Vamped and Amped

© Steve Mitchell / RumBum.com

Vampire Weekend at All Points West

The rain fell in sheets during Vampire Weekend's 50-minute set. It fell on the band, the crowd, the security, cameramen, and technicians. It fell on the Statue of Liberty. It fell on Manhattan. It fell on the boroughs. It fell on New Jersey and the old train station that is now Liberty State Park.

The ground was a sloppy, gooey, mushy mud-pie. Umbrellas and ponchos covered the two thousand deep crowd that stood in front of the stage to see Vampire Weekend, despite the sloppy conditions. Many felt challenged. People wore pouts and cranky smirks. The crowd's spirit was definitely dampened. "I know it's not easy to dance when holding an umbrella," said lead singer Ezra Koenig, "but for this one you're going to have to."  They played their popular "A-Train" and the crowd started pogoing up and down, umbrellas and all.

Eventually, the crowd surrendered to the electronic guitar driven bite of Vampire Weekend. After all, it was only water. Near the stage, legions of loyal fans would've born much worse than a summer storm to hear this up and coming New York band. Vampire Weekend, together only since 2006, are an all-male quartet composed of Columbia University grads. In 2008, Spin magazine labeled them "the best new band" of the year. Other highlights of their APW set included the catchy "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" and the clever, hip "Oxford Comma." 

In the back of the crowd, in the mud pits, many truly surrendered to their inner pig, and played in the mud. One or two teenagers even turned the melée into a full blown mud slide. The rest of the crowd appeared as mixed as the city hosting the event. All ethnicities came together as a testament to music serving as a bridge between cultures. And music festivals, like All Points West, serve as a playground for the youthful spirit in all of us. By the end of their set, the rain subsided to a drizzle, and spirits were soaked with summer jams, not dampened spirits.

Also, near the end of the set, the singer had another announcement. "They just told me, due to the crappy weather," he paused for effect. "All single-day ticket holders will be allowed to return either Saturday or Sunday, free of charge." A large part of the crowd roared; others who had a full-weekend pass wondered if they'd get a partial refund, but no such announcement was made.

» Gallery