By the time indie pop trio Vampire Weekend took the stage Sept. 27, TD Garden was jam-packed. The crowd was mostly millennials — just like the band — with a few families mixed in.
The stage setup was simple, with a black background reading “Vampire Weekend” in white block letters. The band, composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, drummer Chris Tomson and bassist Chris Baio, appeared on stage in white, loose-fitting clothing. When the first note rang out, the simple setup and outfits made sense, as they allowed the music to take center stage.
The band opened with “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” a catchy, upbeat, jingle-esque song about a preppy couple. The opening lines, “As a young girl, Louis Vuitton / With your mother on a sandy lawn / As a sophomore with reggaeton / And the linens you’re sittin’ on,” referenced the slightly uppity attitudes of some of Cape Cod’s inhabitants, which Bostonians understand all too well.
Right away, Koenig showed off his extensive vocal range by hitting outrageously high notes.
After “Holiday” and “I Stand Corrected,” which both share the band’s typical solid bass lines and building choruses, Koenig slowed things down for “Ice Cream Piano,” performing a stripped-back acoustic version. Like many Vampire Weekend songs, “Ice Cream Piano,” the opening song on the band’s latest album, “Only God Was Above Us,” touches on themes of religion, existentialism and social ills.
Koenig sings, “Armistice, we never tried it / You’re the soldier, I’m police / Listen, baby, we can’t deny it / You don’t want to win this war ’cause you don’t want the peace,” hinting at themes of perpetual conflict and unrest.
Mid-song, the simple Vampire Weekend black curtain fell, and the full band was revealed, including a piano and a fiddle, stepping things up a notch. The lights began to flash on-beat as they continued with some of their pop-style hits including “This Life” and “Campus.”
Throughout it all, Koenig kept the stage banter brief, simply addressing the stadium as “Boston” with phrases like “This one’s for you, Boston” and “How are we tonight, Boston?”
The stagehands, who usually go unnoticed during shows, played a role in the performance, sporting vests that read “Tunnel Crew” as they carried instruments on and off stage. The curtain behind the band resembled a sort of foggy tunnel, perhaps paying homage to the underground subways of New York City, where the band is from.
Halfway through the night, the concert shifted gears with the performance of “NEW DORP.NEW YORK,” a song by SBTRKT featuring Koening. The song had a rap feel, with energetic bass and instrumental parts complete with flashing club-like strobe lights across the Garden. It was chaotic and uncharacteristic of their other songs, but well-received by the audience.
Before playing another one of their hits, “Oxford Comma,” which, like many of their songs, has vaguely academic references, Koenig explained how they had first played the song at The Middle East in Cambridge. It seemed to be a reflective moment, not just for the band, but for the audience too, as it takes a dedicated fan base to sell out TD Garden.
The poppy, upbeat vibes continued with a few more songs like “Hannah Hunt” and “Harmony Hall,” which Koenig dedicated to any first-time concertgoers in the audience.
Nearing the end of the show, Koenig acknowledged that many people wonder why the band has so many songs about Cape Cod despite being from New York. He took this opportunity to embrace his witty humor, stating, “I can’t tell you exactly why, but Massachusetts is one of the 17 secrets of Vampire Weekend’s proprietary blend.”
The band then played a final song, “Hope,” which was contemplative and well-wishing with its main chorus of “I hope you let it go.” The band then exited “through the tunnel” one by one, fading out the song, instrument by instrument.
Met by a roaring crowd, they returned shortly after for an encore. In a fun turn of events, they began to take song requests from the audience.
They showcased their supreme musicianship, playing songs like George Michael’s “Faith” and the “Parks and Recreation” theme song entirely by ear, perhaps as a playful hint at Koenig’s partner Rashida Jones, one of the stars of the TV show.
They even played The Champs’ “Tequila” and a few more seemingly random songs before ending with one of their own, “Walcott,” which mentions Cape Cod by name multiple times and resonated with the Boston crowd.
Once again never missing an opportunity to be witty, Koenig waved goodbye with a cheery “Goodnight, Chicago, go Cubs!” leaving the audience laughing.
Fans at TD Garden were treated to Vampire Weekend at their best. They weren’t crazy showmen and utilized simple setups and props, allowing their smart lyrics and likable personas to shine through.
