Credit: Photo by Sandy Carson

Vampire Weekend

Friday, Sept. 26, Zilker Park

In the first monster-crowd set of the fest, Vampire Weekend bounded onstage looking so well-scrubbed it was tempting to check for purity rings to make sure they weren’t the Jonas Brothers. The lilt of “Mansard Roof” vanquished all doubts, however, and the band’s quirky Afro-pop on “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” and “A-Punk” warmed in the heat of the midday sun. The unexpected appearance of Austin’s Tosca String Quartet gave “M79” and the new “Kids Don’t Stand a Chance” a sterling touch, but choosing the Talking Headsy “Oxford Comma” and “Walcott” for the finale guaranteed them 15 minutes of good press. Nevermind that VW is teased for their Paul Simon lite: the four have laid claim to a bright, heartfelt sound that’s refreshing in a suddenly unsure future.

This article appears in October 3 • 2008.

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