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Rostam Batmanglij
I was worried Vampire Weekend might be a dull live show, even though their records have all kinds of energy, based on live videos and comments I’d seen online. False alarm though; the band was well into it, and Ezra Koenig was positively loose as he lead them through the set, every bit the attractive and charming rich best friend everybody wants to have. No sadism and just a little sarcastic, but the kind that compliments your intelligence rather than insults.
Glad they got the Green Stage, too, as grand is the appropriate size for their party, and while the sun is still up is the perfect time. (You gotta be able to imagine yourself on a sailboat or beachside or somewhere else sunny and privileged). Great sound too, with Chris Thomson’s propulsive drumming and every staccato guitar note cutting through like a skiff at the Cape.
Though it had been threatening rain for the last hour I had yet to feel a drop. I was too tired and hungry and still coming down from my peak experience at Fishbone to join the dancing like I’d hoped, a move I didn’t regret until they played Wolcott to close out. But Sean says it was one of the best of the fest, and the fact that everybody besides me was dancing backs him up on that. As I said before, two full records of high energy music and not a bum track to be found is a sure-fire recipe for a great party.
-Kern
photo by hotani masuyo. more here
