In the age of the internet, it doesn’t take long for a new phenom to rise to stardom. Case in point, Vampire Weekend. The New York four-piece were propelled by an adoring blogosphere to the top of the indie-rock scene in a matter of months shooting a cover for Spin Magazine this spring before their debut album was even released. For a band that was only just starting to get noticed this time last year, selling out two nights at Washington’s 9:30 Club last week was an impressive feat.
But, does the band justify the hype? Short answer, absolutely. In a brief but memorable performance last Monday at the 9:30 Club, the band who met as students at Columbia University just two years ago, gave fans everything they asked for and offered promise of greater things to come.
The Vampire Weekend catalogue is short, but what it lacks in volume it makes up for in richness. Each song is a small 3-minute gem that is at once instantly enjoyable yet possesses the depth to not wear thin. With catchy afro-influenced melodies, inventive instrumentation and memorable lyrics Vampire Weekend provides the listener pure musical pleasure that is accessible without resorting to tawdry pop hooks. It’s hard if not impossible to stand still when this band is on the stage.
At Monday night’s show, concertgoers were also treated to several new songs that stood up well to the high-standard of their existing catalogue. All this bodes well for the future. And as Vampire Weekend’s debut album makes its appearance this month on the best of 2008 lists of music critics throughout the nation, Monday’s show reminds us that sometimes the hype is well deserved.
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