On June 2nd, a Monday evening show, Vampire Weekend delivered an unforgettable 35-song setlist to the thousands of eager fans packed into Kemba Live.
The set was Vampire Weekend’s Columbus tour stop promoting the band’s most recent album, Only God Was Above Us, released in April 2024. Acclaimed as one of the best albums of the year by the likes of Pitchfork, Rolling Stone Magazine, Billboard, and Stereogum, the band’s long-awaited fifth record strikes the balance between nostalgia and reinvention.
Vampire Weekend completed the first US and Western Europe leg of the Only God Was Above Us tour between April and December of 2024. Their 2025 tour, featuring Cameron Winter-fronted supporting act, Geese, began on May 10th of this year in Pasadena, CA, and is set to conclude in Ocean City, MD on September 27th.
Columbus lucked out with ideal Vampire Weekend weather: a low-humidity, picturesque evening with a light, weed-scented breeze to go with the band’s ‘take a load off’ energy. A cornucopia-esque soft metallic structure surrounded the stage, with the performers dressing in flowy, neutral-toned linen, giving the concert a Williamsburg-meets-Atlantis postmodern nautical twee aesthetic that could have come straight out of a secret, unreleased Wes Anderson film.
Founded in 2006, this J Crew style does not feel insincere; Vampire Weekend are trailblazers in both sound and vision— and sticking to that trail has clearly led them to the right places. Vampire Weekend’s music is just as pop palatable as it is inventive, such that you could play it in an office or a record store with equal success. The band members seem well-intentioned and dedicated to their craft without coming across as panderingly wholesome.
The stars of the show included Vampire Weekend founding members Ezra Koenig (vocals, guitar,) Chris Tomson (drums,) Chris Baio (bass,) alongside touring members Will Canzoneri (keyboard and backing vocals,) Garrett Ray (drums,) Ray Suen (guitar, keyboards, fiddle,) and Colin Killalea (guitar, keys, and saxophone).
Band members’ individual grand entrances and exits through a center-stage door opened the show with a celebratory feeling reminiscent of a bridal party’s entrance into a wedding reception. Coming straight from a stressful midterm at OSU, the show opener, “Campus” from Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut album, put a smile on my face that stayed for the duration of the show.
Since they have had so many mainstream hits, I wasn’t prepared for the performers’ level of musicianship, showing off their talent with some rather intricate songs such as “Classical” and “Connect” off of Only God Was Above Us.
After the show had concluded, the band took requests for songs to cover, further showing off the group’s versatility, range, and improvisation abilities. Beyond a display of musicianship, this after-show extended “non-encore” was also one of several ways that Vampire Weekend returned the love to their fans. Koenig periodically interacted with the audience, curating a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere.
A Vampire Weekend show is a masterclass in craft, connection, and celebration. You will get more of your money’s worth out of a Vampire Weekend concert than almost any other show comparable by venue and genre. While they create an ideal environment for their fans, a Vampire Weekend concert would even be a wonderful experience for non-frequent concertgoers and those unfamiliar with the band’s music.
Setlist:
- Campus
- Holiday
- Bryn
- Ice Cream Piano
- Classical
- Connect
- White Sky
- Unbelievers
- This Life
- Sunflower
- Symphony
- Bambina
- Bravda
- Capricorn
- Gen-X Cops
- Diane Young
- Cousins
- A-Punk
- Prep-School Gangsters
- Mary Boone
- Obvious Bicycle
- Harmony Hall
- Hope
Encore Covers:
- Dirty Work – Steely Dan
- Peg – Steely Dan
- Last Christmas – Wham!
- Ruby SoHo – Rancid
- Amber – 311
- Althea – Grateful Dead
- Been Caught Stealing – Jane’s Addiction
- Cannonball – The Breeders
- Rock Lobster – The B-52’s
- Take On Me – a-ha
- Fool in the Rain – Led Zeppelin
- Walcott – Vampire Weekend
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