Vampire Weekend at Governors Ball 2014

It’s hard to believe that Vampire Weekend’s Modern Vampires of the City came out a year ago. Time has flown by at a scary speed since then, and last week saw the band closing out Govenors Ball with a pitch perfect set at the main stage.

The last time I saw them was when they headlined Barclays Center last fall, and what a show that was. They’ve been at tour seemingly non-stop since the release of the album, yet came to play as if it was the first of the tour. By now, they’ve completely mastered all the songs of Modern, giving songs like “Unbelievers”, “Everlasting Arms”, and “Ya Hey” even more polished delivery and attention than even before.

It’s great to hear that they haven’t forgotten “Boston” (Ladies of Cambridge), which will always remain one of my favorite songs of theirs. Older cuts like “A-Punk” and “Campus” remain as fresh as ever live, giving me a jolt of energy to dance in the crowd although I could hardly feel my legs. Contra highlights “Giving Up The Gun” and “Diplomat’s Son” are played at mastery levels now, making those introductory performances at United Palace Theater years ago seem like a distant memory.

Although the crowds have gotten significantly bigger, the stage set up more elaborate, and the screams from the females has gotten louder, the band still remains the same. They still introduce “One (Blake’s Got a New Face)” in nearly the same way as they have for years, and they still deliver “Walcott” with that same sense of urgency. But now they’re able to fill these moments in with grown up songs like “Hannah Hunt” which has proven itself to be one of the bands best moments to date.

I’ve now seen Vampire Weekend nearly a dozen times now, they still find ways to impress me and keep me coming back for more. At the end of the show Ezra ran down below and threw out $2 bills into the crowd “for good luck.” Not a bad way to send the people home.

Modern Vampires Of The City, for sure.

Setlist:

1. Diane Young
2. White Sky
3. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
4. Unbelievers
5. Holiday
6. Step
7. Boston (Ladies of Cambridge)
8. Horchata
9. Everlasting Arms
10. Diplomat’s Son
11. Cousins
12. California English
13. A-Punk
14. Ya Hey
15. Campus
16. Oxford Comma
17. Giving Up the Gun
18. Obvious Bicycle