Thoughts from Vampire Weekend Concert in Oakland
I had a great Monday evening in Oakland last night, seeing Vampire Weekend for the first time with friends and family. It’s rare that I connect with bands lyrically anymore, so this band has quickly become important to me during the past year.
The lead singer of Vampire Weekend, Ezra Koenig, writes songs that often read like short stores (check out this New Yorker article on him and the band). Vampire Weekend songs tell rich tales; the characters stick with you. Many of their songs have African beats that, coupled with Koenig’s bohemian cadence, draws comparisons to Paul Simon (a comparison that the same article says they apparently bristle at). Obviously, I’m not a music reviewer, so I’m keeping this brief and mostly for my own records. The show was great. I think they should take a few more risks on stage, but that’s based on my belief (not held by all) that songs played live should have a fun new layer added to them. Below, you’ll find the setlist from last night. They played my favorite song off the new album, “Run.”
