July 17, 2007 17:58

Vampire Weekend nail their very first LA gig

New York quartet preview new songs for a packed house

Vampire Weekend played their very first gig on the West Coast last night (July 16) for a packed house at the Los Angeles Troubadour.

The hotly tipped New York quartet thrilled the crowd at the ASCAP showcase with their unique brand of African-beat influenced party music.

The band tore through tracks from their self-titled debut EP, including the lively ska-influenced single 'A-Punk' and 'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa'.

"This one is call and response," frontman Ezra Koenig said when introducing 'One (Blake's Got A New Face)'. "It's about our friend Blake and the whole thing is a tribute to Metallica," he quipped.

The audience, which included members of Cold War Kids and Rilo Kiley, danced non-stop throughout the 45-minute set.

"It felt good to see so many people here," keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij told NME.COM after the show. "The good weather really affects people - they like to dance."

Vampire Weekend played:

'Mansard Roof'
'Campus'
'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa'
'M79'
'Bryn'
'I Stand Corrected'
'A-Punk'
'One (Blake's Got A New Face)'
'The Kids Don't Stand A Chance'
'Walcott'

--By our Los Angeles staff.
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