Last Thursday, crowds wrapped around In the Venue as they eagerly awaited the performances of Beach House and Vampire Weekend. Some of the more dedicated fans arrived at 4 p.m. to wait with hope of meeting the bands.
Vampire Weekend has experienced immediate success after signing with XL records and released their self-titled record in 2008. With hit singles such as “A-Punk” and “Campus,” the continuing popularity is not surprising with their release of Contra earlier this year.
The countdown began with doors opening at 7:30 p.m. Once we were finally let in and claimed our spots by the stage, we anxiously awaited the arrival of Beach House, the opening act. It was well worth it, as they seemed to blow the whole crowd away with their unique sound and lead singer hair flips. Their music was mellow as well as relaxing, while the crowd stood at a standstill. They ended off their set with a bang, and left everyone wanting more.
The feeling slowly faded, however, as it sunk in that Vampire Weekend was up next. A friend of mine began to dance in excitement, and smiles filled the crowd as we waited for their set to begin. Chaos ensued as Ezra, their lead singer and the rest of the band filled the stage. The venue was packed from front to back, with the whole crowd singing and dancing along to every song. The whole set was a huge dance party, with the band playing a majority of songs from their new album while still mixing in some old favorites.
Their music is the epitome of summer, with lyrics such as “A t-shirt so lovely it turned all the history books gray. I’ve got wheels, I’ve got cutter spray. And a healthy sense of worth. Half of me is the gasoline, but the other half’s the surf. So if I wait for a holiday could it stop my fear? To go away on a summer’s day never seemed so clear,” from the song “Holiday” off Contra.
After their set ended, the band came back for a three-song encore. Vampire Weekend began it by playing “Horchata” and “Mansard Roof”. Then the band took the time to praise how much they loved to play in Salt Lake City, and how they have even found their own spots they like to hang out. Then they ended the fantastic set with their token last song “Walcott”, while at the beginning of the song replacing Cape Cod with Salt Lake City. It was the best ending one could hope for and a great night for music.
Afterwards two students told me what they thought of the performance. Carolyn Frost responded with “It was good. I thought Vampire Weekend had great stage presence. I loved Beach House more though. You could tell both bands loved to perform.” And Sarah Snazz was ecstatic when stating, “I thought it was amazing. I could really see what amazing musicians they were. Way better than just hearing it. I couldn’t fathom the fact that I was there listening to them. And every time a new song started my heart started racing all over again.” We already all cannot wait until they come back.