The skies stayed clear for a stellar performance at the Malkin Bowl last night. Vampire Weekend lead the crowd, following opening acts Dum Dum Girls and Beach House. Each band brought something different to the table, which in the end meant a well round evening for the hipsters in attendance. All in all it was a talent rich night, with everyone sharing in on the pleasant presentations.
Dum Dum Girls took the stage and immediately the ears in the audience perked up to see what was going on. This 4 piece, all female cast made for an interesting conglomerate. Their sound is somewhat as you would say sub-pop, probably why they were signed to that label. With an indie sound, simple instrumentals and vocals reminiscent of The Smiths meet Patti Smith, it was a great sub-culture direction. The entire group wore black dresses with dark stockings. The lead singer has a presence that captures your eye right away; black hair, pale skin and ruby red lipstick. Everything was a little post-punk, 90′s alt rock but had a tone of something a bit older, say from the 60s. It was a great delivery and the audience was amped through the whole piece. As with all good things, they soon vacated to platform.
Beach House, took some time to setup, but was eventually ready to bless us with their original scores. This four piece, with a female lead, plays a grouping of rich textured musical landscapes, topped with very dramatic, emotional vocals skimmed over with that Electroclash feel. The power in the voice of Victoria Legrand is astounding, she belts out these notes that embrace crowd. The use of strange seemingly strange piano effects, resembling something from the Renaissance, started off a few songs. Although at first it seemed overly high pitch, it eventually sinks in, and the effect is beautiful and really penetrates your soul. Beach House should be closely watched, they have a sexy complexity about them and this can always lead to something trend setting.
Now the headliners, pour into the stage. The quartet is high velocity from the moment the lights come on. Leaping into an electric set. Some people worried that the band couldn’t weather a large audience. Most of their music is lighter and it was cause for concern. Well stop worrying, this ensemble plays an epic show. Their lead singer has a dorky charisma about him and all the ladies were wide eyed to see him. The playful, and fun output is amplified during the live setting. They are truly an exciting set of four to experience live.
The stage was lit up like a Christmas tree, various cone lights used to accentuate the visual aspect. It was pleasant to see only lights adding to a performance, no fire or hideous backdrops. The audience was intoxicated by everything presented to them. Thought the feint smell of additional intoxicants probably added to the high. The entire mass was swaying like a single entity; the rhythm feeding them.
The set list was a gathering of their best songs, a true fans wet dream. The connection these four had with their fanatical concert seekers was tremendous. They had appropriate banter, and were all porting a flabbergasted grin; definitely still riding the love of performing. This hard working company blessed the Malkin Bowl with an outstanding show. Their is no wonder why they sold out two back to back evenings. Anyone who has the chance to catch them at any future dates should do so, as you will not be disappointed. Vampire Weekend brings the party, all you need is the spirit.
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