LIVE: Vampire Weekend Successfully Pass Hype Test
Tuesday February 12, 2008 @ 03:00 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

February 12, 2008
Toronto, Ontario
Horseshoe Tavern
By Erik Missio

Much has been made of New York-based Vampire Weekend's unique sound (or lack thereof, depending on who's doing the talking). Comparisons centre around what the band calls "Upper West Side Soweto" — a style seen as Afro-pop appropriation (or loving homage, depending on who's doing the talking). Not-unfair nods to David Byrne, Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel are often cited. But at the same time, they've just as much in common with blue-eyed calypso and reggae. Without stretching too far, shared touchstones can be found in acts ranging from The Police to Bedouin Soundclash.

Post-modern geocultural significance aside, Vampire Weekend write really memorable and fun pop-rock with wittily obscure lyrics. They have that rare potential to appeal to worldbeat aficionados, liberal arts majors and those who like dancing to guitars. And should the band ever deem it desirable, they could totally serve as a soundtrack to a Wal-Mart commercial.

The Vampires dropped their debut only a week or two ago, but the wonder of the internet has meant those in the know have had plenty of time to pledge allegiance and the usual suspects have bestowed their accolades. The result was a sold-out show at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern on a freezing night where a packed house sweated to death inside. Overall, it was worth it.

Despite being an odd fit, Toronto-based Germans opened the show, keeping the crowd near the front engaged. (Full disclosure: I know one of the band members in his secret identity.) On this night a seven-piece, the band played a bit of musical chairs with instruments, usually maintaining a trio of drummers throughout their set. Their sound was far less clean, melodic, or instantly accessible than that of the headliners, but Germans still know how to craft a perfect pop song. "I Am The Teacher" is perhaps the catchiest four minutes you've never had. Bonus marks go to the co-frontman who killed time during a guitar string fix by performing uncomfortable acts of contortionism on stage. And hey, Polaris Music Prize winner Owen Pallett was in the audience singing along with at least one song. Trust Final Fantasy.

Of course, the masses were there for the Vampires. Storming the stage in sensible pants and Ralph Lauren dress shirts or cardigans (drummer Christopher Tomson went with a classic white T), the quartet wasted no time in launching into their eponymous album's opening track, "Mansard Roof."

Frontman Ezra Koenig was master of ceremonies, plucking and strumming his guitar for clear (and, more than occasionally, staccato) lines. His lyric delivery was sometimes harmonious, sometimes yelpy, but always smoothly articulate. Stage right was Rostam Batmanglij (perhaps the best surname in rock) manning the keys and the odd guitar. The pair were responsible for the night's vocals and eye contact. While they may have overshadowed the band's rhythm section, seeing Tomson and bassist Chris Baio live reinforces just how responsible the latter two are for Vampire Weekend's polyrhythmic backbone.

The band seem to generally like performing (always a nice thing). Dancing and singalongs were encouraged (especially on "One [Blake's Got a New Face]"), songs were playfully tweaked (the chorus in "Oxford Comma" was made aggressive — well, as aggressive as Vampire Weekend get), and the banter was… OK, the banter wasn't quite so brilliant. But at least they're trying. This is more than can be said for others.

Besides, Koenig's digression about the hassles of crossing the border to perform in Canada ("We've got a problem with authority") felt more like wry acknowledgment of the band's clean-cut image, rather than some contrived attempt to secure rebellious rock authenticity.

The audience was cut from comparable cloth, largely a mixture of innocuous twenty-something hipsters and wholesome university kids. Staying out late on a Monday night for Vampire Weekend ain't no big deal when you can skip class and don't have to work the next day. Fresh out of school themselves, the question is where do the band go from here now that they've graduated?