Just under two years ago, Vampire Weekend played Salt Lake City (SLC)’s In The Venue. I went with a few friends after having heard their debut and enjoying it enough. YACHT came onstage and blew me away, and really that was the only noteworthy thing that happened that night. Jona Bechtolt came onstage and introduced us to his solo project away from The Blow, and I was thoroughly impressed by his showmanship. However, Vampire Weekend took the stage and ran through their debut album, resulting in a mediocre performance. They didn’t even have enough material at that point for an encore. I left feeling a bit underwhelmed, and, for a while, I lost the hope I once had for greatness in Vampire Weekend.

One incredible sophomore album and an SLC date at the same venue later, I can reasonably say I have had a rapid revival in my faith. Contra is the best album of the year thus far (followed very closely by Gorillaz’ Plastic Beach), and Vampire Weekend has taken the past two years to develop into an act that shines with brilliance. Their songs are tighter, their showmanship has exponentially improved, and their catalogue is vastly more impressive and enjoyable. But what’s more, this show reminded me why I love music so much.

While the rest of the world was focused on Austin, Texas, at a killer SXSW, we simple folk of SLC were focused on a beautiful, long-haired Mikhaela Maricich (aka The Blow), who had taken the stage to open in front of the sold-out crowd. It’s been a while since we’ve heard from her. After Bechtolt split to pursue YACHT, she’s been relatively quiet. But her showmanship returned with resounding profundity; her charm and wit impressed all who were listening. She played old hits, explained her absence, made a few jokes, and debuted a couple new songs that sounded extremely promising. She was, I am happy to say, in peak form.

Then, after a short wait we were dazzled with the new and improved Vampire Weekend. The flatness and timidity that ruled their previous SLC date was gone with the opening notes of “White Sky”. Vocalist and band spokesman Ezra Koenig appeared fearless and in control. The stage setup was elaborate, involving six chandeliers and a massive Contra album cover as a background. It was truly breathtaking. They seamlessly moved in and out of Vampire Weekend and Contra songs with Koenig’s quirky commentary keeping the show moving. His much-improved confidence was the glue that held the show together. It’s no wonder he made the list of Indie Crushes in this year’s Gummy Awards.

At one point in the show, a part of the crowd had become a tidbit rowdy and after the song, Koenig mockingly scolded them with a wide grin on his face, saying, “Hey now, guys. No stomping each other out here. Not at a Vampire Weekend show. We all know the right time and place for that; not here.” Near the end of their set he recounted the band’s progression over the years with respect to Salt Lake City: “Three years ago we were playing Kilby Court [Salt Lake’s infamous, yet small venue], two years ago we were here, but on the small stage, and now we’re here on the big stage. You’ve been good to us, Salt Lake City.” To that, there was a deafening cheer from the sold-out crowd, and they jumped into the last song of their set: a conjoined “Campus/Oxford Comma”. They left the stage and were instantly called back by the crowd with the chant: “One more song! One more song!” Upon their return, Koenig laughed, saying, “One more song? You guys are so polite … We have two albums now!” And they began a consistently impressive encore.

Sometimes it takes a while for a band to come into their own and attain the level of expertise it takes to control an audience. Sometimes this never happens, but for Vampire Weekend it happened with a vengeance. 2010 is their year, the same way 2009 was Animal Collective’s. They have improved and evolved so much and have stepped up to the plate and seem ready to take on the world. This was truly a night to remember for the city of Salt Lake.

The Blow setlist:
Peaceful Easy Feeling (Eagles cover)
Invisible (new song)
Parentheses
Long List Of Girls
You Were So Right (new song)
Fists Up
True Affection

Vampire Weekend setlist:
White Sky
Holiday
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
I Stand Corrected
M79
Bryn
California English
Cousins
Taxi Cab
Run
A-Punk
One (Blake’s Got A New Face)
Diplomat’s Son
Giving Up the Gun
Campus/Oxford Comma

Encore:
Horchata
Mansard Roof
Walcott