BrightestYoungThings: Live DC: Vampire Weekend @ DAR

all words: Nina Slesinger
all photos: Faith Desired

The mood for Saturday night's Vampire Weekend show was set with the mostly sunny, 70-degree forecast. The band's 90-minute set was ebullient and tight--the perfect show to see at the tail end of a spring break that has so far felt more like summer.

Led by Ezra Koenig, the clean-cut Columbia grads took the stage to Kriss Kross's "Jump." The scruffiest-looking was drummer Chris Tomson, but even with a beard and a basketball jersey he still looked like a lacrosse player in the off-season. Rostam Batmanglij's synth began the show and on the first cracking beat of "White Sky," the banner behind the drum kit fell to reveal a massive backdrop of the group's most recent album, Contra. The crowd went absolutely nuts, signaling the first of many times I would be reminded of the couple Backstreet Boys shows I saw in elementary school. Immediately following "White Sky" was "Holiday," a bopping tune that got the majority of the audience to at least attempt a few dance moves.

Next up was "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," one of many standout tracks from the band's debut album. As the crowd shouted "Peter Gabriel, too!" I remember wishing that this show were outside on a beach in July. The fact that it was inside didn't dampen the bubbly vibes emanating through Constitution Hall, though.

VW took it down a notch with "I Stand Corrected," probably the most subdued songs they've ever written (note: a "somber" VW song still has quick beats and floating synth). This shaped up to be one of my favorite sing-alongs of the night.

As I mentioned before, certain aspects of this show reminded me of the boy band concerts I saw when I was younger. Aside from the tweens shrieking at every break, the banter between songs also was Backstreet-esque. When Ezra introduced songs teasing the crowd with hints at their subject matter ("This is a song about a bus!" "This one's for all the students in the audience!" "This is about someone who wanted to change!") or Rostam invited the crowd to yell or sing-along ("Come on, I know you all can be louder than that!"), they acted with the same jovial showmanship as did Nick, Howie, A.J., Brian, and Kevin circa 2000. Also, somewhere in their ascension to fame the boys of VW learned they were heartthrobs. Earnest eye-contact with girls in the front rows elicited squeals and left them thrusting their hands closer to get a touch. Near the end of the show, Ezra addressed girls who had brought a poster begging him to sing "Happy Birthday" to their friend Ella by quickly rattling off the lyrics in her direction. I saw this gaggle of girls after the show and one was clutching the poster to her heart as they talked about the dreamy moment (all donned in new Vampire Weekend t-shirts, of course).

One very impressive aspect of the show was the lighting. Not only did the girl on the front of the Contra backdrop have GLOWING EYES (yeah, GLOWING EYES), but the hanging chandeliers and strobes were perfectly synced to each song. The onslaught of flashing bright lights only added to the summery feel of the show.

One of my favorite songs of the night was "California English." Ezra's quick delivery sounded jumbled and foreign when coupled with the AutoTune, to a very cool effect. Following this was the spastic single "Cousins." The drums on this song sound almost like a machine gun, and Ezra's yelp is more akin to a dog's bark than a human's yell. Where this could have been sloppy or rough, it kept the hysteria in a tight box. The end result: pure fun.

Next came another slower jam, "Taxi Cab." This is such a pretty song. I wished they had a strings section for this because I think the cello part would have cut across really nicely, but it was still lovely.

"This is a song about running away!" said Ezra to introduce "Run" (duh). This was another great song to hear live. While on the album the chorus sort of falls, at the show it became a louder, more frenetic jam. The "Cause honey with you-ooh!" lines also turned into a sweet, boppin' little sing-along.

Next up was "A-Punk." Ezra begged people to dance to this song, if they had to pick one to dance to. They listened, and they danced, and they yelled "oh! oh! oh!" at all the appropriate times. It was fun. VW closed their set with one of my favorite Contra tracks, "Giving Up The Gun." Despite saying people only had to dance for "A-Punk," the crowd kept up the groove for this one.

The band came back for an encore, beginning with "Horchata." Next up was "Mansard Roof," which was actually the first VW song I had ever heard. The band ended the night with "Walcott." As we all jumped and sang-along, I forgot that in the real world, summer was still two months away. Inside DAR, it had definitely already arrived.