Vampire Weekend @ the Gypsy Hut, 2/13/08
Vampire Weekend/ Sam Rosen/ Matthew Shelton
The Gypsy Hut, Northside, Cincinnati February 13, 2008
Vampire Weekend is not one of those bands I would have expected to be darlings of the indie rock scene. For one, they take great care to cultivate their preppy, just-got-off-a-yacht image. Not exactly rock and roll. And then, of course, they sound like Paul Simon’s Graceland crossed with, well, someone on a yacht. Their lyrics are about places like Cape Cod and they name drop designer brands. They sound painfully sincere without actually making too much sense. And yet, somehow, I think they’re pretty great.
Ok, to be honest, one of the reasons I think they’re great probably has to do with the fact that they all went to my alma matter and one of them was actually in a band that played shows with one of my old bands. So I’m biased. But, other than that, their clean-cut preppy sound is actually sort of refreshing. Who says that all songs have to be gloomy and deep? Who says you can’t write songs wondering if your bed is made and your sweater is on? Not Vampire Weekend, that’s for damn sure.
That being said, the show at the Gypsy Hut was somewhat disappointing. I’m convinced that this has very little to do with the band and a whole lot to do with the venue. The show sold out, and the venue isn’t really set up for that many people. The room where the bands were playing was long and narrow, with one step in the middle of it so in theory the people towards the back could see over the people in the front. In practice, I would not be surprised if half the people in there couldn’t see at all (I know I felt lucky when I got a glance of what was happening on stage, and at no point could I see the drummer at all), and the sound was just not that good either. And I was standing right next to the guy at the sound board. This show was nothing compared to when Vampire Weekend rolled into the ‘Nati in the summer of 2007 and played a show at Publico, a now-defunct tiny art gallery with no air conditioning, on one of the hottest nights of the year. That show was the stuff that builds reputations. It was full of energy and fun and sounded good enough that I have no doubt that at least 90% of the people there packed into the Gypsy Hut several months later, and that most of them also paid (or at least thought about paying) actual money for the new album. That show was amazing. This show was what indie kids settle for because they don’t know any better.
I can’t really vouch for the opening bands because the sound was so off that I couldn’t really tell what was going on. Matthew Shelton sounded boring and droning, though I have it on good authority that he is actually quite talented. Sam Rosen and his band sounded like they were probably enjoyable and also sort of afro-pop or something, but I still couldn’t really tell.
Vampire Weekend did the best they could under the circumstances. They played their entire album plus one new track, and got the crowd to sing along at various points. They played valiantly in the face of a very imperfect venue, and I heard many people saying that it was a “great show” and that they “totally kicked ass.” Sometimes I wonder about those people, and if they have ever been to a show in a good venue. Then I wonder if I expect too much and should just be happy to get to (sort of) see and (sort of) hear a band that I enjoy at home on my stereo. That being said, though, it was still totally worth the ten bucks I paid to get in, and if they were playing here again tomorrow I would be there in a minute.
I wish the guys in Vampire Weekend all the best. I think they are all quite talented as musicians, that they made a very enjoyable album, and that they put on a great show when given the chance. I only hope that as they continue along on their musical odyssey they are given better opportunities to show just how much ass they really can kick.
The Gypsy Hut, Northside, Cincinnati February 13, 2008
Vampire Weekend is not one of those bands I would have expected to be darlings of the indie rock scene. For one, they take great care to cultivate their preppy, just-got-off-a-yacht image. Not exactly rock and roll. And then, of course, they sound like Paul Simon’s Graceland crossed with, well, someone on a yacht. Their lyrics are about places like Cape Cod and they name drop designer brands. They sound painfully sincere without actually making too much sense. And yet, somehow, I think they’re pretty great.
Ok, to be honest, one of the reasons I think they’re great probably has to do with the fact that they all went to my alma matter and one of them was actually in a band that played shows with one of my old bands. So I’m biased. But, other than that, their clean-cut preppy sound is actually sort of refreshing. Who says that all songs have to be gloomy and deep? Who says you can’t write songs wondering if your bed is made and your sweater is on? Not Vampire Weekend, that’s for damn sure.
That being said, the show at the Gypsy Hut was somewhat disappointing. I’m convinced that this has very little to do with the band and a whole lot to do with the venue. The show sold out, and the venue isn’t really set up for that many people. The room where the bands were playing was long and narrow, with one step in the middle of it so in theory the people towards the back could see over the people in the front. In practice, I would not be surprised if half the people in there couldn’t see at all (I know I felt lucky when I got a glance of what was happening on stage, and at no point could I see the drummer at all), and the sound was just not that good either. And I was standing right next to the guy at the sound board. This show was nothing compared to when Vampire Weekend rolled into the ‘Nati in the summer of 2007 and played a show at Publico, a now-defunct tiny art gallery with no air conditioning, on one of the hottest nights of the year. That show was the stuff that builds reputations. It was full of energy and fun and sounded good enough that I have no doubt that at least 90% of the people there packed into the Gypsy Hut several months later, and that most of them also paid (or at least thought about paying) actual money for the new album. That show was amazing. This show was what indie kids settle for because they don’t know any better.
I can’t really vouch for the opening bands because the sound was so off that I couldn’t really tell what was going on. Matthew Shelton sounded boring and droning, though I have it on good authority that he is actually quite talented. Sam Rosen and his band sounded like they were probably enjoyable and also sort of afro-pop or something, but I still couldn’t really tell.
Vampire Weekend did the best they could under the circumstances. They played their entire album plus one new track, and got the crowd to sing along at various points. They played valiantly in the face of a very imperfect venue, and I heard many people saying that it was a “great show” and that they “totally kicked ass.” Sometimes I wonder about those people, and if they have ever been to a show in a good venue. Then I wonder if I expect too much and should just be happy to get to (sort of) see and (sort of) hear a band that I enjoy at home on my stereo. That being said, though, it was still totally worth the ten bucks I paid to get in, and if they were playing here again tomorrow I would be there in a minute.
I wish the guys in Vampire Weekend all the best. I think they are all quite talented as musicians, that they made a very enjoyable album, and that they put on a great show when given the chance. I only hope that as they continue along on their musical odyssey they are given better opportunities to show just how much ass they really can kick.