Near the end of August 2007, Vampire Weekend made their first venture to Cincinnati, Ohio. The now closed contemporary art gallery Publico hosted the band. At that show, the band played for an intimate crowd and lead singer Ezra Koenig discussed his fondness for Cincinnati Bengal’s DE Frostee Rucker. It was more fondness for a grown man who stood 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 280 lbs still going by the name Frostee.
Tonight the band took the stage at The Gypsy Hut. It was a frosty night. The day after freezing rain and icy conditions overpowered the city of Cincinnati, Vampire Weekend walked on stage, half the band clad in V-neck sweaters and Koenig wrapped in a scarf. The sold out crowd of 300 tightly fans packed into the stage area of The Gypsy Hut’s multi-room bar. The rooms with billbiards, ping-pong, and dartboards were emptied for the duration of the band’s set.
Launching in to “Mansard Roof,” the opening track from their self-titled debut for XL Recordings, the band established their live sound as firmly and succinctly distinct as their recorded material. The song began by showcasing keyboardist, Rostam Batmanglij, while the pulsating stop beats of the punctually tight rhythm section established the uptempo direction of the entire set. As the other instruments flushed out the sound with quickened parts, Koenig’s guitar line was added with a blistering single note strum.
Vampire Weekend worked their way through all of their 12 released songs with only a few additions. The band taught the audience the call and response of “One (Blake’s Got A New Face),” but the crowd did not need the lesson to know when to sing. The majority of the audience was comfortable enough with the songs to sing and bob along with them, which was most notable on “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” and “Oxford Comma.”
The band has become synonymous with an indie rock sound that is heavily influenced by Afro-pop. While this can’t be denied on certain songs, the band melds multiple styles to create a retro familiarity with a refreshing college rock sound. With the final song, “Walcott,” the crowd was left with an upbeat anthem of escapism about getting “Out of Cape Cod tonight.”
Both of the opening artists were interesting. Brooklyn’s Sam Buck Rosen played a diverse set as a bass-guitar-drum trio. It was combination of an 80’s feel with a 60’s mentality (or maybe it was 80's mentalily with a 60's feel), but the set seemed to be lacking the needed emphatic energy. Local musician Matthew Shelton was a good fit as an opening act with his acoustic guitar and mbira playing accompanying his idiosyncratically alluring songs. He is a great songwriter, but his more intimate solo performances at Northside Tavern do a better job of highlighting his skills and are highly recommended. Also, please take the time to see him perform with The Image Afro-beat Band.
“Mansard Roof” live from Publico, Cincinnati, Ohio on 29 Aug 2007:
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