photography by Benjamin Hoste – see more photos from the show here

Concert goers lined up as much as a block against the red brick wall, ringing around the Henry Fonda. All of them waited powerlessly for Vampire Weekend’s sold out release show for their sophomore album Contra under XL Records. Just the previous night, New Yorker’s Ezra Koenig (lead vocals, guitar), Rostam Batmanglij (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Chris Tomson (drums, percussion), and Chris Baio (bass guitar, vocals) performed on the Tonight Show with Conan. It was also the same day that Myspace friends received notifications that Vampire Weekend’s page was about to be deleted. False alarm. Very Be Careful Opened, but soon made way for Vampire Weekend. The quartet looked spiffy in button-down polos. Ezra was post-Christmas preppy in red and green, but was a present nonetheless. They performed amidst the background of their album cover with a mysterious polo-loving muse, looking rather unkempt with dilated pupils and a candid smirk. It’s so Ivy League, which is fitting for the college band, offering their music to the muse. Vampire Weekend opened with “White Sky,” which showcased their traditional sound. “Holiday” elevated the energy level with Ezra’s yelps and falsettos. The drums and guitars riffs then changed pace and range, while Ezra made introductory zoo noises to “Cousins.” “Run” sounds like a nostalgic and bouncy Hellogoodbye theme. Afrobeat was evident in “Diplomat’s Son.” Eventually, Vampire Weekend concocted a cocktail of new and old tracks, taking the crowd back to where it all started with “A-Punk.” Before ending the 80-minute show with “Horchata” and “Walcott,” the crowd was just getting warmed up by the new tunes, since they invested more energy into the throwback songs. Vampire Weekend have proved that they’ve graduated from their college band image.

—Katrina Guevara