| F E A T U R E S T H O U G H T S R E V I E W S N E W S |
Vampire Weekend at Central Park, June 14 By Jeremy Grand Central Park is huge and stunningly beautiful, and there's nothing like an outdoor concert at one of Manhattan's few oases, even in a typhoon-style summer downpour. Vampire Weekend played to a massive audience during one of Central Park's Summer Stage concerts, and the crowd never dwindled, even when the sky opened up for a second and even worse round of nature's torrent. The show started late for an impatient and very wet group of devotees, but once the sky briefly cleared away, a "Mansard Roof" kept them dry and made them all remember why they waited so long in the first place. The band played as if they had soundtrack help, as perfect and flawless as their self-titled debut. Even when the rain started up again, they never faltered, playing like it wasn't a job, and making unhappy campers very happy and full of as much life as their music. The set was basically a live performance of their one album, and each song sounded as good as the next. During "One," the crowd was asked, and obliged willingly of course, to be the echo of the chorus, "Blake's got a new face." Hopefully, Vampire Weekend will survive their band name's immortality, for there are far too few bands like this that can keep cranky New Yorkers from running for cover, and far too few who are this much fun. |
| c o n t a c t s / c r e d i t s c o n t r i b u t e d i r e c t o r y |