ACL: Vampire Weekend Roll Through Familiar and Unfamiliar Tunes

The boys of Vampire Weekend gave an early start to the festival, serenading souls left and right. The New York natives kept listeners entertained and sustained throughout the hottest part of the day. Most songs were familiar memories from their self-titled debut album, but a few new tricks were released during the show.
Lead singer, Ezra Koenig, experimented with a wide array of vocals, ranging from tight screams to wailing melodies. After branching out with some screeching, Koenig brought the tone back down to Earth with the group's notorious crisp, clean rhythms. The band showed it's true, professional talent when they busted out a never-been-played-in-Austin song. The bohemian bounciness of this piece confirmed the band's easy listening qualities. Shining harmonies were brought to the stage throughout the set, but especially in "Bryn." Slowing down the song quite a bit, the guitar melodies mirrored a scene from a Hawaiian beach. Keeping the pace between mellow and lively songs, the band got the crowd involved, chanting the line, "Blake's got a new face" during the song "One." The addition of a string quartet near the end of the set gave a full, fanciful sound. These men may be fairly new to the indie rock scene, but they know how to bring it to festival-goers and fans alike. -Candace Birkelbach

More photos under the cut.