Click Click: Vampire Weekend @ 9:30 Club
Words and photos by DCist contributor Martin Locraft
Vampire Weekend formed in New York City, recorded one album while each member was in the process of diving into the real world, became crazy popular thanks to blog ubiquity and a clever video, traveled the globe, and ultimately arrived at the 9:30 Club on Monday for a two-night stint. The lead singer is handsome, and they dress like their next stop is a laid-back Ivy League cocktail party. On the surface, they appear to be just what you'd expect: riding the waves of a hot debut album and enjoying the subsequent rise to ubiquity, but weary of the fact that their kind has the potential to come and go rather quickly.
But if Vampire Weekend proved anything last night, it's that they are going to do their damndest to stick around for a while. Despite playing an extremely short set – I clocked it at just under an hour – Ezra Koenig & Co. packed enough energy into the sold-out venue to make people forget the fact that they've only got about 15 songs in their catalog. They jumped from track to track, eventually playing all 11 from their self-titled album, and introduced the crowd to a few works-in-progress (that sounded quite good, for the record).
Before covering Fleetwood Mac's "Everywhere" to begin the encore, Koenig promised the crowd that the next time Vampire Weekend comes to D.C. – a year or so from now, after they've recorded their sophomore effort – they'd be more like Bruce Springsteen in that they'd play a 2-1/2 hour set. With instrumentals reminiscent of an early-90s Paul Simon, an extended show would certainly be a welcome change. For now, however, the thoughts of a passionate performance in front of an appreciative crowd will certainly suffice.