New Releases category interest

Having ended a half decade of anticipation with last week’s album announcement, Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio and Chris Tomson p/k/a Vampire Weekend now fill that void with “Capricorn” and “Gen-X Cops,” a double portion of first tastes of the anxiously awaited Only God Was Above Us, available April 5 via Columbia Records. Pre-order is available now here. Simultaneously, the band has confirmed a full scale North American headline tour. Produced by Live Nation, the 39-date trek follows a select few previously announced festival headlines, a sold out show in the shadow of the solar eclipse, and will include three unique two-show engagements that will see Vampire Weekend play Saturday night shows followed by Sunday morning sets at the Greek Theater in Berkeley CA, KettleHouse Amphitheater in Bonner MT and New York’s Madison Square Garden.

 

The newly released pair of advance tracks showcase distinctly different aspects of Only God Was Above Us, while feeling very much parts of the same whole. “Capricorn,” written by Ezra Koenig and produced by Ariel Rechtstaid and Koenig, begins on a deceptively subdued note, its honeyed melodies and arpeggiated keys launching into a transcendent chorus featuring a maelstrom of distorted guitars and vibrant drum fills. “Gen-X Cops,” co-written by Koenig and Chris Tomson, and produced by Rechtstaid, Koenig and Tomson, kicks off with a frantic guitar figure befitting a title lifted from a 1990s Hong Kong action movie, and rides a jaunty beat to an anthemic refrain of “Each generation makes its own apology.”

 

Each of the new tunes is accompanied by a new video built around footage of New York circa 1988 by Only God Was Above Us album art photographer Steven Siegel. Directed by longtime Vampire Weekend creative director Nick Harwood, “Capricorn” is a visual journey to late ‘80s New York City that showcases the alluring yet grimy era of the city— before breaking to modern day Vampire Weekend. "Gen-X Cops," directed by Drew Pearce (The Fall Guy, Hotel Artemis, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Iron Man 3), takes a decidedly different route to authenticity, utilizing the exact film-stocks Siegel used in 1988, and tracking down the only authentic 1970s New York subway car on the west coast. Pearce and DP Doug Emmett then meticulously researched the actual light patterns of 1980s subway tunnels in order to build a rig that would emulate them as well as shooting “Gen-X Cops” on 8mm and 16mm cameras to ensure maximum precision.

 

Only God Was Above Us will be available April 5 via Columbia Records and will be available digitally, and physically on CD, standard black vinyl, limited edition clear vinyl on the band’s webstore, and with an alternate album cover available exclusively at Independent retailers. Pre-order here: https://vampireweekend.lnk.to/OGWAU/vinyl1

 

Support acts for Vampire Weekend’s upcoming tour have been hand-picked and carefully curated by Koenig, Baio and Tomson. Every region of the country will be treated to their own very special guests — several of whom hold local significance —all of whom are beloved by the band. Those guests include: LA LOM, The English Beat, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Mike Gordon, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Ra Ra Riot, Princess featuring Maya Rudolph and Gretchen Lieberum, Cults, a DJ Set By Mark Ronson, Turnstiles and The Brothers Macklovitch. Please refer to the tour poster for more information on which acts will appear on which dates.

 

Citi is the official card of the Vampire Weekend Tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday, February 20 at 10 AM local time until Thursday, February 22 at 10 PM local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.

 

Fans are encouraged to sign up now for early access to the band’s presales at vampireweekend.com. Those presales start Wednesday February 21 at 10 AM local time. The general on sale will begin Friday, February 23 at 10 AM local time at vampireweekend.com.

 

VAMPIRE WEEKEND

Only God Was Above Us

Tour 2024

Mon Apr 08 - Austin, TX - Moody Amphitheater (Solar Eclipse) -  SOLD OUT

Sat April 27 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz andamp; Heritage Festival*

Fri May 10 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Block Party*

Thu May 30 - Barcelona, Espana - Primavera Sound*

Thu Jun 06 - Houston, TX - 713 Music Hall

Fri Jun 07 - Irving, TX - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

Sun Jun 09 - Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Financial Theatre

Mon Jun 10 - San Diego, CA - Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre

Wed Jun 12 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl

Sat Jun 15 - Berkeley, CA - The Greek Theatre at U.C. Berkeley

Sun Jun 16 - Berkeley, CA - The Greek Theatre at U.C. Berkeley (Matinee Show)

Tue Jun 18 - Burnaby, BC - Deer Lake Park

Wed Jun 19 - Bend, OR - Hayden Homes Amphitheater

Thu Jun 20 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena

Sat Jun 22 - Bonner, MT - KettleHouse Amphitheater

Sun Jun 23 - Bonner, MT - KettleHouse Amphitheater (Matinee Show)

Fri Jul 19 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Mon Jul 22 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre

Tue Jul 23 - Lincoln, NE - Pinewood Bowl Theater

Thu Jul 25 - Maryland Heights, MO - Saint Louis Music Park

Fri Jul 26 - Chicago, IL - Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island

Sat Jul 27 - Chicago, IL - Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island

Tue Jul 30 - Minneapolis, MN - The Armory

Thu Aug 01 - Milwaukee, WI - BMO Pavilion

Sat Aug 3 - St. Charles, IA - Hinterland*

Thu Sep 19 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center

Fri Sep 20 - Cincinnati, OH - The ICON Festival Stage at Smale Park

Sat Sep 21 - Indianapolis, IN - Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park

Mon Sep 23 - Rochester Hills, MI - Meadow Brook Amphitheatre

Tue Sep 24 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage

Wed Sep 25 - Laval, QC - Place Bell

Fri Sep 27 - Boston, MA - TD Garden

Sat Sep 28 - Philadelphia, PA - TD Pavilion at The Mann

Mon Sep 30 - Washington, DC - The Anthem

Wed Oct 02 - Charlottesville, VA - Ting Pavilion

Sat Oct 05 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden

Sun Oct 06 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden (Matinee Show)

Tue Oct 08 - Wilmington, NC - Live Oak Bank Pavilion

Wed Oct 09 - Raleigh, NC - Red Hat Amphitheater

Fri Oct 11 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheater

Sat Oct 12 - Atlanta, GA - Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park

Sun Oct 13 - Asheville, NC - Rabbit Rabbit

Tue Oct 15 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheatre

Thu Oct 17 - Austin, TX - Moody Center

 

*Festival date