stops for questions; of course, the predictable, “Why are you so awesome?!” comes up, to which Bechtolt wisely replies, “You’re awesome. I’m just a mirror, reflecting your awesomeness.” He then continues his antics; playing “skip-it” with his mic; going 15 people deep into the crowd; and dropping the best choreographed dance moves since the boy band craze of the 90s (okay, so maybe his moves are a little hipper than that). YACHT was certainly not a bad way to begin the night.
Finally the boys of Vampire Weekend take the stage (at 11:15PM); in the most unassuming way possible. It feels like VW is attempting to live down the hype a bit. They could have easily sold out a much larger venue in Minneapolis, but instead booked the Triple Rock. The crowd quiets to a nervous hush; just then Vampire Weekend breaks into “Mansard Roof”, the first track off of their self-titled LP.
Already the night is going well for me as I feel there is no better way to start a set than with the first song off of your CD. Something about the familiarity of it makes you feel right at home; combine that with their laid back aura – Ezra jolting up on his tip toes; the rest of the band seeming far more comfortable than I had anticipated – and the subdued crowd is ready to rock. With their awkward SNL performance my only gauge, I was nervous, even though I wouldn’t admit it. But, after a couple songs, it is clear that VW knows what they’re doing, and does it well. The band has much more movement onstage than I had expected, and their too-short collection of songs features plenty of opportunities for the crowd to get involved. Ezra also appears at home when the music stops, letting us know after “Campus” that the band had strolled around the nearby University of Minnesota campus in search of Bob Dylan’s former dwelling. Instead, they found a street he apparently used to skateboard on “very early in skateboarding history,” (Ezra adds with this sly anecdote).
After a few songs, the crowd gives Vampire Weekend their stamp of approval and gladly sings “UH WHOAAA” along with the band in “M-79”, “EH! EH! EH!” in “A-Punk”, (I just used an Oxford comma! What a coincidence!), and “Blake’s got a new face,” during “One (Blake’s Got a New Face)”. The Columbia grads then treat us to one new, nameless song which seems to channel the same afro-pop vibe, but with a greater dose of originality. It appears they are already warding off the dreaded sophomore slump as the crowd bestows them with raucous applause afterwards. Keys player Rostam Batmanglij lets us know that while the band has never played in Minneapolis before, Minnesota was the first place he ever rode a horse – not that he rides horses often. This leads to the revelation that the band will be shooting the video for “Oxford Comma” a week from tonight and it will feature horses; but unfortunately he wouldn’t be riding them.
Twelve songs pass and Ezra makes light of Vampire Weekend’s short history, as he assumes we know what song is left since they don’t have any more in their repertoire. So the night comes to an end with “Walcott”, the song that tells the story of the film that gave the band its name. Is there a better way to end a show than telling an origin story? Yes: telling that story while simultaneously running out of songs.
Vampire Weekend was born of the hype machine and did what too few of its peers do these days: lived up to it.
