Vampire Weekend performing at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island in Chicago on June 16, 2019
Bonnaroo may have been happening out in Tennessee, but Chicago music fans who stayed within the city limits over the past three days enjoyed a similar festival-like vibe thanks to Dead & Company’s two-night run at Wrigley Field as well as the Father John Misty, Jason Isbell double-bill at the Huntington Bank Pavilion. The weekend, however, arguably culminated with Vampire Weekend’s Sunday night (June 16) stop at the HBP at Northerly Island, as the NYC trio helped take the chill out of the air with a summery, vibrant set of infectious indie rock.
Father’s Day got a lot of attention from frontman Ezra Koenig during last night’s set, as did the band’s recently-released album Father of the Bride. Armed with their new touring members — guitarist Brian Robert Jones, keyboardist Greta Morgan, percussionist-drummer Garrett Ray and keyboardist Will Canzoneri — and a slew of material from their recently-released LP, the group undeniably brought their A-game to the lakeside venue for the Hallmark holiday weekend performance.
“What’s up Chicago?” said Koenig near the top of the set. “We’re Vampire Weekend. Happy Father’s Day!”
Vampire Weekend performing at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island in Chicago on June 16, 2019
About a third of the night’s tracks were derived from Bride, including set-opener “Bambina,” “2021,” “Big Blue” and the sweet, stripped down “Hold You Now,” which saw the aforementioned Morgan trading verses with Koenig in the part originally recorded by Danielle Haim on the album. The irresistible “Harmony Hall” and trippy “Sunflower” were both brought to new heights in the live setting, particularly the latter, which saw Jones toying with feedback and distortion amidst a blistering rock jam that certainly pushed the boundaries of the band’s live sound.
Bride single “This Life” was also given the jam treatment, with a keyboard-centric, dance-inducing extended close, accented by ultra-bright white light. Improvisation wasn’t only reserved for the band’s new material, though, as “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” from Vampire Weekend’s critically-acclaimed self-titled debut, prompted a fast-fingered group-wide jam leading into Contra oldie but goodie “White Sky.” Toots and the Maytals’ “Pressure Drop” also found its way into the setlist in the form of a reggae-infused interlude during “Diplomat’s Son,” giving bassist Chris Baio some funky time to shine, while a cover of Paul Simon’s “Late in the Evening” helped spotlight the new dual drummer setup shared by Chris Tomson and the above-mentioned Ray.
Vampire Weekend performing at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island in Chicago on June 16, 2019
Last night’s setlist was made up of over 30 tracks, much of which took place in a rapid-fire “succession of hits” fashion. A bass-thumping rendition of “Cousins” and a spot-on performance of the beloved “Oxford Comma” both made welcome appearances, while a tight take of “Giving Up The Gun” prompted a mass sing-along.
“I see you shine in your way,” wailed the crowd. “Go on, go on, go on.”
Modern Vampires of the City tracks “Diane Young,” “Step” and “Hannah Hunt” also materialized, the lattermost inducing one of Koenig’s most-vocally rich moments of the night. And, in keeping with the Chicago tradition of multiple “A-Punk” performances (which began at last year’s Lollapalooza when the group played the track three times in a row), fans were treated to a double dose of the hit single. “That was something very special we shared together,” joked the frontman before launching into what he dubbed a “Two Punk.”
Vampire Weekend is amidst a very exciting stage of their career, developing and expanding their live show, while challenging both themselves and their fans, as they continue to evolve into the stadium band they are destined to become. Now is a great time to catch them live as they are slated to remain on the road in the U.S. through October.
Check out photos – including Chicano Batman’s opening set – from last night’s performance below.
(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)
