Vampire Weekend returns to Milwaukee in triumph
New York quartet Vampire Weekend, formed just four years ago, returned to Milwaukee Tuesday night for its second show in Brew City. The first was about a year and a half ago at Turner Hall Ballroom.
Since the show at the much larger Riverside last night was sold out, it's clear that VW's popularity has notched up since that first appearance. Also during that time, the band issued its second disc, "Contra," which rather than being a departure for the band, simply solidified its winning mix of alt.pop and African influences.
I tweeted from the show and here are my tweets -- in case you missed 'em -- along with some additional commentary. If you want to follow me on Twitter, find me at twitter.com/BobbyOnMKEcom.
BobbyOnMKEcom The #vampireweekend crowd is large and quite youthful. (I was surprised to see that the crowd looked like a lot of high school-age kids, mixed -- unsurprisingly -- with a heavily college crowd and a few gen x'ers.)
BobbyOnMKEcom Pregig music at #vampireweekend transports me to The Tunnel in NYC circa 1986. (All night long the house music was an unusual mix of dance music, old soul, reggae and other stuff.)
BobbyOnMKEcom #abevigoda is onstage and he looks more spry than ever. But let's face it, he's no Jack Soo. (Sorry, can never help referencing my dad's favorite character on his favorite show, "Barney Miller.)
BobbyOnMKEcom #abevigoda has heard The Cure. But that's ok, who doesn't like The Cure? (Los Angeles quartet Abe Vigoda opened the show and the tortured vocals and tribal drums conjured The Cure's "Pornography" even if the guitars were never as cutting as Robert Smith's on that record.)
BobbyOnMKEcom My friend sez #abevigoda recalls Armoury Show, Icicle Works, Wire Train and Modern English. I don't think the sound is doing them any favors. (Abe Vigoda is firmly rooted in an early '80s musical revival that has been in swing for a few years now.)
PabstTheater Totally digging Abe Vigoda.
BobbyOnMKEcom @PabstTheater In the balcony it's hard to grasp the subtleties. They were good but I suspect they're better than they sounded from up here. (Abe Vigoda's sound was pretty muddy upstairs. I can't vouch for how it sounded on the floor.)
BobbyOnMKEcom The Riverside is rockin' Duran Duran. Saw them open for Split Enz at the Pier on NYC on "Rio" tour. Oh yeah! (More of that quirky playlist during the break.)
BobbyOnMKEcom From Duran Duran to the Honey Cone. Crazy playlist! ("Girls on Film" and"Girls It Ain't Easy.")
BobbyOnMKEcom Showtime at #vampireweekend. (The lights go down and for the first time, the roar of the crowd shakes the chandeliers.)
BobbyOnMKEcom #vampireweekend on stage. twitpic.com/1ajkgt.
BobbyOnMKEcom Though they lack a goddess-like Tina Weymouth #vampireweekend reminds me of T(alking) Heads for a number of reasons. (The herky jerky pop mixed with fluid African influences, the distinctive lead singer with a guitar style that occasionally calls to mind the playing on songs like "Pulled Up.")
BobbyOnMKEcom #vampireweekend travels with its own chandeliers. twitpic.com/1ajljo. (A quintet of chandeliers is lowered from the rigging above the stage and they serve as accent lighting for the rest of the night. Later, when singer Ezra Koenig comments that the Riverside has a beautiful chandelier, we know he knows of what he speaks.)
BobbyOnMKEcom Riverside is sold out and you can hear it in the roar that rises after each #vampireweekend song.
BobbyOnMKEcom Time for the Blake's got a new face call and response at #vampireweekend. (The crowd is more than eager to sing along.)
BobbyOnMKEcom #vampireweekend has pushed the "reggae" button on the Casio with pleasant results. (That song? "Diplomat's Son," of course.)
BobbyOnMKEcom "Oxford Comma" and the #vampireweekend set is over. Encore? ("Oxford Comma" was performed as something of a medley with "Campus.")
BobbyOnMKEcom Yes, Virginia, #vampireweekend is doing an encore. But dang please turn off those harsh spotlights aimed at the crowd.
BobbyOnMKEcom #vampireweekend encore: "Horchata," "A-punk" and "Cape Cod Kwassa." (I misspoke here. The encore had "Walcott," not "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," which actually came earlier in the show.)
Talkbacks
sandstorm | March 31, 2010 at 9:46 a.m. (report)
i don't know. how much of the media is fawning over bands like Teenage Bottlerocket and Banner Pilot? i also still listen to Less Than Jake now and again, though RBF sound completely dated and "of the 90's" regardless of what new stuff they are recording. yeah, i'm kind of an ass about it, but it still bugs me that bands like VW and The Strokes (years ago) get thrown up the charts and people lap it up like it's the best thing ever, when at bes,t it's passable, non-offending fluff.
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jakkalope | March 28, 2010 at 9:37 p.m. (report)
VW is one of those bands I enjoy, but wouldn't want to see in concert. I am not shocked at all to learn it was a very young crowd. But they sound good regardless.
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kmsweere | March 26, 2010 at 11:40 a.m. (report)
Thank you milROCKeeguy, sounds like you really know your stuff! sandstorm- I only commented because I get annoyed at people who come on here and bash the OM.com articles. If you don't like a certain band, why would you even read the article that has been written about them? And as for your "you like these guys because you don't know any better and you like who the media tells you to like" comment... well, you could not be more wrong. I rarely listen to the radio, and if I do it's 88.9 or 89.7. They don't exactly pump out the "popular" crap that plays on most other stations. Nice attempt at bashing me, though. You went to SxSW??... I am jealous. I am going out to the Sasquatch music fest in a few months... can't wait! OH! VW plays there, I'll get to see them again!
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milROCKeeguy | March 26, 2010 at 10:31 a.m. (report)
Sandstorm, you're completely wrong here. yes VW fans are mostly preppie hipsters, but they do make good music. If you actually went to SXSW, this band would be right up your alley (they were there two years ago). As far as Reel Big Fish, guess what, theyre still making records and are still pretty popular. Just as Less Than Jake, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and all the other 90s bands you probably stopped listening to because you grew out of them, or wait, probably went along with the current trends, or "you like who the media tells you to like."
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sandstorm | March 26, 2010 at 7:42 a.m. (report)
sorry km. just got back from SxSW where i saw a thousand bands better than these silver spoon flavors of the day. you like these guys because you don't know any better and you like who the media tells you to like. i think it will be funny 10 years from now when look back and say "what the hell was i thinking?" just like Reel Big Fish fans do today. i don't know. i guess if you're really young or have lived in a fishbowl you might think this stuff has some merit. other than that, though, there's no excuse for lining these derivative trust fund babies wallets.
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